OXFORD – Although bullying has not been a pronounced problem at Oxford Academy, school administrators are determined to up the ante on the school’s preventative measures in accordance with the state’s Dignity for All Students Act (DASA), which came into effect at the beginning of the school year. The Oxford Middle and High School Shared Decision Making Teams will be hosting Jared Campbell’s The Blue Project, for a community event addressing bullying, at 7 p.m. Friday.
The event is open to the public and free of charge. Preceding Campbell’s performance, Middle School Principal Kathleen Hansen will give a presentation explaining DASA and how it is effecting change at the school. Afterwards, Campbell, an award winning singer/songwriter, will take the stage to preform his music as part of The Blue Project’s interactive concert.
Friday will actually be the second time Campbell has visited Oxford. “We brought him in as a kickoff to our new OLEUS initiative, in mid-October,” Hansen said. OLEUS is a program Oxford administrators have been using to ensure the school is up to snuff with the new anti-bullying law. “He communicated all of his messages through music and the middle school kids really loved it.”
“It helped to address the problems we face in middle school,” said Student Body President Emily Redfield.
Campbell’s October performance had a profound effect on many students and staff members could overhear them talking about it for days. “In seven years, it was the most feedback I have ever seen from an assembly. He connects with the kids, and it can be so hard to get middle schoolers’ attention,” said Hansen. “To be honest, I think it was the music.”
“I really liked the music and how easy it was to relate to,” said Redfield, in agreement with her principal’s suspicions.
Campbell is a native of upstate New York and has toured the country, not only taking the stage at school assemblies across the nation to address bullying, but also to share the stage with acts such as Jason Mraz, Gavin Degraw, and Journey. Campbell’s music has also been featured on TV shows such as MTV’s “The Real World.”
“The Blue Project was inspirational and really reached out to a lot of students,” said Redfield, in regards to Campbell’s October performance. 
Oxford Middle School staff have also created a website which allows students to report bullying anonymously. “We have to be creative because sometimes the kids are afraid of other students finding out what they have said,” said Hansen. Nonetheless, staff have not really seen an upsurge in the number of reports and many of the children still prefer to come into the office to discuss such matters in person, she said. Staff have also spent a great deal of time talking to students about how they should treat one another.