Deltano dives into kindness
On Thursday, September 6 and Friday, September 7, the Galena Elks Club sponsored “serious comedian” Keith Deltano all the way from North Carolina to talk to Galena High School and Galena Middle School about becoming bully-proof.
On Thursday night, Deltano met with parents in the middle school commons area and shared ideas for how to help their students avoid and deal with tough bullying situations. “I learned about the numerous valuable resources available to assist us with technology and monitoring our children’s activity, which was comforting and empowering,” said Galena High School teacher Katie McIntyre. “I also loved the friendly reminder to communicate and get involved with our children’s friends families. It’s so important to keep them on the right path.”
His message at the high school encouraged students included some of his personal stories and struggles with bullying. “He was an interesting person with interesting stories,” said senior Evelyn Larson.
Deltano also encouraged students to be kind and remember that what they say matters, and explained that people do not have to fit into a certain box to be accepted and loved. He stressed that social media can be a powerful tool, but that it can also have some negative effects.
While his message was intended to inspire students to make their school a better place, not all students felt like this message came across. A junior student said, “He kinda scared me, because he yelled. His message was unclear and instead of telling people how to stop a bully, he told people to get help, and not everyone has the courage to do this.”
Throughout his life, Deltano struggled to fit in because he battled dyslexia, ADHD and APD (Auditory Processing Disorder). Because he was different, he got bullied. As a result, Deltano turned to comedy as a coping mechanism. He uses what he learned back in grade school to educate kids today. Deltano also brings to light the stunningly high rates of anorexia, bulimia and teen suicide. He makes it a point to tell why those are wrong and how to deal with them. More information can be found at www.Don’tBullyOnline.com.
