The Great Challenge Continues Building on the powerful challenges laid down here by his brother, Darrell, in February, Larry Scott also inspired, encouraged and yes, challenged Newark school and community audiences October 18 to continue on a lifelong path of making a difference by being kind and respectful to others as well as themselves. Like Darrell, whose family’s world was horribly turned upside down after his daughter, Rachel Joy Scott was the first of 13 people to be killed in the Columbine High School massacre April 20, 1999, Larry Scott’s life was also forever altered that day. Had Columbine students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold’s hellish plans been fully successful, his son, Jeff, then a senior, and Sarah, a sophomore , would likely have been killed in homemade bomb explosions in the school. His nephew, Craig, Rachel’s brother, would also have been shot as his two friends and sister were. That realization both haunts and motivates him to be part of the “Rachel’s Challenge” team that extensively travels and works tirelessly among the youth of America and other countries each year. They contrast the horribly negative behavior and evil deeds of two misguided adolescents that shocked the world with Rachel Scott’s belief in looking for the best in others and her selfless acts of kindness that have sparked chain reactions of goodness throughout the world. Harris and Klebold will long be remembered for killing 12 fellow students and a heroic teacher, as well as wounding 24 others before taking their own lives on the anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s birthday. As they went on their insane killing spree, Scott said they chanted words they’d heard in a violent movie they’d watched more than 100 times. The Columbine tragedy spawned national debate about gun control laws, firearm availability, gun violence involving youths, bullying and negative behavior among high school students, as well as the effect of violent movies, music and video games on culture. Conversely, Rachel Scott will long be remembered for her non- judgmental attitudes that resulted in countless good deeds that changed the lives of many students and other people while she was alive. Her legacy is that those beliefs are positively impacting young and old throughout the world. At the two assemblies Oct. 18 with seventh and eighth grade Middle School students and nine through twelfth grade students at NHS who attended the “Rachel’s Challenge” assembly in February, students learned more about the enduring impact of Rachel’s Scott’s life on others. And they were encouraged to embrace five new challenges that have to do with caring, helping others to feel good about themselves, learning from your mistakes, turning crisis into transformation and forgiving yourselves as well as others. One of the most stirring points was made by Craig Scott, who in the video sadly recalled he had quarreled with his sister on the way to school the day she was killed. He rudely slammed the car door shut as he left her that morning. “I had no idea it would be the last time I’d see her,’’ he recalled. “The next time I saw her she was in her casket.’’ For more than a year afterward, the horror of being in the middle of the Columbine tragedy was compounded by the guilt he felt about the way he treated his sister the last time he was with her, as well as the hatred he felt for Harris and Klebold who killed her. It consumed him. “I was really angry with myself. I had to choose to forgive myself. Rachel would have forgiven me. Forgiveness is so important in picking up the pieces and moving on. I hated those boys for killing my sister. When I chose to forgive I let go. I am so much more a free person because of that.’’ Craig Scott has since embarked on a filmmaking career. He wants to be a part of making positive motion pictures that will inspire. Larry Scott encouraged students at both assemblies to forgive themselves and others for the mistakes they’ve made. At the early morning assembly with NMS sixth graders and the staff of Lincoln, Perkins and Kelley Schools and the evening presentation for parents, students and community members Scott presented “Rachel’s Challenge” because most had not seen Darrell Scott’s presentation in February. Since its inception, the results-oriented “Rachel’s Challenge” program, designed to inspire, instruct and enable students to bring positive relational changes in their lives and schools, has been presented weekly to an estimated 60,000 high school and middle school-age students and staff _ and community members in those school districts both here and in other countries _ where “Rachel’s Challenge” is presented. While the program was set up primarily for middle and high school students, Kelley School Principal Chris Mizro who attended Darrell Scott’s February presentation, wanted to have some of the proven concepts included in the expectations for Kelley School students this school year. She and her school leadership committee developed the “Kelley School Codes For Success” for this school year with some of the concepts of “Rachel’s Challenge’’ woven into them. Because of her interest and that expressed by other elementary administrators and staff, Meister arranged to have them attend the 7:45 a.m. “Rachel’s Challenge” assembly Oct. 18 with NMS sixth graders. Sixth graders Shea DeJohn and Spencer Edmonds sought Scott out after the second assembly at their school and thanked him for presenting “Rachel’s Challenge” at their school. “It made me think about what we say to people and how to help others,’’ DeJohn said. “It just made me feel so happy we can help people,’’ Edmonds said. After the third assembly Oct. 18, Scott also met with NMS and NHS Friends of Rachel Club members and those students who are interested in becoming members. During the evening “Rachel’s Challenge” presentation Larry Scott thanked the parents who attended and noted sadly the “appalling” lack of support of so many children in this country by their parents. “I wasn’t a perfect parent and none of us are,’’ he said. “But I am grieved at what I see in America.’’ But he said the number one thing that students tell him everywhere he travels is that they wish their parents would spend “quality time with them.’’ He said the average parent spends no longer than three minutes a day talking with their teenager. Earlier in the presentation he noted that neither Harris or Klebold’s parents had any knowledge of the horrible things their sons were involved in. Had they known, the Columbine tragedy most likely would have been averted. “I encourage you to be more involved with your kids _ love them. Take care of them. . .’’ he said.’’ Scott said the time he spent with his two children individually as they were growing was probably the most important thing he could have done for them as a parent. Admitting he didn’t always understand how important it was, he tearfully and thankfully shared: “I’m a hero today to both of my kids. Parents, be involved with your kids.’’