STUDENTS GET TIED UP IN RED RIBBON WEEK

PLAISTOW - Students wrapped the Statehouse in red tape
Tuesday.

For 16 years, schools across the United States have used Red Ribbon
Week as an opportunity to teach students about the dangers of drugs
and encourage healthy life choices. Schools in Rockingham County were
no exception as they spent the week creatively relaying that message.

Since the mid-'90s, schools from around the state have been invited to
the Statehouse to wrap the house in red ribbon, and 31 Timberlane
Regional Middle School students traveled to Concord to partake in the
event.

The students circled the Statehouse and held up the ribbon as they
wrapped it around themselves.

"They were very jubilant and proud," said Student Adjustment Counselor
Jeff Wedge, who chaperoned the event. "They were waving their fingers
(signaling) No. 1; they had a good time."

Sixth-graders Nicholas Lang, of Plaistow, and Joshua Tulchinsky, of
Sandown, even got to meet a state senator, who gave them a small tour
after noticing them walking through the Statehouse trying to find the
bathroom. They're not sure which senator it was, however.

Throughout the week, Timberlane Middle School students celebrated Red
Ribbon Week with different events, such as wearing outrageous hats as
part of "Put a Cap on Drugs" on Wednesday.

Wedge said even Principal Gil Johanson got into the festive themes as
he donned a red construction hat Wednesday.

"We have a group of very positive kids who support Red Ribbon Week and
its message," said Wedge, "though we do have some students struggling
with the choice, and those are the students we need to reach out to."

"Don't be tricked - drugs are no treat" was the theme at Sanborn
Middle School this week with different events and competitions going
on all week. Points were given for participation, and the homeroom
with the most points at the end of the week will get a bagel breakfast.

"We've been doing it every year for a long time," said school nurse
Sue Reiss. "And every year there's something new."

Students dressed according to the theme of the day, such as Monday's
"Too bright to do drugs" theme, where students wore sunglasses and
bright clothes, and Tuesday's "Say Boo to drugs" theme where students
dressed as ghosts by wearing white clothes.

On Thursday, students collected cans of food for local food pantries
with the theme, "Being drug-free comes in cans. I can, you can, we
can."

Reiss said students have a good time with the different activities and
competitions, but they also learn the advantages of being drug-free.

"It's a fun way to get the message across, and the students love it,"
said Reiss, who pointed to the 2,000 cans of food collected last year
as evidence of student interest.

With the week before being Spirit Week at Timberlane High, the
students were "assemblied out," according to Student Assistance
Program Coordinator Tim Lena. There was more of a traditional
celebration of Red Ribbon Week as members of Peer Outreach passed out
red ribbons to students and administrators in every classroom.

One of the ways the Peer Outreach students attempted to instill pride
in students who have decided to be drug-free was by presenting the
results of the recently-released Youth Risk Behavior Survey.

Lena said by showing students that 54 percent of the students in the
school do not drink alcohol regularly and 69 percent do not binge
drink at least once a month, it makes it easier for students to
display their healthy choices.

"If we don't set aside a designated time each year, the message kind
of gets lost," said Lena.

The anti-drug message was not limited to Timberlane this month. Last
week at Sanborn High, students drove a go-cart on an obstacle course
wearing "fatal vision" goggles that simulated the feeling of driving
drunk.

Students also got to experience a re-enactment of a drunken driving
accident, complete with emergency personnel rushing to extract the
victims of the crash from the crumpled car and police arresting the
young drunken driver.

There was also a special guest with a special lesson: The Grim
Reaper.

School Resource Officer Jason Lewis said Monday the Grim Reaper,
played by an unidentified member of the Sanborn staff, appeared every
half-hour as spooky music played over the intercom.

Each time the Reaper appeared, a student was randomly plucked from
their classroom and taken to the nurse's office, their face painted
white to signify they had been killed.

The cause of death: A drunken driver.

Lewis said the idea is to show children how suddenly and randomly a
drunken driver can take someone's life, even a best friend.

"The kids selected wear a sign that says they have been killed buy a
drunk driver, and they are not allowed to communicate with anyone the
rest of the day," Lewis said. "It is meant to drive our message home."

Nurse Karen Scanlan said there was some apathy among students who
already know the message behind the events, but overall it was a good
educational experience.

"There are certain pieces that people walk away with," she said.
"That's why we have several different events."