Students Build a Brick Wall With Paper, Feelings

by Mary O’Keefe

Crescenta Valley High School students have created a brick wall of negative effects from drug and alcohol abuse. Although the red bricks are made of paper, the experiences expressed are concrete negative effects of abuse.

The brick wall is a Project Success and Red Ribbon Week activity.

“I know we are late for Red Ribbon,” said Kathleen Keck, Project Success counselor for CVHS. She states that the project began during Red Ribbon Week, which was last Oct. 23 through 31, but drug and alcohol programs continue throughout the year.

Keck and a student, who is in a drug abuse recovering program, went from classroom to classroom during Red Ribbon Week speaking to students. The young student spoke of her addiction and her fight to stay clean. She spoke to the students on their level about the aftermath of drug and alcohol use.

“The reality is that students say things about drug and alcohol. The say that everyone is doing it. The reality is that it is not as fun and exciting as they think,” Keck said.

At the end of the presentation Keck asked students to anonymously write a negative experience that they had with drug or alcohol. It could be something they experienced themselves or through a friend or family member.

“I asked 2,100 students to write for the wall,” Keck said.

She has yet to count all the responses. The bricks are filled with stories of losing friends and family members to drugs or alcohol.

“My friend attempted to commit suicide under the influence of alcohol. She failed,” reads one brick.

“My cousin died from drugs and alcohol this summer,” reads another.

Keck is hopeful this expression will oppose some of the things students hear about the fun of drugs and drinking and bring a harsh reality to the negative effect it has not only on the user but to those close to them.

At 7 p.m. at the Monday PTSA meeting located at CVHS Career Center, Keck will join teachers for a seminar on the powerful influences of teens.

“We will discuss best practices in drug and alcohol intervention,” Keck said. Through studies by the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Administration, a program designed to include strengthen of families will also be discussed. Keck explained that these studies have shown that getting families involved is crucial to a successful program.

“Before they thought all they had to do is give information, like don’t drink and drive or give me the keys. That information has been proven ineffective,” Keck said. Instead they found that more involvement, such as providing the child high levels of love and support from the family as well as having other adults that children can reach out to, are more effective programs.

“These are the programs that are used in effective schools. That is a school that is actually making a difference,” Keck said.