Ms. Montana delights in Dodson

Danielle Wineman, 2015 Ms. Montana, was born and raised in Cut Bank, Mont., so she is no stranger to the Treasure State's Hi-Line.

For the better part of October, Wineman has stopped along many cities and towns along the Hi-Line – including Malta, Saco and Glasgow – and last week stopped in Dodson to talk with the school’s students about being Ms. Montana, but more important to her, about bullying.

Prior to speaking with the elementary and high school students, Wineman met with Dodson School President Jasper Doney. Doney asked Wineman if she had ever been bullied?

“I was the over-achieving nerd in school, who, according to some people, was too good for everybody,” Wineman replied. “Because of that I was bullied. My sister, who has autism, was heavily bullied as well. We would stick-up for her and in turn be bullied for that as well. It is just silly and stupid and no point in it. I think it is an issue which can never be talked about too much.”

Wineman’s presentation on the day was entitled Acting with Compassion and she told the students that they are all the star of their own stories. She said that though each person is the star of their own story, there are side-players who also play a role in people’s lives, some positive and some not. She told the children that they each possess the superpower of being able to decide how they treat others.

“Bullies are the villains of your story,” she said. “Your superpower that decides what character you play in everyone else’s show. That superpower is your words. Anytime you say something, you are making a conscious decision on whether to use your superpower for the forces of good or the forces of evil.”

October is National Bully Awareness Month and Wineman asked the Dodson Elementary students to each recite a pledge:

“I so solemnly swear to use my super cool, amazing superpower for the forces of good, and not evil,” she said in her finest Shakespearian brogue. “To be the best lead role in my own show and to not be a villain in somebody else’s story.”

Each student emphatically recited the pledge.

Following the speech, Wineman was asked several questions by the students including “do you live in a castle?”

“Nope,” she responded. “I live in a house in Cut Bank.”