Rupp Arena in downtown Lexington is known to attract thousands of people for basketball games. But, one day last week it was the site for a contest of a different sort.
Nearly 12,000 students, educators, volunteers, parents, and community members were expected for the Student Technology Leadership Program State Championship. Five middle schoolers from Monroe County gathered around a green bench with a sign that read “Be a Buddy-Not a Bully.” Ally Wagner explains the concept. “The Buddy Bench works by if you see someone sitting there, they might feel lonely or they’re getting bullied, so you go up there, sit with them and talk to them to see if they need a friend and just be their buddy.”
The bench, made out of recylced bottle caps, is situated near the school office. Wagner’s team member The student said many students who feel lonely also feel more comfortable talking to fellow students rather than adults. Caden Eldridge thinks it’s working. “It’s a way of making new friends and in our school, since we put that in since January, we’ve seen less kids walking the hallways alone by themselves and we’ve seen bigger groups of kids together,” noted Eldridge.
Josh Rich’s dad Jimmy said he was proud of his son and the other students. He said it’s something they can leave behind and kids coming up can carry it on and bullying can be curbed.
Another exhibit was labeled Happy Wildlife. Trimble County seventh graders Collin Tolliver and Courtney Douglas spoke with Weku's Stu Johnson about a foot long motorized boat with an attached net to scoop debris off the top of waterways.
