“Cougars pledge to resolve conflicts without violence.”

The large banner that hung in the Kennedy High School foyer October 21 stood as a call for anti violence in and out of the Kennedy halls, as part of a Cedar Rapids Community School district effort to promote healthy conflict resolution in their schools last week.

“Every school did something different,” Jason Kline, Kennedy High School principal said. “We chose to do a banner. That gets more students involved than to sit and listen to a video or something like that.”

The poster was signed by various Kennedy students throughout the day, each pledging to work toward nonviolent conflict resolution.

While Kline remarked that Kennedy High School may not have as many instances of conflict resolution ending in violence as some schools, he notes the importance of the movement.

“[The students are] going to have relationship issues. They’re going to have instances where they feel like someone is picking on them. We need to teach them how to deal with them and how to prevent them,” Kline said.

Activities throughout the year may take place in homeroom to follow up on the anti-violence message the district wants to send.