Stand up for Stand Up Awareness Week! Student Newsroom
Last month, Coolmine had its seventh annual standup awareness week. Many staff and students alike helped to make this week happen. We are especially grateful to Mr. Keith Purcell for his contribution and organisation of all the activities.
Mr. Purcell is the founder of this campaign. In an interview we did with him, he explained why he decided to start this campaign. Mr. Purcell is a former pupil of Coolmine, and he had a friend who he knew from his time there who was also a member of the LGBTQIA+ community. They both had quite different experiences as students of Coolmine and this was only discovered by Mr. Purcell as a past pupil/teacher.
Mr. Purcell’s friend had a negative experience during his time in Coolmine, whereas Mr. Purcell had the opposite experience and that is the reason Mr. Purcell decided to establish the campaign. This movement is now in its 7th year and grows bigger each year. The school is proud to participate in this campaign.
Stand Up Awareness Week is about showing our support for the LGBTQIA+ community in Coolmine, and to shed light on homophobic bullying. It is about actively trying to stop it. We showed this through the many activities, such as, the rainbow straw hunt, the LGBTQIA+ art and short story competition, and the party hosted by the LGBTQIA+ club. The school also put up posters for the LGBTQIA+ community outside the canteen. Also, on Friday, Mr. Purcell and Ms. Maria Tully stood outside the school entrance and offered a rainbow stamp to everyone coming in.
Apart from this week alone, the school does many things for queer youth. The LGBTQIA+ club meets every Friday in D21, and it is open to anyone and everyone who wishes to join. We also have other clubs for people to join, like the crochet club, the manga club, the film club, and the games club. All staff and teachers are always available to talk about any problems related to bullying,
Of course, Stand Up Awareness Week will mean something different to everybody. This is why we took the time to interview staff and students about what they themselves believe Stand Up Awareness Week is all about. Here are a few of the answers we received.
What does Standup Awareness week mean to you?
“To me, awareness week means standing up and supporting the LGBTQ community and standing up against homophobic and transphobic bullying.”
“Awareness week, to me, means creating a safe environment for all students and trying to raise people’s awareness and bring attention to the issue of homophobia and homophobic bullying in schools and in the wider community.”
“To stop homophobia and bring awareness to the damage it can cause and bring attention to it so it can be stopped.”
We also interviewed Mr. Purcell himself to get information about Standup Awareness week!
Interviewer: “Could you tell us a bit about Standup Awareness week?”
Mr. Purcell: “It is an opportunity to try and ensure diversity and inclusivity. The week is specifically for the LGBTQ students, but it is for everybody to feel safe and included in their community.”
Interviewer: “Did you set up awareness week in the school?”
Mr. Purcell: “Yes, I did. I started it about 7 years ago, my second year working in Coolmine.”
Interviewer: “What inspired you to set it up?”
Mr. Purcell: “I have a friend who was gay when I was a pupil in Coolmine. After we graduated, we were talking about our experiences in Coolmine. I had a very positive experience, on the other hand, his time in Coolmine was very negative because he thought he could not be himself. After that talk, I knew I needed to set something up for our LGBTQ students here in Coolmine.”
Interviewer: “What was your favorite activity of the week?”
Mr. Purcell: “Definitely the party that we hosted in the LGBTQ club. Every Friday the LGBTQ club meets, and it is one of my favorite lunch times. I really look forward to it.”
Interviewer: “Do you think that awareness week is important, should the school continue it annually?”
Mr. Purcell: “Yes. I think it’s very important because it shows that our students are supported by the school.”
Interviewer: “Do you think this week helps students who are uncomfortable with their identity?”
Mr. Purcell: “I don’t think the week changes their struggles, but it helps the students know that the school accepts them as they are.”
Congratulations to our winners of the short story and art competition!
Thank you to everyone who allowed us to interview them!
Nicola Rae Respicio
Roberto Martin
Olivia Reddy
Ms. Kearns
Mr. Purcell
Written by Oliwia Monaghan and Eva Brown
If you are a member of the LGBTQ community, and struggling with your mental health/getting bullied, please call Ireland’s helpline on; 1800 929 539*Note: The interviews may have been slightly altered to fit the length criteria and to fit grammatical standards