A lesson from tragedy
Courtesy of Anabeth Bostrup’15
At around 7:00 am on August 27, a seemingly happy, ordinary boy entered the doors of Greenwich High School in hopes of enjoying the first day of his sophomore year. Less than 24 hours later, it was confirmed by police that this “happy, ordinary boy” had held a shotgun to his chest, taking his own life.
After two months of summer, it had only taken one day of school for this boy, Bart Palosz, to commit suicide. One day of bullying had killed him.
Bart was a sweet boy, and a great friend. I attended the same school as he did last year, and although I never encountered Bart, many of my friends fondly remember his kindness. As I scrolled down my Facebook news feed on the day of the death, and the week after, I was overwhelmed by the number of posts about Bart, how wonderful he had been, and how no one expected it.
All I saw were compliments, and I could not help but wonder how many insults he must have endured to reach the desperate point of suicide.
I wish I could have met Bart and befriended him. I wish I had had a chance to help him, but I did not. Just like thousands of others, I was oblivious to what was going on in his world. I was oblivious to the victimization taking place in my own school.
Bullying truly is a vile thing, and it terrifies me how common it has become in our world. Perhaps Convent of the Sacred Heart is sheltered from it, but how can we know for sure?
Communication. By simply communicating with each other, we become more aware of our surroundings, and bestow upon ourselves the ability to stop problems before they grow into catastrophes. We all have troubles, but how many of us keep them to ourselves and struggle alone? We may think that we have too much going on in our lives to deal with someone else’s issues, but in reality, we might actually be able to help each other out.
Bart’s situation was terrible and morbid, but instead of dwelling on it, we should learn from it. We need to help each other instead of hurting each other, and learn to communicate better. Everyone needs someone to talk to.
– Alana Galloway, Staff Writer
Paul Grisanti • Oct 10, 2013 at 10:40 pm
Bart’s tragedy has so many lessons for us all. I do remember when I went through some bullying in high school. Going right to the fabulous faculty of Iona Prep and bringing it to their attention put an end to it. Do the same here and report bullying, ladies. Indeed, when anything is difficult in your life, speak up about it. Talk, talk and talk until you find someone who will listen.
Sara Herbert-Galloway • Oct 7, 2013 at 8:22 pm
This is well very well written. Thank you for having the insight to write about this tragic and painful event. Your story will help raise awareness that people need to talk more. If anyone knows of a bully or someone being bullied they must tell authority figures immediately. Well stated.