BY SARA KEDDY

Kings County Register

Google “pink” and “bully” and you’ll find lots of reading material - and it all links back to a school campaign started right here.

Life has gone from “overwhelming,” Central Kings principal Stephen Pearl said Sept. 20, to “nuts” a day later, Sept. 21. And that’s after a week of escalating interest: from the community, schools, parent, anti-bullying and pride organizations; not to mention media.

When half the students at C.K. wore pink Sept. 7 in support of a Grade 9 student bullied on the first day of class for wearing a pink T-shirt, they did it to send a message bullying behaviour wasn’t acceptable at their own school.

Two weeks later, students and staff are still spinning, pulling pink into their wardrobes more often than ever before, speaking to reporters and large crowds of their peers and depending on school administration to keep some of the bright lights dim enough to keep up with schoolwork.

“I wrote a math test this morning,” Travis Price said before speaking to several hundred middle school students Sept. 24 in New Minas. “My head was just not there.”

Price was joined Sept. 7 by friends and fellow students in pink. He was heading back to C.K. Monday to see if American talk show host Ellen DeGeneres wanted him and a classmate to fly down for a taping on what’s happened.

Pearl is keeping a file of calls, emails, notes and other contacts coming from the pink phenomenon, answering all of them and then passing them on to students.

“It’s put C.K. on the map - in a good way,” he says. “Everyone’s got a smile on their face.”

Particularly the original victim.

“He feels really good about coming to C.K. now - there’s a network of people behind him if anything should happen.”

As for the bullies, “they’ve gone underground,” Pearl says.

That’s just great, say students.

C.K. prime minister Zack Miller says the pink campaign has been “mind-boggling.

“Everyone can relate to bullying.”

Nick DeAdder, the student government’s sport and recreation minister, hopes to build on the “tightness” in the school through events and sports in the coming weeks and months.

“It’s great everyone took a stake in this. If we cane get everyone together, it’s a better place.”

Grad class vice-president Megan Lamb says this event will “mark our year.

“We’ll be going on to university and know we left a school like this.”

Valley schools superintendent Norm Dray says he’s as up-to-date on developments as Pearl can keep him.

“Personally, I’m thrilled,” he says. “We’re very pleased there’s such a positive story about today’s youth, and I truly believe we have great kids in schools.

“I see hard working, caring kids who have more competition than ever before for university and higher marks - and also just committed to making a difference in society.”