As students walk out of school or turn to social media to protest, the hashtag #thoughtsandprayers is becoming teenagers’ catchphrase. This inspirational movement emerged two years ago after Bridges was moved from after 7th period to before 6th. An anonymous junior tweeted the words “Bridges was moved, I see five people crying, SAD. My heart goes out those who can’t leave school early #thoughtsandprayers.” The message was retweeted by over eight MIHS students, making it viral.
“I really like the message it carries. #thoughtsandprayers means I’m empathizing and I feel sad. It’s an easy way for me to show that I care about people who have problems,” freshman Josh Landon said.
“It’s so ambiguous,” Landon’s friend Donald Trump added. “Like, do I care? Maybe, but no one knows for sure.”
Others find in the hashtag a new form of expression. “Thoughts and prayers….they’re important,” math teacher Emily Bender said. “Whenever something bad happens, I know I can put minimal effort into preventing it from happening again.”
But some students disagree. “It’s just so political! I really hate how extreme kids are these days. Why can’t they just calm down and eat their tide pods, haha.” The anonymous grandmother walked away, laughing at her “epic roast.”
The #thoughtsandprayers Club, founded by three sophomores, meets every other day to discuss these allegations. “We’re not political in the slightest!” Henry Wilson, one of the founders protested. “In fact, me and the other co-founders were accused of being the most boring debaters in Debate Club.” The #thoughtsandprayers Club’s mission is to spread their philosophy and convince others to follow in their footsteps. “Change can only be accomplished through our #thoughtsandprayers,” the club’s website stated.
Wilson, Allison Ramirez and Megan Cross, met over a year ago in Peru, where they did “charity work” and gathered material for their college essays. “I learned a lot from that trip, like the fact that I live an incredibly sheltered life and that it really sucks to be poor,” Ramirez said. “I’m not sure if my volunteer work in Peru did much, but hey, those poor, hungry people have my #thoughtsandprayers.”
In these turbulent times, the #thoughtsandprayers is a beacon of hope. Even a tweet about Bridges can go viral within years, so don’t be afraid to show how little you care on social media!
