Homecoming for Whitney Kropp: Even the opposing team came out in support
Whitney Kropp at homecoming last night. (Facebook)
Bullied Michigan teen Whitney Kropp triumphed at homecoming Friday night where even fans of the other team supported her — showing up at the football game in her favorite color orange.
Her case — which we discussed earlier this week – has attracted supporters worldwide. Whitney was elected to the homecoming court at her Michigan high school as a joke by some mean classmates, but she turned the tables on them and emerged a national heroine after her hometown rallied behind her and a Facebook campaign was launched.
Cheers erupted and cameras flashed Friday as Whitney Kropp stepped onto her high school football field as a star. “I’m overwhelmed,” she said later, with flowers in her hair and the straps on her red, ruffled dress sparkling under the stadium lights.
Kropp, a 16-year-old sophomore, made headlines this month when she decided to join Ogemaw Heights High School’s homecoming court, despite being nominated as a joke. Many people around West Branch, as well as across the country, praised her courage and embraced her anti-bullying message.
Whitney’s supporters donned orange, her favorite color, as they cheered her on from the stadium stands. Students from Cadillac, home of the visiting team, were in orange. “We support her,” said 13-year-old Molly
“There’s definitely a different mood,” 61-year-old John Young said before the game as he hawked raffle tickets near a man grilling hot dogs. “People came here together to support her.” And when halftime finally arrived, the marching band played and a pickup carried Whitney around the track that surrounds the field. She carefully stepped out and turned toward the crowd, beaming.
Whitney said she has a message for victims of bullying. “The kids that are bullying, do not let them bring you down,” she said. “Stand up for what you believe in, and go with your heart and go with your gut. That’s what I did, and look at me now.”
–From Maureen Downey, for the AJC Get Schooled blog
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60 comments Add your comment
Beverly Fraud
September 30th, 2012
11:51 am
Before Maureen does a story on this:
“Southern Association of Colleges and Schools warned last week that county schools’ accreditation could be in jeopardy because of infighting among school board members and other concerns.”
Please, let’s drop the pretense: Not a SINGLE child is in danger of graduating with a unaccredited diploma.
Worst case scenario: ClayCo will “lose” accreditation AFTER one senior class graduates, and will have it “restored” BEFORE the next senior class graduates. Same sham as before. As was told on this blog BEFORE the last “lost” accreditation farce.
Again, you read it here first, Oct. 30, 2012. Not a SINGLE child will leave ClayCo with an unaccredited diploma. It’s all politics and has NOTHING to do with what’s best for students.
Beverly Fraud
September 30th, 2012
11:53 am
“Bev Fraud — the story is about the bullying of children, not teachers.”
And are you so lacking in knowledge as to understand that the bullying of teachers has a DIRECT effect on the bullying of students Pride and Joy?
Rick Day
September 30th, 2012
5:29 pm
Yeah right Beverly, Apples to Apples.
Workplace bullying is totes worse than child bullying. Poor adults can’t stand up for themselves but kids are NEVER damaged.
You are a putz. And a troll.
Beverly Fraud
September 30th, 2012
11:05 pm
“Workplace bullying is totes worse than child bullying. Poor adults can’t stand up for themselves but kids are NEVER damaged.”
Thank you for proving Rick, you don’t get it.
If the teacher is bullied for attempting to stand up for discipline, then how to expect the teacher to advocate for a child being bullied when that advocacy is met with not support, but RETALIATION?
In short, if you don’t address the bullying of teachers, you are DIRECTLY and NEGATIVELY impacting their ability to effectively address the bullying of students.
You think APS could have perpetrated a decade’s worth of academic genocide WITHOUT bullying of teachers?
Morning Reads For Monday October 1, 2012 — Peach Pundit
October 1st, 2012
7:02 am
[...] faces a strong challenge in his reelection bid next week. – People rallied around an unpopular teen elected Homecoming Queen as a joke. – RCP polling average: Obama 48.7, Romney 44.6. – Rasmussen: 43% sure there will vote [...]
Mortimer Collins
October 1st, 2012
8:17 am
The term bullying has become a catch-all for any behavior “deemed” non-policiticaly correct.
With regard to Whiteney…Congratulations!!
indigo
October 1st, 2012
8:44 am
Whitney refered to herself as an “easy target”. As one who was bullied and tormented with cruel jokes from the first grade to my last year of college, I know only too well what she means. As long as this continues in our schools, the responsible adults will ensure a steady flow of embittered adults who will neither forgive or forget.
Linda
October 1st, 2012
6:31 pm
For those of us who have the bullies as close as our backyard; I’m so proud of Whitney and her Mother. Her Mother who instills positive self worth and for Whitney; the confidence and courage to rise above and go, no matter what. May your future be blessed with many more beautiful moments.
KIM
October 1st, 2012
9:11 pm
@BeverlyFraud…the world does not revolve around the trials of APS. This is an important issue (student bullying) partly because of parents’ denial that their children do it.There may have been a time when schools denied it, but I don’t know when that was. I have been an educator for over forty years and it has ALWAYS been one of the most important issues we have dealt with. But we live in a world where we care more about silly political correctness in the adult world than mitigating the deep hurting that is a result of child cruelty. Your reference going back to APS is a perfect example.
whitneyfan
October 8th, 2012
11:30 pm
I am glad that Whitney stood up to these jerks at her school. It also seems the school is bitter about the negative publicity – well, they just need to deal with it.
Anyway, I think the whole homecoming queen tradition should die. I think everyone is sick of the phony, “popular” blond girls who try to dominate high schools.