Interview with Bart Bredleblum, PAC member

When first entering High School, freshmen are overwhelmed with what to do, what classes to take, what sports to try out for and what clubs to join. They read all the club descriptions on the school website and decide which to choose. There is Chess club, fashion and design club, habitat for humanity, Aids awareness, art club, environmental club, and Roslyn film society, etc. All of these clubs are self explanatory with what they do. Scroll down the list and you’ll find three letters, PAC. Seeing signs all over the school, and even in the school newspaper, with just three letters on it causes questions. While the publicity for the club is overwhelming, people still don’t even know what the letters stand for, let alone what the club entails.

What is PAC? What do you do in that club? Bart Bredleblum, a freshman at Roslyn High School and an active member in PAC, has decided to sit down with me and answer all these questions that many people have concerning the club.


Q: What exactly is PAC?

A: It stands for principle advisor council and we inform people about prejudice beliefs and hate crimes.

Q: What is the purpose of the club?

A: To explain to people that everyone is different and you shouldn’t hate someone because of how they look, their race or their religion and everyone should get a chance.

Q: What made you want to join?

A: I think that its very unfair that people are getting pre judged and that everyone should get to know someone before judging them.

Q: How do you think this organization has helped the community?

A: Starting at young ages to warn people about prejudice and tolerance. We are getting the memo across at a young age so when the kids grow up, they will realize its ok to be different.

Q: How do you spread your ideas to the youth of Roslyn?

A: We break the words prejudice and tolerance into pieces and explain to them in simple terms what these words mean and do fun games and exercises with them.

Q: Have you visited the elementary schools and the middle school? And if so, what activities do you do with the kids to provide a fun way to learn how not to be prejudice? And if not, what activities do you think would be a good idea to bring into the elementary schools?

A: Yes, we have visited both Harbor Hill and East Hills elementary schools and we are planning on visiting the Middle School. We explain the words prejudice and tolerance and the games that we play are mother may I and than we give each person a blank piece of paper we tell them to fold it in half. Than, we tell them to cut anywhere they want and that this symbolizes snowflakes and that each one is different, yet beautiful.

Q: Do you think people are still prejudice in Roslyn?

A: Yes because some people are ignorant and don’t like to change their views on the topic.

Q: How do you think that PAC will help stop discrimination in Roslyn?

A: We think that we can stop discrimination by spreading ideas to everyone in Roslyn that it’s ok to be different.

Q: What kind of people do you think are attracted to joining the club?

A: People who like to get involved in the community and want people to be treated equally.

Q: What effects does Pac have on you?

A: It allowed me to know more about prejudice beliefs and opened my eyes to see how many bad things are happening locally because of hate crimes.

Q: Do you think you will continue with PAC next year and why?

A: Yes because it is a club and is helping to make a difference in the community.

Q: While discrimination is a problem in many places, what things can we do as a community to provide a less prejudice society and community for people to live in?

A: Basically, to get everyone in the community to realize that everyone is different and it is perfectly fine.

Q: How is PAC meaningful to you?

A: It provides me with more information that I only learned briefly throughout my years at school.

Q: Do you think this club is beneficial to its members? Explain your answer.

A: Yes because it gives them something to do and a purpose of helping the community and actually feeling like you made a difference and really affected somebody else.

Q: What is the most memorable part of the club?

A: Going to the anti-bias meetings and we are there with other schools and I can really see the impact that we are making on Long Island together as a whole.