www.BRHSPTA.org Broad Ripple High School PTA

Pictures - BRHS Events Mayor Peterson addesses Junior class June 4, 2003 Click on images for larger pictures Lots of media coverage Full house of students, teachers and parents Mayor Peterson Superintendent Pritchett Interviews for The Star Student interviews Student interviews Mayor with parents/teachers Mayor Bart Peterson spoke to the Junior class about the recent violence. Mr. Papesh began with a brief speech (see below). Here are some of Mayor Peterson's points: The junior class will be the leaders of the school next year. The other classes will look upon them as role models. Get connected, stay connected. Participate in school activities. Stay in school. Don't let revenge motivate your actions. Watch out for each other. Don't sit by and let it happen. If you hear of something dangerous about to happen, let the school or the police know. There are anonymous ways to do that. (How to report a tip anonymously) The tip might save a life. Just think how you would feel if you had information that might save a life, and you did not come forward with it. He read a letter from Abraham Lincoln to a civil war mother that lost five sons in the war. He said he hoped something positive could come as a result of these terrible acts. Students taking care of each other. Parents paying attention to where their kids are and what they are doing. Superintendant Pritchett and School Board Vice-President Kelly Bentley are spoke briefly to the class. The students were dismissed and the media was asked to leave so the Mayor could speak to the parents and teachers in private. IPD North District Chief Reardon and Officer Spears joined the Mayor to answer questions. Here are some of the item discussed: The community needs to fix this problem. The government can't do it alone. We need to get the parents to care about more their kids. Where are they at 11pm? Who are they with? What are they doing? The laws are difficult when it comes to minors. Details about arrests cannot be made public. The curfew laws were removed in 2000 by a judge as unconstitutional. City ordinances were created, not very powerful. The Mayor agreed to continue to work with us beyond today's talk. Some ideas included motivational speakers to talk to students next year and a teen summit to discuss violence. Chief Reardon gave us the email to use to request being added to the IPD email list. Join the IPD North Division email list - R2460@indygov.org Mr. Papesh's speech: Mayor Peterson, on behalf of the staff, students, and parents of Broad Ripple High School, welcome. I hope, sir, that my forthcoming remarks do not steal your thunder or put you on the spot, but we have a message to deliver today. As you can see by our badges, the students, staff, and parents of Broad Ripple High School want to tell you and the community-- No more! We have been devastated by the loss of three of our classmates this year through violent actions. We have another who is partially paralyzed. We are here today to pledge our support to the city and the community in any collaborative effort to end the senseless violence on our streets. No more - empty desks in any classroom, in any school, in the city of Indianapolis. No more - headlines of children losing their lives in tragic circumstances. No more - funerals for students who should be in school or on the playground. No more - kids in wheelchairs. We are here to say that the time has come for all interested parties to step up to the plate, denounce the violence, and make Indianapolis a safe city for everyone - especially our children. We can no longer sit idle and accept the circumstances that are robbing us of our youth. No more, Mayor Peterson. We have had enough and are here to help. We can no longer tolerate walking the halls with our friends on friday, and burying them on tuesday. We will stand beside you and the city in any endeavor to cease the violence. I have a sign in my office that says - lead, follow, or get out of the way. We will lead--we will follow--we will not get out of the way. No more, ladies and gentlemen. No more