By Trudy Simpson, Staff ReporterA YEAR ago, anger clouded Stacy-ann Arthurs' every thought and shadowed her every move.
Trapped in a world of despair, the 14-year-old Trench Town High student was unable to overcome the loss of her father six years earlier to migration.
"I would fight a lot. People would call me names and it would build up my anger. If you hit me and didn't say sorry, I would fight," the third form student recalls.
Now Stacy-ann's quiet poise and calm eyes tell a different story, recording the triumph of a teenager who has battled anger and won.
"I got involved with the Peace and Love in Schools programme through my guidance counsellor, because I had an anger management problem. I got training and it actually helped me to control my anger," she said, during Tuesday's staging of a peace awards ceremony to mark Peace Day 2003.
The ceremony, organised by PALS in partnership with the Disputes Resolution Foundation, was held in lieu of the traditional Peace Day concert at Trench Town High in West Kingston.
Stacy-ann was among three persons who received not only special awards from PALS during the ceremony, but a citation commending her efforts at anger management.
"Changed behaviour does not take place overnight. It is a journey with peaks and valleys and hurdles that have to be overcome. Recognition needs to be when positive change has been attained and for this, Stacy-ann, we recognise your efforts," said master of ceremonies and radio personality, Michael Anthony Cuff, while her schoolmates, teachers and principals cheered.
Among those clapping loudest was principal of Trench Town High, Grace Smith, who was herself an awardee for her leadership skills.
"I can't quantify the whole situation but we have seen students change drastically. I have seen those students (peer mediators) grow and I have seen three in particular change so drastically," Mrs. Smith told the audience earlier, using that opportunity to commend students like Stacy-ann, who have traded fists and fights for peace mediator sashes.
She said that the PALS programme "is worthwhile because today, in the schools, it makes a difference. It's working and I am happy to be a part of it," especially in light of community problems, such as single parenting, inadequate home guidance of children because parents have to "hustle" and other the tension of inner-city conflict.
"The school has to deal with this because sometimes the problems within the community become a part of the school's problems. We were happy to board the PALS mobile in 2000 where we got specific training as to how to deal with conflict, as to how to handle students who were in constant conflict with each other," the principal said.
For her part, Stacy-ann says that she is happy that she can now help others to learn anger management.
"I have also learned to help others to control their anger. Sometimes, I tell them that is not everything will happen overnight but if they work with it and if they want to change, they can change," she said.
