Photos by Sissy Lunde The 2009 Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program held its graduation ceremony on Friday, May 8. Fifty-one students received certificates commending them for completing the D.A.R.E. program.
The 2009 Drug and Alcohol Resistance Education (D.A.R.E.) program held its graduation ceremony on Friday, May 8. Fifty-one students were congratulated for completing ten weeks of D.A.R.E. lessons which focus on decision-making skills, teaching ways to resist peer pressure, suggesting healthy alternatives to drug use and helping build self-esteem.
Cook County Chief Deputy Leif Lunde, the community D.A.R.E. officer, welcomed the parents and community members in attendance and explained a bit about D.A.R.E. The program began in Los Angeles in 1983 and has grown to be an international youth program. Cook County introduced the D.A.R.E. program to local students in 1990 with Deputy Tim Weitz as the first D.A.R.E. officer. Lunde took over a few years later.
Lunde said he was very proud of all of the students who participated in this year’s D.A.R.E. program.
He was happy to recognize three students for “Exceptional Effort” for their entries in the D.A.R.E. poster contest sponsored by the MN Twins. Three Cook County students were honored— Erica Marxen; Joe Rauzi who finished in the top 10 at 18; and Roman Schnobrich who finished in third place with his poster of a ski jumper who says, “Get high on life, not drugs!”
Cook County Chief Deputy and D.A.R.E. officer Leif Lunde with the 2009 D.A.R.E. essay contest winners Beckley Rumph (left) and Isabel Wahlers. The essay winners receive a stuffed D.A.R.E. lion.
One of the requirements for D.A.R.E. graduation is to write an essay summing up what the D.A.R.E. program means. The essay writers selected each receive a cuddly D.A.R.E. lion souvenir. This year’s winners were Isabel Wahlers and Beckley Rumph. (See their essays below).
What I learned from DARE
Isabel Wahlers
What I learned in Dare is that kids of all ages should not do anything harmful that could disrupt their health. Do not smoke cigarettes, because it causes lung cancer. Don’t smoke marijuana or drink alcohol because if you do you are going to get punished. Drugs are illegal!
If you inhale bad things like paint spray, glue or gas it will make you dilusional, knock you out unconscious, or you can possibly die.
As part of the D.A.R.E. program, every year D.A.R.E. students enter a poster contest sharing what they have learned. This year three students received “Exceptional Effort” awards in the contest, sponsored by the MN Twins. Those kids are pictured with Deputy Lunde. (L-R) Roman Schnobrich, third place finisher; Joe Rauzi, 18th place; and Erica Marxen.
Drugs can cause brain damage so Do Not do Drugs!
Alcohol can cause lots of health problems like liver damage or death. So don’t ever start drinking or smoking or doing drugs because they can have deadly consequences.
I feel that DARE is a program that teaches kids not to do anything hurtful to their health. I think DARE is a wonderful program and that they should keep doing it for years to come and tell kids in the future not to do anything that is bad.
I am going to stay off of drugs, alcohol and stay violence free forever because I don’t want to get sick from drugs, get cancer from alcohol or get violent with anyone. You can go to prison because of them. And that is the end of my dare essay.
D.A.R.E.
Beckley Rumph
D.A.R.E. stands for Drug Abuse Resistance Education. Did you know there are 200 poisons in a cigarette? I learned this in DARE. Dare is a program that teaches kids about drugs and violence.
D.A.R.E. made me feel happy and excited. The interactive activities were really fun because we got to move around and act the situations out. Officer Lunde would be a person pretending to ask us to smoke and we would say no. I was happy to see officer Lunde because he is a really good teacher.
D.A.R.E. taught me how dangerous drugs are. Here are some facts: there are 200 poisons in cigarettes like tar. That is what they put on roads! There is as much tar in one marijuana cigarette (joint) as 40 regular cigarettes. The compressed air that is used to clean keyboards is an inhalant. An inhalant is a drug that fills your lungs with toxins.
To stay drug and violence free I will say no to anyone who asks me to try drugs. I will teach younger kids about inhalants and their dangers because inhalants are the easiest to find. Even a Sharpie marker is dangerous when they are smelled. I will also make sure not to bully other people.
Without D.A.R.E. you might get into bad situations and you might even go to jail!
Cook County High School senior Miles Drake was the D.A.R.E. guest speaker. He helped Principal Gwen Carman and Sheriff Mark Falk hand out the graduation certificates to the following students:
Alex Slanga
Andrew Fenstad-Lashinski
Austen Graham
Beckley Rumph
Bethany Derscheid
Brent Sorenson
Brian Finke
Colton Thompson
Courtney Clyde
Dillon Stevens
Dylan Works
Erica Marxen
Ethan Barth
Frankie Miller
Grace Aldrighetti
Haylie Anderson
Ian Nelson
Isabel Wahlers
Jack Weiben
Jaret Baker
Joe Rauzi
Jordyn Deschampe
Kaitlyn Moroney
Kim Dossey
Korey Bockovich
Kyle Nelson
Kyler Johnson
Leo Johnson
Lily Gruber-Schulz
Lucas Phillips
Madison Engelhaupt
Madison Roy
MaeAnna LaFavor
Morgan Weyrens-Welch
Natassja Sheils
Noah Roth
Owen Anderson
Peter Summers
Roman Schnobrich
Rory Bakke
Sam Kern
Sara Carman
Sean MacDonnell
Sean Manahan
Seth Erickson
Shae Morawitz
Shauna Blake
Trace McQuatters
Tyler Scheiblauer
Will Seaton
Zac Buchheit
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