DARE ROLE MODELS BRING MESSAGE TO SALT CREEK VALLEY STUDENTS

With some scheduled to graduate in about a month, a group of juniors
and seniors from Pleasant Ridge High School may be more focused on
college than memories of their elementary years.

But the six high school students could be found at Salt Creek Valley
School this week, meeting with fifth-graders.

And the shirts the older students wore explained their visit. They
were serving as "DARE role models."

Sheriff's Deputy Connie Anderson, who teaches the Drug Abuse
Resistance Education program at Salt Creek Valley, said the six high
school students were selected by a counselor and had to be drug and
alcohol free.

And while a number of issues were covered when the role models visited
Salt Creek Valley Monday, it didn't take long for a class of
fifth-graders to turn their discussion to drugs.

"You can have fun without doing drugs," said junior Randi
Jordt.

Senior Stephanie Farmer advised the fifth-graders to "just eat sugar.
It's a lot more fun."

Junior Cory Snowberg said there's no shortage of things to do in high
school that don't involve drugs.

The high school students were asked if they have ever tried drugs, but
junior Anthony Prosceno Jr. said there's a chance that trying one time
could get somebody hooked.

"And there's no way I'm going to take that risk," he
said.

Senior Brandy Wagner said she chose to no longer talk to quite a few
old friends after they began using drugs or alcohol.

"I saw all of the stupid things they were doing," she
said.

Jordt said she still talks to old friends who drink, but she doesn't
hang out with them.

"You end up being like the people you hang around with," Prosceno
cautioned.

Senior Mandy Whitworth said it's not hard to say "no" to friends if
she knows something is wrong.

"You can always get new friends," Wagner added.

Snowberg said a lot of the popular people who drink really don't like
each other as much as they may say they do.

Anderson said she doesn't like the word "popular."

"What is popular?" she asked.

She said there are a lot more kids who don't use drugs than those who
do.

The role models admitted they've made some choices they later wished
they hadn't.

"Everybody has those," Snowberg said, even if it's as stupid as saying
something about people that is later regretted.

Anderson said mistakes make a student "a lot stronger
person."

The role models were asked about a number of other topics including
whether high school teachers are rough.

"Only the math teachers," Prosceno said.

Wagner said the high school experience at Pleasant Ridge has probably
been made easier through block scheduling.

Snowberg said high school students have to be able to budget their
time.

Role models from Pleasant Ridge High School were scheduled to be back
at Salt Creek Valley School today to speak with additional fifth-grade
classes.