It was an average day of class, that Tuesday, I thought so anyways. Then I discovered there would be an assembly, I moaned in grief, for every assembly was the same, a never-ending ramble from the principal and a quick introduction to the season’s sports teams. We entered our gymnasium, the lights were dimmed and a huge screen was placed against the wall. I realized this would be something different, because of the indescribable feeling of sereneness I felt while entering the building.

I took a seat on our creaky wooden bleachers and waited anxiously not knowing what to expect. A young well dressed man introduced himself, and turned on a video. It was about Rachel Joy Scott, a young seventeen year old girl who was the first victim of the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999. For the first time in my life my eyes truly awakened. I had heard of the massacre, but never comprehended the impact it had on our society. That day, April 20, thirteen innocent lives were taken through anger and hatred.

Two people were all it took, two people full of hate to affect thousands of people, and it only took them about an hour. At that moment I realized that kindness was stronger. That video was only about fifteen minutes long, but it brought our school together. For those fifteen minutes there were no cliques, no insecurity, and most importantly there was no hatred. We were one. Rivulets of tears began to flow down my face during the last seconds of that video. For the first time I was not ashamed of my tears, because they were honest. I glanced around to see something beautiful; all of my peers had crying eyes as well.

The Columbine High School massacre will forever be engraved in my heart. Along with Rachel Scott who started a chain reaction of kindness throughout the world. In the end only kindness matters.