Red Ribbon Week: Mission strives to make anti-drug event more interactive
Hey savvy news reader! Thanks for choosing local.
You are now reading
3 of 3 free articles.
ST. IGNATIUS — Lunch period ends, and students scatter to their next classes. As a lone student walks down the hallway, he passes by the bold, black words “Not even once” stamped across a row of lockers covered in white paper, with streaks of red splattered in the background. It is these types of “in your face” anti-drug messages that students at St. Ignatius High School and Middle School seem to respond to and want to see.
This decorated hallway and others at St. Ignatius were part of Red Ribbon Week, five days dedicated to anti-drug events and information. According to the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, Red Ribbon Week is the oldest and largest drug prevention program in that nation. It is held during the last week of October and often involves people wearing red ribbons.
School counselor Leah Dahlin said in the past students have celebrated the cause by wearing red ribbons and attending an assembly that showed a video. But students complained they needed more.
“We need things that get our attention and show us not to make a decision like (doing drugs),” Dahlin said the student council told her when she met with them to get input.
So this year, Dahlin tried to make the week more interactive, and students seemed to respond. They were especially interested in the speaker from the Montana Meth Project, who showed them interviews from people who were addicted to meth and photographs of the effects of the drug.
“It was intense, and it was in your face,” junior Brianda Jackman said of the presentation. “It made you think it’s probably not a good idea to use meth.”
“It was eye-opening,” chimed in freshman Izzi Roe.
Jackman and Roe were a part of a group of 12 students from the high school and middle school that will be awarded with a pizza and ice cream party for their involvement in the hallway-decorating contest during Red Ribbon Week.
During the week, other events included red T-shirt day and a speaker from the Montana Meth Project.
Dahlin said she wants to incorporate more interactive activities for next year’s Red Ribbon Week, such as having a daily guest speaker who has overcome a different drug addiction. Dahlin said that students might be able to relate to anti-drug messages more if they could hear the story of an actual person who overcame an addiction. She also plans to consult the student council again and get their feedback.
Roe and Jackman said there were many aspects of the assembly that were shocking, especially how many articles related to meth that were in Montana newspapers.
“In the last three weeks there were eight articles in Montana newspapers,” Jackman said.
“I didn’t know it was that bad,” Roe added.
It was after learning about the impact of meth in Montana that those from the freshman class decided to decorate their hallway with the words “Not even once” emblazoned across their lockers.
Roe said the freshman class wanted to showcase meth because of the life-altering effects it has on users. They spent around eight and a half hours working on their three large signs.
“We wanted to show people that (meth use) is serious,” Roe said.
“(The hallway-decorating competition) gets the kids motivated to get the attention of (their peers),” Dahlin said.
Roe and Jackman said they liked the idea of the pizza and ice cream party because it motivated them to become involved, and they learned a great deal in the process.
Dahlin also mentioned that a handful of St. Ignatius students volunteered for the Montana Meth Project at a recent University of Montana football game, handing out information and anti-meth items. Footage of these students was shown during the assembly. Dahlin said in order for students to graduate, they must complete 40 hours of community service and volunteer at events like the one at the football game all year. However, she said most students go well above the 40 hours required.
“For some students it hits home,” Dahlin said of the week’s drug-free message. “Our students need and want to know how it’s relevant to their lives.”
