HAVRE MIDDLE SCHOOL HELPERS DEBUT 'HOW TO SAY NO'

Havre Middle School's Junior Helpers squealed in excitement and then
moaned in embarrassment Tuesday morning when they saw their own faces
on the television screen.

Seven of the Junior Helpers recorded "How to Say No!" in honor of Red
Ribbon Week, the nationwide annual anti-drug campaign. The
eight-minute program was broadcast throughout the school first thing
in the morning.

The starring students acted out eight suggestions for refusing drugs.
Club adviser Loretta Widdekind said the skit for each suggestion was
ad-libbed by the students, while the script introducing each scenario
was adapted from information given out to Junior Helpers who attended
a three-day camp at Montana State University-Northern.

The students performed in front of a red set, decorated with red
banners containing slogans.

The refusal suggestions are titled: "Saying No Thanks," "Giving a
Reason or Excuse," "Broken Record," "Walk Away," "Change the Subject,"
"Avoid the Situation," "Cold Shoulder" and "Strength in Numbers." The
skits all take place after one student reads a description of the suggestion.

One student read, "It is a good idea to have a reason or excuse stored
in your memory."

When two students in the skit were invited to go do drugs, they
answered that they had to go do homework, an answer that prompted some
giggles among the Helpers.

After the ad-libbed skits, one Helper, sixth-grader Crysta Robinson
read a poem written from the point of view of a teenager who has
chosen not to drink and drive, but is killed when another driver makes
a different choice.

The school's media class broadcasts a 15-minute news show that airs
Monday mornings during homeroom period. The rest of the week, students
watch an international news program. But Tuesday's news show was
bumped by the Junior Helpers' recording.

"I thought it was going to be on yesterday. When it wasn't, I was
happy," sixth-grader Jolen Keto confessed. Keto was featured in the
"Walk Away" method of refusing drugs.

"It's embarrassing," another Helper added.

Though most Helpers grimaced when their own faces appeared, by the end
of the show they were excited and said they looked forward to hearing
from classmates.

"I think they did a pretty good job," Widdekind said.

She helped the club plan the event, and media class instructor David
Evans recorded it for them.

At the end of the showing, one student repeated that it was
embarrassing.

"Nobody was paying attention," Keto said.

"Everybody was," sixth-grader Cortney Bricker contradicted.

With this, the bell rang, and the students went to their
classes.

On Thursday, HMS will also have a door-decorating contest for Red
Ribbon Week. The results will be judged by Havre High School's four
Helpers, the older version of Junior Helpers. Results will be
announced Friday.

Highland Park Primary and Sunnyside Intermediate schools have
converted slogans into costumes this week. Tuesday at Sunnyside,
students were told to wear silly socks and "sock it to drugs." Today
they will wear sweat materials because "staying off drugs is no
sweat." Finally, on Friday, the students will wear their clothes
backward to be reminded to "turn your back on drugs." Highland Park
wore sweats Tuesday and will wear socks on Friday. On Wednesday the
Highland Park students wore red and on Monday both the Highland Park
and Sunnyside students met Officer McGruff, a police dog that reminds
students to stay off drugs.

The high school is passing out ribbons and banners this week.