High schoolers pass 'lip dub' torch to elementary students
<p>Lake City student carries Betty Kiefer student Peyton Myser while filming a “lip dub” video Tuesday at Betty Kiefer Elementary to support a anti-bullying message, create unity between Lake City and Betty Kiefer and support Rachel’s Challenge. Lake City created a similar video in December.</p>
<p>Students and one teacher raise the roof while having a spontaneous dance party Tuesday in a hallway of Betty Kiefer Elementary. The dance party started while students were cleaning up confetti that was left after Betty Kiefer kids and the Lake City High School Student Council teamed up to make a “lip dub” video to promote Rachel’s Challenge.</p>
<p>Lake City High School’s Mascot, Mr. T-Wolf, amps up a crowd of Betty Kiefer students Tuesday as the Lake City Student Council and Betty Kiefer kids create a “lip dub” video promoting Rachel’s Challenge.</p>
RATHDRUM - Call it organized chaos with life-changing messages.
The halls of Betty Kiefer Elementary were lined Tuesday with students and staff promoting unity to squelch bullying, during a colorful and energetic lip-dub filming.
The Lake City High School Student Council crossed district boundaries to assist with the video as students, the LCHS timberwolf mascot and others made their way through the sea of supporters to Katy Perry's song "Roar" and Sara Bareilles' "Brave."
"It's important because we are trying to convince people to stop bullying. It's not nice," said Joesey Sherman, a Betty Kiefer sixth-grader. "The less people who are bullied, the better school we have."
A "lip dub" combines lip-synching and audio dubbing to produce a music video.
Students and staff waved pom-poms, held signs with anti-bully messages and a few even dressed up as retro rockers to get into the spirited act.
"Don't hate; Congratulate," one banner read. "At BKE, everyone is special," another stated.
Both Lake City and Betty Kiefer support Rachel's Challenge, a nationwide anti-bullying campaign in schools.
The campaign is named after Rachel Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine shooting in 1999. Rachel challenged herself and her friends to start a chain reaction of kindness one act at a time.
After Lake City created a lip dub video in December, Corey Friis, a Betty Kiefer teacher, contacted Mallory Cook, LCHS student council advisor, and Eric Edmonds' KFNG video crew at LCHS about a filming at the Rathdrum elementary school.
The Betty Kiefer video is expected to be available on YouTube, the schools' websites and perhaps the Rachel's Challenge site in April after spring break.
"This was a fantastic opportunity for both schools to work together and set the stage for discussion of bullying," Cook said. "The biggest thing for us was being able to help educate on the issues. Little kids look up to the older ones."
LCHS senior Chloe Hutter called the filming a fun course on the "basics of bullying."
"It shows that the different age groups are against bullying," she said.
Classmate Josh Symons said the videos help students grow as friends.
"Hopefully the younger students realize that it's cool to be friends," Symons said.