the
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Paola High School • 401 N. Angela • Paola, KS 66071
November 2011
Leaving early
3 (news)
Cyberlives
8-9 (features)
Some good books
11(arts)
Catfight
13 (sports)
Under the influence, above average Students drug, alcohol use higher than area’s rosalyn lucas co-editor-in-chief
surpassed both the state and county averages. Bressler said the survey reveals that students are reporting they 100 don’t feel like they’ll be judged as harshly or not as likely to be caught by the police as other students in the state. However, this doesn’t mean its reality, Bressler said. It’s simply the80 view of the students. Counselor Justin Elliott said the reason for the60high rate is because drinking is seen as socially acceptable behavior and the peer pressure to participate in drug and alcohol40 use has become more influential. “There are a lot of students I visit with in which drugs and alcohol 20 are directly or indirectly involved in the topics of discussion,” he said. “A lot of social and family problems arise out of drugs and 0 alcohol use and abuse.” Jennifer Page, health teacher, said she’s heard some people speculate that students were lying or bragging on the survey, but she doesn’t believe it. “If that’s the case, why wouldn’t students at other schools do the same thing?” said Page. “They should be at the same level as us.” According to the Communities that Care survey Paola surpassed the county average on 21 questions, most of the questions pertaining to alcohol. There are number of reasons why teenagers engage in underage drinking and drug use, said Dana Abbott, Paola police officer. Abbott is also a DARE instructor and former school-resource officer. “Friends, parents and older siblings may drink. Then they bring alcohol to gatherings and the teenager may feel they need to drink to fit in.” Another reason is addiction, she said. “Teenager’s bodies are still young,” Abbott said. “They may start abusing and not know that their body is becoming addicted.” Nobody wants to have an addiction, Abbott said. “That’s how it starts,” Abbott said. ”Going to parties saying “I can stop when I want”, but their body becomes addicted and then they have no control.” According the Communities that Care survey, 75 percent of students said their best friends have tried beer, wine or hard liquor when their parents didn’t know about it, compared to the state and county averages of 45 percent. While the averages are indisputably high, on 22 questions the averages have decreased since 1995. The reasons behind the actions being taken now as a result of the survey is a combination of new administration and timing, Bressler said. “There are a group of parents who see a new administration as a way to affect change,” he said. “An element of our community believes there is a problem of substance abuse with youth and a handful of kids get caught, it coaxes them to action.” “Sometimes one little thing can tip a static situation in to a rapidly evolving phenomenon,” he said. Bressler said he’s working with parents and members of the community to give students better options than drugs and alcohol. The Principal Advisory Team, a group of 14 students acting as 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
As he watched a police car pull up to the front of the school Homecoming night, senior Dalton Jorgensen said he felt a surge of disappointment. “I didn’t think they would call the police on me at school,” Jorgensen said. “None of it was really expected. I’d seen the same thing happen before. Parents were called, students sent home. But I’d never seen anyone suspended. I didn’t expect it at all.” Jorgensen was one of several students arrested for alcohol use. He was given a five-day suspension from school, six months diversion and has been fined hundreds of dollars. “I didn’t want to accept that the law was involved,” Jorgensen said. “I accepted it that night, but the next day it really hit me.” The biggest impact, he said, has been on his grades. “I really wanted to get good grades this year, but it’s brought them down to where I can’t bring them to where I want,” Jorgensen said. These low grades may affect his future, he said, hurting his chances for scholarships and his future occupation if his employer were to look back that far. “Making decisions like that can affect your academics, future goals and goals you set for yourself,” he said. “I realize the administration has to stay consistent with their punishments,” Jorgensen said. “But I think they should realize what they’re getting that kid into before making that decision.” Jorgensen said he hopes others don’t see him differently because of what happened. “I don’t want people to think I took winning Homecoming King for granted,” he said. “I just messed up, so I hope they would understand.” According to the Kansas Communities that Care survey many students revealed that they felt they wouldn’t be caught using drugs and alcohol. Communities that Care, according the KCTC website, is a voluntary survey that collects information on the rates of risky behaviors such as drugs, alcohol, violence and sexual activity. In the USD368 district it’s taken by sixth and eighth graders and sophomores “You are at a party at someone’s and seniors. house, and one of your friends offers In this case, you a drink containing alcohol. being “above What would you say or do? average” is not Percent responding: flattering. 49% drink it“- KCTC survey For the past 15 years Paola’s average has been higher 25% than the state average. 2011 is no different; on 20 out of 29 questions Paola Kansas Paola
“How many of your best friends have tried beer, wine or hard liquor when their parents didn’t know about it?”- KCTC survey
representatives for the student body, has proposed more school functions to increase student 75% involvement in co-curricular activities as well as providing 45% a consistent message and education on the use of drugs and alcohol and its effects. Sophomore Paola Kansas Trey Taylor said that while the education on drugs and alcohol is taught well, he doesn’t think students actually listen. “A lot of people think the teachers make it worse than it actually is,” Taylor said. “That’s why a lot of people still do it.” Taylor said he estimates that three-fourths of the student body use drugs or alcohol or have at least tried it. He said he hears a lot about drug and alcohol use at school, during lunch and at football practice. Page said she even though education on drugs and alcohol is taught in Health class, it shouldn’t just be addressed in the classroom. “The other part has to come from community and family,” Page said. Abbott said all kids make mistakes, but when they’re repetitively getting drunk it’s a problem and an even bigger problem if they’re drinking while driving. Parents need to hold their kids responsible and stop covering for them, Abbott said. “Let them be responsible for what they did, because next time it could be a fatality,” Abbott said. “A lot of the kids stopped from being arrested are the ones who go on to do more serious crimes, because they’ve never been held responsible.” “The big question,” Elliott said, “Is now that this is coming out as a problem, what are we going to do about it?”
Below the state average: •inhaling gases or sprays to achieve highs •violence •methamphetamines •the number of times in the past year students were offered, sold or given drugs on school property • the chances of being seen as cool if a student pledges to be drug free
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