vision2020
Our youth: was Old Topic...Re-Discovered - The Punchline
The Parents Advisory Committee at Moscow High School made an effort last
year to inform parents at the high school and the junior high about the
senior kegger. A lot of parents did not know that it is not a kegger
exclusive to the senior class, but involves junior high through college-age
individuals. We wanted parents to know that if your child says he or she is
going "camping" on Memorial Day weekend, parents should check it out
thoroughly. We also tried to point out to parents that they should not feel
"safe" because their kids were drinking and camping rather than drinking
and driving (some parents drive their kids to the kegger and pick them up
at the end), but tried to point out that drinking and violence as well as
drinking and sex are often connected. Because we raised the awareness of
the kegger, parents could not only talk to their kids about it, but some
kids could use the awareness as a cover, as in, "My parents know about the
kegger now and won't let me go camping." We heard of some parents who
deliberately planned a family trip out of town for that weekend, and
another who offered their child money as an alternative to the kegger. The
result was less participation in the kegger.
As a society, we have done a good job of communicating to young people (I'm
not sure about older adults) that you shouldn't drink and drive. Teens have
taken the "designated driver" approach to heart. What we haven't
communicated as well is that the poor judgment associated with drinking can
lead to STDs, unwanted pregnancies, and violence.
However, we also need to approach this issue from the other direction. What
can we offer to our young people as an alternative? There is no place for
young people to congregate on Friday and Saturday nights. Where can the
under-21 crowd go to listen to music, dance, play pool, play ping pong,
that is really "theirs." In my opinion, this would be a good use for the
Whitworth building--or part of it. A youth center with a snack bar open for
lunch and open late at night (after basketball and volleyball games) and on
weekends with top-40 music, video games, ping pong, etc.
We were recently in Rossland, B.C., a community of 6,000. They had a teen
center that our kids (there were 9 of them on this trip) thoroughly enjoyed
because it was a welcoming place open when they needed it (evenings). Ten
miles away was the indoor aquatic center at Trail, B.C., with a surrounding
community of 30,000. It was full of teens (including ours) using the kind
of equipment now planned for the outdoor pool in Moscow--water slides,
water polo, rope swing over the water, fitness equipment. We didn't even
get to the ice skating/hockey rinks (there was one in Rossland as well as
one in Trail). Let's begin a dialogue as a community as to how we can
better provide for our young people so that their choices in their free
time are more than (1) rent movies (2) go to a party and drink.
Lois Melina
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> From: Sue Hovey <suehovey@moscow.com>
> To: G M <herecomestheflood@yahoo.com>; vision2020@moscow.com
> Subject: Re: Old Topic...Re-Discovered - The Punchline
> Date: Friday, January 22, 1999 9:49 PM
>
> Sorry Gary, my response was really to Phil. I didn't see your post. I
> agree that alcohol and drug use consititue a major threat to the lives of
> young people. I believe it was a 20/20 news cast last week which pointed
> out students continued binge drinking even immediately after it caused
the
> death of a young college student whom many of them knew. While there are
> many in Moscow who abhor what "illegal drugs" can do to youth, many of
those
> same folks will allow underage drinking in their own homes, even
providing
> alcohol to teen agers who are not their own children. When parents say,
"I
> give it to them in my home so I know they aren't out driving," may be an
> acceptable excuse for your own kids--I don't think so, though; but it is
> totally unacceptable to use as an excuse with someone else's teen agers.
> Parents have even called the high school wanting to find out which
teachers
> were going to chaperone the senior kegger. Socially it is a rite of
passage
> which has tacit approval even though our own kids risk death every time
it
> is held. And lest anyone wonder--teachers do not, repeat do not,
chaperone
> it.
>
> I don't think billboards, posters, and most drug programs are very
effective
> because kids don't see themselves as possible victims. It's always
someone
> else.
>
> Anyway, I apologize for poking fun, even in ignorance, at a very serious
> subject. And I think we need to continue to press the point that the
drugs
> teen agers use, but which are illegal for them because of their age,
alcohol
> and tobacco in particular, cause more long term harm than the other drugs
> which, of course, should also concern all of us as well.
>
>
> Sue.
> -----Original Message-----
> From: G M <herecomestheflood@yahoo.com>
> To: vision2020@moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com>
> Date: Friday, January 22, 1999 2:43 PM
> Subject: Re: Old Topic...Re-Discovered - The Punchline
>
>
> >With the new "Enough is Enough" billboards starting to pop up in
> >Moscow and recent front page headlines in the Daily News I consider
> >this to certainly be a topic of local concern and appropriate for
> >discussion on V. 2020.
> >
> >I believe the two posts below, responses to what I considered a
> >serious post on my part, frame this issue in perhaps the most
> >appropriate, albeit tragic, manner.
> >
> >Ms. Hovey and Mr. Cooper are able to, as much of society is, find
> >humor when it comes to beer/alcohol use/abuse. Yet any mention of the
> >use/abuse of illicit substances results in reaction ranging from
> >horror to calls for increased law enforcement, more prisons and less
> >privacy, despite statistical data that overwhelmingly indicate legal
> >substances pose the biggest threat.
> >
> >Is it any wonder that young people coming of age in this strange and
> >absurd environment are binge drinking more and dying more often as a
> >result of that binging?
> >
> >I've never been accused of lacking a sense of humor. But when I think
> >about the carnage resulting from both the "War on Illegal Drugs" and
> >the absence of truth and information when addressing our national
> >addiction to legal drugs such as alcohol...I just don't get the
> >punchline.
> >
> >Greg Meyer
> >
> >---Sue Hovey <suehovey@moscow.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Only if its a budhound or anschnauzer bush.
> >>
> >> Sue
> >> -----Original Message-----
> >> From: Philip Cooper <PhilCooper@webtv.net>
> >> To: G M <herecomestheflood@yahoo.com>
> >> Cc: vision2020@moscow.com <vision2020@moscow.com>
> >> Date: Thursday, January 21, 1999 5:02 AM
> >> Subject: Re: Old Topic...Re-Discovered
> >>
> >>
> >> Not quite sure........hey, I've got my dog trained to open the frig
> >and
> >> bring me a beer. Does that qualify as a start?
> >>
> >> PC
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >_________________________________________________________
> >DO YOU YAHOO!?
> >Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
> >
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