South Carolina is in the Top 10 of states where students are most likely to be bullied.
In an effort to combat this statistic, Capital Waste Services and Richland County brought in pro-sportsmen Dan Marino, George Rogers, Ray Tanner and Jim Stuckey to lead a discussion on bullying at Richland Two Institute of Innovation on Tuesday.
The guest speakers discussed ways to help kids identify bullying behavior and understand the effect it has on others. The speakers also discussed ways students could reduce bullying in their schools and communities, all while they shared their own childhood stories and personal experiences.
The professional football hall of famer Marino discussed the importance of communication between students and trusted adults. Marino also challenged kids in attendance to find someone who might be sitting alone at lunch and join him or her.
"It was a great opportunity for all of us to be able to spend some time with these kids and talk about bullying," Marino said.
Rogers, the former Gamecock and Heisman Trophy winner, lit up the room with laughter and shared his high school experiences with students.
"If you were my friend and you got bullied, I made sure that guy stopped that, right at that moment," Rogers said.
Rogers said he hoped the main thing kids took away from the seminar was that someone cares for them.
Stuckey, a two-time Super Bowl winner and Columbia native, continued the conversation on how students can do more than just being a bystander when bullying occurs. Stuckey asked the students to put a stop to bullying together. He was quick to point out that bullying is very different now from when he was in high school.
"Kids today with social media, the bullying that goes on is a lot more than getting in a fight in the lunchroom," Stuckey said.
Tanner, the athletic director for the University of South Carolina, hoped students would rally around those bullied and would stand up for what's right.
“When there is a team, there is no bully," he said.