Published: September 19, 2008 05:54 pm            

CISD takes up Rachel’s Challenge

The students and parents of Commerce ISD have been challenged and now the results are in their hands.

The school students, along with their parents were issued Rachel’s Challenge, a program based on the life and writings of Rachel Scott, the first student to be killed in the Columbine High School massacre in 1999. Darrell Scott, Rachel’s father, told the story of his daughter’s life Sept. 10 at assemblies at Commerce Middle School and Commerce High School and a special community meeting that night at CHS.

Rachel’s story has touched the hearts of many. Books have been written about her life and Chuck Norris dedicated his autobiography to Rachel. According to Darrell, Rachel seemed to know that she was destined to touch other people. When her parents got around to moving the furniture in her room some time after the Columbine tragedy, they found a special message. On the back of her dresser, Rachel had traced her hands. Across them, she had written, “These hands belong to Rachel Joy Scott and will some day touch millions of peoples’ hearts.”

Although Rachel had a premonition that she would reach many others, she also had a strong forewarning that she would die young. About a year before she was killed, she wrote these words in her diary. “This will be my last year, Lord. I have gotten what I can. Thank you.”

The first step that Darrell Scott challenged the crowd with was to eliminate prejudice. His son, Craig, was also at Columbine High School that day and watched as one of his good friends was killed while being taunted with racial slurs.

“Rachel convicted me deeply in her writings,” Darrell said. “She said, ‘Don’t judge people by your first or second or third impression, but get to know them. Look into their eyes and you may catch a glimpse of their heart.”

Darrell said it’s not just a matter of racial prejudice, but of prejudging other about anything. He said Rachel gave the best formula for dealing with prejudice.

“If you look for the best in others, you’ll never have a problem with prejudice,” he said. “If you look for the best in people, you will find it. If you look for the worst in people, you will find it.”

Secondly, Darrell Scott challenge the group to dream big and write those dreams down and turn them into goals.

“They’re only dreams until you write them down,” he said. “Almost miraculous things happen when we write our goals down.”

Rachel recorded her dreams in diary, where she wrote of her life and writings affecting people all over the world, according to Darrell. Although she was killed at such a young age, her dreams have come true.

The third part of the challenge was for everyone to choose their influences because input determines output.

Darrell’s son, Craig, has decided to work in the movie industry because he saw the impact that violent movies, music and video games had on the two young men who committed the crimes. Craig saw Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris acting out the violence they had filled themselves with and wanted to make positive movies for people to watch.

Craig is now working at Walden Media and Rachel’s story has even touched the president of the company, Michael Flaherty, according to Darrell. After reading a book called “Rachel’s Tears” about her life, Flaherty realized he needed to change some of the things he was doing.

“In that book, I realized I had been making movies that had a negative influence on young people, that had senseless violence,” Flaherty said according to Darrell. “I made a commitment that I would never make another movie that would be violent for no reason.”

The fourth challenge was to start a chain reaction of with family and friends. The students at Commerce High School and Commerce Middle School will be forming Friends of Rachel organizations to help start that chain reaction and keep it going.

        

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