Students Create Positive Message
Originally printed in The Westerly Sun
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
WESTERLY- A group of Westerly Middle School students who believe that sending a positive message which makes it clear the vast majority of their peers don't drink alcohol or use drugs is a good way to help each other stay focused on living a healthy, drug-and alcohol-free lifestyle.
And they have created a cool publicity campaign poster that sends that message to all their peers at WMS and to the community and unveiled it Monday. After sharing ideas, making suggestions and voting, the group came up with this slogan which is now part of a colorful poster: "STAND UP, STAND OUT, AND BE PROUD! Be part of the majority! WMS Bulldogs don't drink or use drugs!"
With the support of WMS Principal Joseph Celico students Ainslie Myers (7th), Sydney Hoi (8th), Che Santiago (7th), Lauren Berkbeck (8th), Shandell Arnold (8th), Andrew Carpenter (7th), Kenia Parra (7th) and Lily Santiago (7th) met after-school with the Task Force and WMS Student Assistance Counselor Laura Gentile and worked to create their slogan and create their poster.
The Social Norms Marketing program is funded through a Rhode Island Substance Abuse Prevention grant. The Westerly Substance Abuse Task Force, which is in its 21st year, has implemented the 'positive message advertising' program to help raise awareness about the positive side of the substance abuse issue - a glass half-full approach - namely that not all kids are doing drugs or consuming alcohol and that message may help to correct the false perception of many young people that "everyone's doing it, so why shouldn't I?"
 DANIEL HYLAND / The Sun Westerly Middle School students, from left, Lily Santiago, Kenia Parra, Andrew Carpenter, Shandell Arnold, Lauren Berkbeck, Ainslie Myers and Sydney Hoi hold the posters they created. |