LHS Anti-Bullying Video a Finalist in PSA Project

The saying goes, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me."

Well, that’s not exactly true. Reality is that bullying and verbal abuse, especially among young people, takes place in-person and across cyberspace via texts, tweets and Tumblrs.

Words can hurt, but they can also help and heal.

“Words,” a PSA produced by Lexington High students Sam Alpert and Nur Akkurt, explores the ability of words to inspire and to destroy, to insult and to save.

And that PSA has been named a finalist in the 2013 PSA Project, hosted by the Middlesex District Attorney's Office and Middlesex Partnerships for Youth, Inc.

To watch the video, click on the image to your right or check it out on the Middlesex DA's website.

More than 200 students worked on the 50 videos submitted for consideration in the annual contest, according to a press release from the Middlesex DA’s Office, which said “empowering students to speak up to help those in need was the theme of the top five student videos.”

“This year’s project was all about encouraging our youth to find their voice – by standing up for their peers, calling out someone who is a bully, and preventing violence or abuse by talking to someone they trust,” District Attorney Ryan said in the press release. “It is so wonderful to see so many of our youth creating these important videos – we know that teens listen to each other and all of these videos share that vital message of speaking up. No one should ever feel silenced whether they or someone they know needs help. We hope these videos will continue this important dialogue in our schools.”  

Along with Lexington High, finalists are from Melrose High School, Nashoba Valley Regional Technical High School and Somerville High School, which has two videos in the top five. 

If Akkurt and Alpert’s “Words” wins first place, it will be the third consecutive year Lexington High students take the top spot.

According to the Middlesex DA’s Office, in 2011, two students from LHS with a PSA on cyber safety; in 2012 LHS students won with a video warning of the dangers of sexting called “I Respect Myself.”  

The winner is expected to be announced in mid-June.

For more on the PSA contest, check out the Middlesex DA’s website.