Sticks and stones ... an age-old rhyme, an age-old lie
By: Nick Timmins Schieffer School of Journalism
“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Most people can recall a time in their lives when they heard or recited this seemingly meaningless phrase. However, the actual meaning of these words is quite the opposite. Words have the power to hurt and change lives. At Frog Camp, part of the First Year Experience at TCU, students are learning just how much words impact those around them and change is growing on campus.
“More Than Words” is a reader’s theater production performed at every Frog Camp. It was created by Carrie Zimmerman, director of the First Year Experience. The production consists of nine students who read stories and quotes that describe different hate crimes and acts of injustice in America, specifically on college campuses, which deal with issues such as race, gender, orientation and weight.
“When I started working at TCU and with Frog Camp, I realized the potential we had on campus to say ‘this is how we treat people,’” Zimmerman said. “And we needed a way to talk about it – something interactive that grabs people’s attention.”
Zimmerman developed the first draft of “More Than Words” in 2001. The content came from a magazine called Teaching Tolerance, produced by the Southern Poverty Law Center, as well as from newspapers, current events and browsing the Internet. “I Googled ‘discrimination’ a lot,” Zimmerman said. The actual presentation is not visual. “It’s people standing still, reading. It’s about the words.”
“‘More Than Words’ is based on the fact that language is powerful,” Zimmerman said. “ ‘The pen is mightier than the sword’ is the truth. ‘Sticks and stones’ is a bold face lie. People are sometimes so careless with their language without realizing the power that they have.”
The point of “More Than Words” is not to take a stand on issues or to push a specific agenda about the topics it addresses, but rather, “to help people think about how they treat people,” Zimmerman said.
Sam McMillen, a senior Frog Camp facilitator, agrees: “The purpose of ‘More Than Words’ is to put a name and a face to each situation, provoking the audience to draw their own conclusions with the appropriate mindset.” According to McMillen, “It’s an eye-opening experience that really makes people think about how prevalent hate is in our society. Once you hear the performance, it’s hard to ignore things you may have previously overlooked simply because it didn’t apply to you.”
For Katie Simpson, a junior Frog Camp facilitator, “More Than Words” is “a way to reach out to those in our community and encourage them to keep pushing for equality, kindness and the fair treatment of others. It makes me consciously think of my role at TCU and if I’m positively impacting and serving those around me.”
Every year, hundreds of TCU students apply to fulfill the highly selective and coveted role of a Frog Camp facilitator. Facilitators lead small groups at each camp and serve as mentors for the incoming students who attend Frog Camp. They are often viewed as some of the best students TCU has to offer and come from all areas of campus. It is these facilitators who perform “More Than Words” at each camp.
Many facilitators find that “More Than Words” tends to impact them even more after being in a facilitator position. Senior Frog Camp facilitator Laura Hardin said, “‘More Than Words’ places you in a vulnerable position of self-awareness and challenges a person to make changes in the way they respond to words. It has forever changed my heart in the way I treat people with both words and actions.”
Zimmerman has created a piece of work that has not only become an integral part of the Frog Camp program, but one that also has made a great impact on campus.
“TCU has become a more positive place in general because ‘More Than Words’ has given individuals confidence to be themselves,” McMillen said. “It’s disappointing to me that people live in fear because they’re different. The fact that TCU has embraced the program is very reassuring for people who want to educate others by simply being themselves.”
Zimmerman feels that the impact “More Than Words” has is up to each individual. “The power lies in the individuals who now think about what they’re saying or fight an injustice wherever they see it.”
“While I still think there is a need for improvement in how people treat others on this campus, I know that ‘More Than Words’ has deeply affected a large population of the student body,” Hardin said. “It is important to realize that influential student leaders on this campus, such as Frog Camp facilitators, understand the significance of ‘More Than Words’ and can then set an example for how we should treat others.”
Brittany Thomas, a senior Frog Camp facilitator, said, “I know that it affects people in my social circle and students who go through the Frog Camp program. I wish that TCU would use it in more ways than solely at Frog Camp because I think it could be very far-reaching.”
Zimmerman said she would like for students on other campuses to be able to use the program or something like it as a catalyst for conversation. She feels that it can be a good starting point.
For many on TCU’s campus, “More Than Words” is much more than just a starting point. It is a constant reminder of the challenge presented to us to “be the change we wish to see in the world” as posed by Mahatma Gandhi.
