Personal story turned news article

Who would have ever thought that writing about “what defines me” would be so difficult. Who am I? Honestly, I don’t know. I know that I’m a modern orthodox, Jewish, Persian girl that lives in Great Neck. I know who and what others think. How they define me. I’m “the triplet”, “the studyhollic”, “smiley”. But that’s what I am, not who I am. Sure, I study a lot, just to do well in school to get somewhere in life. Sure, I’m a triplet, but it’s not something I made myself. And I may smile a lot, but doesn’t everyone “put on a face” in front of others? I’m not saying that I don’t have things to smile about, but really, can someone truly be happy all the time? I walk down the streets and see people looking at me. But they don’t see… me. They see a girl that limps, and tries to do well in school to “make up for it”. They don’t realize that this girl could not care less to “make up” for anything and I am not embarrassed of anything. I work to do well in school because I want to. I’ve been doing karate for the past five years not because I want to prove myself. I do it because I love it. I do it because it’s the only place that I’m not limited because of what I can’t do; rather, I am pushed to do more than what I can. Just because I looked helpless doesn’t mean that I would let those boys in middle school just push me to the lockers, call me a “handicapped Jew” and get away with it.
I was in the eighth grade, just walking down the hall to get to class, when they spotted me. Those two boys that thought everyone was scared of them thought they can do and say whatever they want and not be reprimanded for it. Walking passed them, my eyes averted as to not have to meet theirs. I was not scared of them, and did not intend to show it, but apparently they were searching for vulnerability and found it.
I’ll never forget the feeling of Brandon’s big, heavy hands on my shoulder as he was shoving my body into the blue metal lockers that stood next to the red brick walls. I’ll never forget the sound of his voice, full of hatred, as he hissed out “get out of my way, you handicapped Jew”.
As I walked on and turned back in disbelief of what had just happened, I realized that I was not angry enough at him at that moment to retaliate. Instead, I felt bad for him. I knew that no person would do what he did if they were not in need of attention. But, as moments went on and I realized how much pain my shoulder was actually in, I realized that letting him be reprimanded for what he did might actually end up helping him. After [English] class, I walked up to my teacher, who was actually the dean of the school at the time, and told him what had happened. He asked me to tell who the boys were and I told him I knew one of them, but not the other. Luckily, he knew exactly the two boys I was talking about. They “were partners in crime.”
He then explained to me that these were the two most troublemakers in the school and that they needed just one more reason to be sent where they needed to go. I was the reason. A meeting was arranged between the boys, their parents and school officials (I opted to stay out of it- I didn’t need the drama). Within three days I got news that both boys were sent to a boarding school and were not allowed in the school district again for quite sometime. The fact that they had actually caused the dislocation of my left shoulder was just another “push “.
He’s gone now. He’s been gone. But the fact that he actually lives just four houses down from me and I am forced to remember that day every time I pass by does not help. At least I was able to “prove” one thing that actually needed proving.



Great Neck Student Fights Back

NEW YORK- Tuesday morning, at approximately 10:30 A.M., Great Neck North High School student, Ariella Aghalarian, was shoved into the lockers of the school’s hallways by a fellow male classmate, who is to remain nameless for legal reasons.

“He called me a handicapped Jew as he was pushing me”, Ms. Aghalarian told reporters when asked about specifics on how it happened. “I was not going to let them get away with it because if they did it to me, they would do it to a lot of other people too.”

Apparently, there was more than one boy involved even though only one of them came in contact with the student. School officials began working with Ms. Aghalarian, the male classmates and their parents to resolve the issue. “It was not the first time that these boys committed such acts, nor would it have been the last” said School Dean and Aghalarian’s English teacher Mr. Ron Levine. Levine was the first school official to be informed of what has happened.

Ms. Aghalarian was experiencing shoulder pains because of the impact with the lockers. That was taken into consideration as officials decided it was best for the boys to be sent to a boarding school that would be more efficient for them. These boys were found to not just be bullies but were associated with drugs and alcohol and were sent to a facility that would help them with these issues at well. Although Aghalarian has opted not to come in direct contact with the young men, they have sent her a note of apology and realization of their actions. There is no indication of the school’s plans on ensuring the rarity of these events, but they “are sure that things will change”, according to Levine.