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Unity Day in Alpena

Former MSU basketball standout talks bullying at Ella White, Hinks

News Photo by Julie Goldberg Anthony Ianni, right, signs autographs for students at Ella White Elementary School on Wednesday. Ianni is a motivational speaker and talked to students at Ella White and Hinks Elementary School about how bad bullying is and shared his life experiences when he was bullied throughout his childhood.

ALPENA — Ella White Elementary School and Hinks Elementary School each had a special visitor on Wednesday as a part of the Anti-Bullying Relentless Tour: Anthony Ianni.

Ianni was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at the age of four and was the victim of bullying as a child. He graduated from Michigan State University and was the first known individual with autism to play Division I college basketball. Ianni played with the 2010 and 2012 Big Ten Champion and Tournament Champion teams and the 2010 Final Four team.

Ianni, 29, talked to the students about bullying and how bad it is. He shared with them life experiences that he had with bullying throughout his childhood and how he grew from those experiences. He said he didn’t hesitate when asked to visit Ella White and Hinks.

“I’m one of those guys who tries to make sure I answer every single speaking request to the best of my ability,” Ianni said. “I haven’t been up to Alpena in a while, so it’s definitely nice to come up and deliver the message.”

Ianni shared two messages with the students: Be careful with what they say and do to others because they don’t know who that person will be in the future, and, go out and actually make change.

A few students were selected to stand in front of their classmates and answer questions Ianni asked. Ianni wants the students to get involved and participate in his presentation.

“They know that they’ve been challenged and can go out and make a change in the world today,” he said.

Ianni also talked about celebrities who have been bullied in their life.

The Anti-Bullying Relentless Tour started in 2013 and seeks to raise awareness of autism and the problem of bullying. Sixty percent of students with disabilities report being bullied regularly, compared to 25 percent of all students, according to Autism Speaks.

“When I started the initiative, the idea behind it was to do just middle school, but, once I launched it, we got phone calls from elementary schools, private schools, charter schools, and high schools that wanted to be a part of the initiative and it’s been successful,” Ianni said. “I’m proud of the message that it brings and I’m very proud of all the great accomplishments it’s done and it’s not even close to being done. It’s just getting started.”

After the presentations, students approached Ianni, asking for his autograph on basketballs, paper, and wristbands. Ianni said that means a lot to him because he’s doing his job at spreading his message.

Wednesday was Unity Day for schools, and students and staff wore orange as a sign of unity and to stand up to bullying. Ianni had no idea that he would be coming to the schools on Unity Day, a national campaign against bullying, until he arrived.

“I saw every single kid wearing orange and I thought it was something for Halloween,” he said. “I’m glad that they represented and showed out in orange today. It told me how much they care about unity and how much they really care about anti-bullying prevention month.”

Ianni said word about his visit on Wednesday will spread and he hopes he gets to speak at Thunder Bay Junior High School or Alpena High School one day.

“I’ve always told people that I’ll be back, it’s just a matter of when,” Ianni said.

Bullying, by the numbers

How often bullying occurs, as of September 2017:

∫ 28 percent of students in grades six to 12 experienced bullying

∫ 20 percent of students in grades nine to 12 experienced bullying

∫ 30 percent of young people admit to bullying others

∫ 9 percent of students in grades six to 12 experienced cyberbullying

Source: stopbullying.gov

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