Andy Jacob
Carl Sandburg Middle School
Levittown, Pennsylvania
Bucks County Courier Times: "Where Character is 'Cool'"

Andy Jacob is a 13-year-old student at Carl Sandburg Middle School in Levittown, Pennsylvania. He participated in the MindOH! Foundation's 2002 Character's Cool Contest, and won an Experience Music Project Prize Pack.

The Character's Cool Contest was a national contest for middle school students to help stop school violence and to encourage the practice of ethical behavior. Participants completed an online survey about their experiences in the aftermath of Sept 11th, bullying and school violence, and the ethical behavior and character qualities needed to reduce school violence.

When asked about the first emotion he felt upon learning about the September 11th attacks, Andy felt "very angry but also very sad." Andy's parents and school both talked to him about the events of September 11th.

Andy thinks it's possible for one country to bully another country, but he has seen someone being bullied in his school. According to Andy, Carl Sandburg Middle School takes measures to prevent bullying and violence.

"Well, our school has a lot of ways of dealing with violence," Andy wrote. "For instance, we have a peer mediation group for kids who have problems with other kids, which helps to solve and prevent violence. We have plenty of adults around school who you can tell if you have problems with violence, like a fight."

Andy thinks it's important for young people to learn how to manage their anger and resolve conflicts peacefully, and he thinks that it's important to be respectful of others, even when you disagree. He thinks that there are certain character qualities people need to have to reduce violence: Responsibility, Cooperation, Tolerance, Patience, and Self Control.

Carl Sandburg Middle School teaches Andy about these character qualities. "We are told from the start that violence is not the answer. We all have the ability go to a teacher or guidance counselor and get help. They all say kind words, and over the years, they try to teach us all those [qualities] on the list even though I didn't check them all off. We do activities where we work with others, even if we don't really like that person that much. If you want to get the A+, then you have to work together and use self-control, tolerance, cooperation, patience, and responsibility."

Andy also thinks about and tries to practice these character qualities by using them as much as possible. "The more you use these, the better and more used to them you get. For instance, if I just keep my self-control and patience while standing in the lunch line for ten minutes, then I will start to get better at it. Eventually, after 8 years of that, you get the hang of it and it is just what you always do. So in other words, the more you practice responsibility, cooperation, tolerance, patience, and self-control, the better you get at them and the more you use them until it just seems natural for you to do it."

Andy likes to play soccer and football, "but mostly I like to read. I read more than anything." He admires his mom and dad, and thinks his school is nice. "We have lots of extras," Andy wrote. "My favorite teacher is Mr. Merkle. I like pizza and the mall, math, social studies and English."

If Andy could travel anywhere in the world, he would go to "Hawaii because it is so cold here!"

When he grows up, Andy wants to do something in the business field. He is neat, wary, cheerful, intelligent, and academic. Andy's piece of advice to other students across the United States about stopping school violence, Andy wrote, "Always tell your teachers when trouble is abroad. Always try your best because if you don't then what's the point of trying."