WHITESBORO TEAMS UP AGAINST DRUGS

WHITESBORO -- Why would a small group of high school students take on
hundreds of their peers and convince them to be drug-free?

Especially, when according to the U.S. Department of Justice's Web page
states 70 percent of high school seniors have used alcohol and 34.9 percent
of high school seniors have used marijuana in the last year?

"We're trying to be an example to our peers and show them that using drugs
is not a good life," Whitesboro student Angie Wyrick said. "If we can help
one student to stop using or convince one to not use drugs, it will be
worth it."

Elisa Gray, a Whitesboro student, said convincing the students to be drug
free is not a lost cause. This week the Whitesboro President's Council has
been using Red Ribbon Week activities to promote drug-free lives in the
high school. Students have been dressing up and wearing bracelets and
ribbons to show they're drug free.

"When students see so many of their peers taking a stand they may decide
that not everybody is doing it," Wyrick said. "Even something like dressing
up, you are still planting a seed in their heads whether or not they take
it seriously."

In the Whitesboro High School, students have a volunteer drug testing
option. Currently 70 percent of Whitesboro's high school students are
signed up for the testing, and Wyrick said the response didn't explode
until peers made it known they were doing it.

The President's Council is made up of presidents of the clubs in the
school. Christian Damewood, a council member, said the people in the club
are not usually the one's who use drugs.

"Sometimes it's hard because some of us have not even tried drugs so we
can't relate with or understand those who want to," he said. "But Red
Ribbon Week is a way to reach out and show an alternative to drug use."

Margie Raper, Whitesboro yearbook advisor, said having the leaders of the
school be examples is influencing those who may fall into drugs.

"Some kids say they don't care what people think about them," she said.
"When in reality when they see the leaders' influence, they do try to walk
taller and act straighter."

"The main thing is leading by example," said Whitesboro student Krista
Walton. "Even a few of the leaders who don't use drugs aren't as looked up
to as others."

Gray said it's the job of the leaders of the school to promote a drug-free
life because for some of the students, school is the only place they may
hear the importance of not using drugs. Wyrick said along with drug use,
students may face jail time, health problems or a bad reputation.

"They may not realize now that the actions they make will influence them
when they are adults," Raper said. "But if they remain drug free, they can
look back and say 'I did make good choices when I was in high school.'"