At a Utah High School Activities Association summer Leadership Conference, “Dare to Lead,” senior McGyver Clark was shown a video by the Special Olympics of Utah. The purpose of the  video was to “spread the word to end the word.” The word discussed in the video, retard, is a word that makes everyone uncomfortable and hurts many beloved people.

      “I’m a football player and we have some amazing managers for our team,” Clark said. “When they hear the R-Word, it hurts their feelings.”

    Hearing the R-Word upsets many students who have a high potential at achieving what they set their minds to. Just because someone looks, sounds, or behaves differently, does not mean that they are any less capable.

      “These special olympians, they’re track runners, bowlers, swimmers, artists, and singers,” Clark said. “They can do anything anybody else does, but we still consider them the R-Word,”

      The purpose of this video is to spread awareness, create a sense of unity in ending the use of the R-Word, and to help everyone feel better, safer, and more confident.