Inklings
Volume 73 Issue 8 • Crown Point High School • 1500 S. Main Street Crown Point, IN 46307 • inklings@cps.k12.in.us
• Monday April 27, 2009
Tomorrow’s forecast High 60°
Eat this, not that
Tuesday: Partly cloudy
Low 46°
Get more for your money with this guide to favorite fast food items
Animal shelters provide homes
The Lake County Animal Shelter is filled with dogs and cats (like the two at right) looking for loving homes
page 12
Area schools find new ways to combat underage drinking Statistics
3
4
out of every students (75%) have consumed alcohol (more than just a few sips) by the end of high school.
58%
More than of 12th graders report having been drunk at least once in their life.
1
5
in every 8th graders (20%) report having been drunk at least once in their life. In 2005, about
10.8
million
people ages 12-20 reported drinking alcohol in the past month.
Information courtesy of SADD.org
Busted
As prom season quickly approaches, area schools are working to keep certain names out of the fun. With the use of breathalyzers and limo searches, ‘Jack Daniels’ and ‘Captain Morgan’ will be kept out of prom, in efforts to reduce the nearly 5000 nationwide annual deaths that result from underage drinking, according to the U.S. Department of Health. By Cori Novelli and Megan Binder / executive editor and editor-in-chief Schools like Lake Central have added safety measures to combat underage drinking, inspiring Crown Point to do some of the same. This past January at Lake Central’s Winter Formal dance, “breathalyzers” were used on all students entering the dance. Students blew into a cup-type apparatus (the most non-invasive detector on the market, according to Lake Central’s principal Sandra Platt) and if alcohol was detected, the student was given a normal breathalyzer. Currently, these breathalyzers are used at the school’s three major dances: winter formal, prom and the senior banquet. “Every student and date is tested upon entrance,” Platt said. “It is my understanding that if you test one, you must test everyone, but if and when we have reason to believe that students are drinking during the dance, we will test only those who are suspicious again.” The use of breathalyzers has raised the issues of student rights and right to privacy. Although according to Platt, “Our rule’s sheet and outside date request forms
require signatures from students and parents,” critics believe testing students is unfair. Despite this, many students are for the idea. “[The use of breathalyzers] is such an awesome idea. I understand that people want to have fun at prom, but I’d rather have my friends alive come Monday morning than have a considered ‘blast’ the weekend before,” senior Liz Maxwell said. According to Dr. Eric Ban, this form of inspection is allowed at Crown Point. “Prom is a school event, and during such occasions, the school holds responsibility for students’ safety,” he said. “School administrators hold more authority than police officers at such functions,” he said. But what caused Lake Central to start the inspections? “Twenty-three expulsions at prom…that is reason enough,” Platt said. “We also had a problem at senior banquet the year before and an
“
page 7
occasional intoxication even before that. The community knew we had a problem,” Platt said. Even with the breathalyzers, Platt said check-in went well. “Students seemed to be a little more relaxed,” Platt said. “We also checked coat pockets and purses. Students knew we were going to do this, so there was no surprise.” Though breathalyzers won’t be used at the doors of the CPHS Prom, administrators will be greeting students at the door and can, with reasonable suspicion, require a student to be checked for alcohol. “This year we will also be looking for alcohol in limos, cars etc.,” director of security Milan Damjanovic said. If alcohol is found, the same rules apply as though the student was intoxicated at school, and they will be expelled. “If someone is caught they will go to jail, not home with Mommy
I’d rather have my friend alive come Monday morning than have a ‘blast’ the weekend before senior Liz Maxwell
“
and Daddy,” Damjanovic said. Despite the benefits that the breathalyzers could instill for our school, some students disagree with the process. “I don’t think it’d work. It would waste time because if students want to drink, they’re going to find a way to, especially after the dance when they’d be getting in cars and [possibly] drunk driving,” junior Tyler Dillion said. “The breathalyzers stop students from having more opportunities to drink. If it’s less enforced, it gives students a false sense that getting away with drinking is OK,” junior Cortney Lowe said. “Teens can have fun without alcohol. Prom is a time to have fun and remember good things like going to a dance, going to Chicago for dinner, going or going to Great America. You can’t do these things if you’re arrested or have died because of alcohol or drugs,” Damjanovic said. “I think the thrill of ‘getting away with it’ causes teens to over drink and not realize their limitations,” Platt said. In any event, “Having a death on your shoulders [due to drunk driving] is huge- it affects everyone,” Damjanovic said.
Administration cracks down on drugs
By Deanna Sheafer / managing editor
Because of the responses on the student surveys at the end of the first semester, the administration is taking steps to address concerns about illegal substances within our school. “We wanted to bring some awareness to the issue and also continue doing more proactive things to ensure that we have a safe school for all our students. Society and all schools are dealing with this same issue and we want to be proactive with both our actions and voice,” principal Dr. Eric Ban said. Some of the recent actions have been seen around the school, like the police dogs. Also, Ban has addressed the student body over
Monday morning announcements several times. “There are venues helping to provide information and explanations on the topic. We hope that stopping to talk about the ‘why’ and ‘what’ will also help address the issue,” he said. Communication between the administration, students, parents, and faculty is a priority concerning this issue. With this, the administration hopes to aid those students who need help with substance abuse. “We are in some initial stages of developing better awareness and programs for students and families,” Ban said. Illegal substances are not the only safety concern the school for the school. Unauthorized vehicles in the parking lot have been
warned to leave after license plate numbers have been run. “We are committed to students, parents, and authorized visitors on campus including our parking lot. The number one concern of parents and families across the country is that this is a safe and secure school that promotes a healthy and productive learning environment,” Ban said. To help the crackdown on illegal substances and any other school issues, an anonymous hotline has been created. The hotline provides a number for students and others to call to report any activity the administration should know about. “It [the hotline] is used in other schools and is a useful tool in helping to keep the school safe for students and staff by others re-
porting drug and alcohol use and/ or distribution, potential fights, and so on,” assistant principal Dave Templin. The administration hopes that students will assist in reporting any illegal activity so that such activites are reduced or even eliminated from the campus. “The goal of the hotline is to help us reduce inappropriate behavior. We want students to view reporting on the hotline as a way to keep their school as free as possible from negative actions that are not only detrimental to the teaching and learning process, but to the positive image of our school, as well,” Templin said. He added, “We believe this will be viewed positively by the overwhelming majority of CPHS students who follow the rules.”
What’s this hotline you speak of? • The phone tip hotline
allows students to anonymously report anything that shouldn’t be in school, either people or activities • The hotline is available 24 hours a day • To report suspicious behavior, call the school number (663-4885) and press 9 to leave a message. Administrators will be able to access the information without identifying the person.