No IHS student expected Thursday September 17th to be any different than the Thursdays from the weeks before.  Yet, on that day there was an assembly planned about the consequences of bullying.  It was a message that we all needed to hear. 

The students filed into the auditorium for what was expected to be just a nice break from class.  When John Halligan finally began to speak it was as if the mood within the IPAC immediately changed.  There was something special about the way he spoke and told his son's story that captivated everyone who was present that day.

A pin could be heard dropping amidst the group of over 700 students and faculty listening to John Halligan's story.  As we sat enthralled in the assembly, sniffles could be quietly heard and students even stood up thanking Halligan for all that he had done. 

Halligan continually pressed home the fact that while bullying may not be "visible," because it does not leave bruises and broken bones, the effects can be just as damaging.  With the invention and advancement of Facebook, texting and technology students can bully their peers in new and easier ways.  While a student may feel relief after the school bell rings, they may go home to sign onto their Facebook and continue being harassed via the internet.  

Halligan had never intended to make public speaking a profession.  After his son Ryan died he was contacted by a principal at a school outside of his little Vermont town.  The principal had heard a story about John and wanted him to speak at the school's Respect Day.  After Halligan spoke, he thought, "It was a one-time deal," but an email two years later changed his life forever.

He knew that his story needed to be told and shared.  He knew that his story could make a difference.  At three in the morning, a few years ago, there was an alert that went off letting John know that he had just received new email.  He groggily awoke and shuffled to his computer.  What he saw would change his life.  A girl at the Respect Day assembly had emailed Halligan.  She mentioned how his words had changed her whole outlook on life and she had spent her whole senior year trying to make up to all of the girls she had previously bullied in high school.  She said that after doing this, she felt a lot better about herself.  John’s words had changed her life forever.

Halligan stated that, "he saw this as a sign" and decided to continue to preach his message.  Last winter Halligan made it official and quit his job at IBM to begin to speak to adolescents full time.  

After the assembly I interviewed Halligan and asked what was most satisfying about doing these speeches.  He replied that he knew he couldn't change everyone's mind in the audience or make an impression on everyone but stated, "If I can change one person's life, then it was a successful assembly." 

I had never imagined the effect that John Halligan would have on not only me but on the whole Ipswich High School community.  He even spoke for the parents and middle school students.  The whole school seemed to be very quiet the next day, taking in his story and message.  Students seemed to be nicer to each other.  I saw this as a good opportunity to ask a few students about their reactions to the assembly.  Sophomore Jurian Rose said, "I will now think twice about bullying because I now see the severe negative effect it has on people."  

Parents who attended the assembly later that night stated that they could never imagine what John Halligan went through, and felt invigorated to further protect their own children.  

We as a community may be "back to normal" in terms of the flow of things, but Halligan's words will live in us forever.  We will always think twice about our actions and the influences that they have.  "Life is a fragile thing," Mrs. Killian believes, "and we can see that while something may be a joke to one person, to another person it can drive them to suicide."