After reading the book The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold, the next natural step was to give the students the tools they would need to defend themselves, if ever the occasion called for it. In the book a fourteen year old girl by the name of Susie is raped, beaten, and then murdered by a neighbor. The entire story is told through her perspective up in Heaven. The one thing Susie did not do was attempt to protect herself. Susie also did not trust her instincts. Many of the students were upset by this and felt as if what happened to Susie could easily happen to them or their family members. Something needed to be done to change this feeling of helplessness, which is why I employed Angela Putnam and members of the Martial Arts Center in Nashua to teach my students basic self defense. Led by Master Tom Adams, 26 girls were taught the eight most vulnerable points on the human body and how to properly attack them. After a rigorous workout, all involved said they felt far more empowered and were grateful for the opportunity. Hopefully a follow up session can be scheduled for later in the semester.

Sarah Paling Cardoso, High School English Teacher