Ravenscroft School Resolutions
7409 Falls of Neuse Road
Winter Formal
Classroom Decor
February 2013 Vegetarianism
Big Bill To Fill
Page 12
Pages 8 & 9
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Page 13
Former NBA Player and Recovering Addict Delivers Powerful Message to Spellbound Students JamieHerakovich & CaseyHarris
STAFF WRITERS
C
hris Herren, former NBA player and author of “Basketball Junkie,”spoke to a captivated crowd comprised of the entire Upper School student body, faculty, staff, coaches and eighth graders on January 11th in the main arena of the Finley Center. Herren told his life story, focusing on his struggles with addiction and his rocky path to recovery. Herren’s style was commanding and he insisted on the audience’s full attention as he delivered his heart-felt message to be happy with who you are. He held everyone’s attention by singling out anyone who dared to talk or use their phone while during his presentation. At one point, he paused, stared directly at a couple of students, and waited for their silence. “You good?” he asked with a reassuring, knowing smile before commencing with his presentation. More than once he mentioned that he vividly remembered sitting in the top left corner of a drug awareness program by a former athlete when he was in high school, and commented that he “had the nerve” to tune him out, thinking what this addict was saying had no relevance to his own life beChris Herren talks with Jessie Lutz, ‘14, after his cause he was privileged. Herren’s parents presentation in the lobby of the Finley Center. were successful professionals, he was an All-American athlete, they owned several Photo by Susan Washburn
I applaud the eight members of our student-athlete leadership group who initially got behind Project Purple. They presented Project Purple and Chris Herren to the student-athlete leadership group and the Upper School. After having the opportunity to hear Chris Herren speak in person, and to further explain what his Project Purple stands for, I feel the response of the student body has been excellent. Doreen Kelly, Head Hopefully, our community hears the message and follows through of School, explains when the opportunity that her use of Twitter to make good decisions presents itself.
helped to contact Herren.
Doreen Kelly, Head of School
Photo by Jordan Bednar
homes, and stated that “all [he] did was drink and smoke a little weed.” Herren has addressed many other groups including high schools, colleges, and sports teams such as the New England Patriots, Green Bay Packers, the University of Alabama football and Duke University basketball teams; but he prefers the high school audiences. “If I could do all high school, and only high school, I would. College students are one of the more difficult groups to speak to because the kids are set in their ways,” adds Herren. Herren mentions that football players tend to be more receptive to his message because they best understand the hard work and the pain that accompanies success; especially in athletics. Herren started Project Purple, a non -profit organization created to raise awareness for drugs and alcohol in schools and to support kids who are staying sober through school. The idea for Project Purple came to Herren when he was speaking at a high school in 2011, and six students stood up, all wearing purple, and exclaimed they were the “sober students” of the high school. “Shortly after they announced that they were sober students, the whole high school started laughing at them,” Herren recalled. It was then that Herren decided to “be a part of what those kids are doing, being OK with being themselves.” He began Project Purple to be dedicated to supporting those students, and to encourage high schoolers across the nation to be themselves. Herren’s hope is that kids begin to see that it is possible to have fun and enjoy high school, without drinking,doing drugs or picking up other self-destructive habits, like cutting. He advised students who party on the weekend to ask themselves what it is that they do not like about themselves that drives
Senior Will Barefoot explains why he is involved with Project Purple: “I support Project Purple because there are students who don’t necessarily want to drink or do drugs but feel that they have to to fit in and ‘be cool.’ With Project Purple, those people can feel comfortable with themselves and not feel like they have to alter their state of mind to have friends and fit in. As a group, we support those people and provide them with positive peer pressure, letting them choose to not do those illegal things.” them to try to become someone else with the help of a “substance.” Ravenscroft has its own chapter of Project Purple, led by seniors Will Barefoot, Chase Duncan, Emily Bedsole and Wesley Frazier along with juniors Mary Grady Bell, Emily Ratliff, Rebecca Powell, and Jamie Herakovich. The most important piece of advice Herren believes he can give to student athletes is to love the game, and to find the innocence in it. “Once you lose that [enjoyment], you are on your way to losing the love of the sport,” says Herren, “I don’t think any kid should wake up and do something that they feel like is a job.” Out of all of the drug and alcohol awareness speakers that have some to Ravenscroft, Chris Herren has sparked the greatest response among the student body as evidenced by the duration of conversations that can still be heard throughout the hallways of the Upper School. Students and faculty are still talking about his powerful testimony. In fact, on the night of his speech, the Ragin’ Ravens Student Section of the basketball game was nothing but purple to show the impact that Herren made earlier that day.
To W a t c h S e n i o r s J o r d a n B e d n a r a n d M a r k i B r y a n ’s e x c l u s i v e i n t e r v i e w w i t h C h r i s Herren, Go to Nevarmore Online
Photo by Michael Hall
The Ragin’ Ravens student section at the varsity basketball team on January 11, 2013, proudly sporting purple in the aftermath of Herren’s presentation. Photo by Susan Washburn
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