Pubdate: Fri, 26 Mar 2004 Source: Carmi Times, The (IL) Contact: 2004 Carmi Times Website: http://www.carmitimes.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3318 Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) CROSSVILLE DARE GRADUATES ARE RECOGNIZED The Crossville Attendance Center DARE classes were recognized in a special graduation ceremony Thursday afternoon. The DARE (Drug Awareness Resistance Education) classes are part of the fifth grade curriculum and taught by Grayville Police Officer and White County DARE Officer Doug Phillips. The ceremony opened with praise from Crossville Attendance Center Principal Pay Myers. She thanked the students for their outstanding display of the traits taught in the Character Education program being conducted in all of the attendance centers in the Carmi-White County School District. Myers also thanked the group of parents that attended Thursday's ceremony. Officer Phillips then introduced a number of dignitaries including, White County State's Attorney Kerry Sutton, White County Sheriff Doug Maier, Carmi Chief of Police Mike Thomas, White County Deputy Sheriff Sgt. Byrd Huber and Crossville Police Officer Scott Cantrell. Phillips explained the DARE course is ten-weeks long and the students are taught the eight different ways to say no and learn how to deal with peer pressure, while learning about the dangers of substance abuse and violence. Phillips then introduced the guest speaker, Kent Wheeler, the special project coordinator for the Regional Office of Education. Wheeler has been the guest speaker for the Crossville DARE graduation for the past three years. "Your success in life is based on what you learned the past 10 weeks," said Wheeler, who has been involved in local education for over 20 years. He told the students about the success stories of past students, who went on to become doctors, lawyers, NASA engineers and businessmen and women. He also related the story of a student who ended up in prison because of alcohol abuse. "What Officer Doug has been doing will enable you to say no," said Wheeler. "He has taught you eight ways to say no. Next year and in the years to come, you will deal with more peer pressure and you will have to make the right choices and decisions." Wheeler said normally he reminds DARE students of his definition of the DARE acronym. "D is for discipline, A is for attitude, R is for respect and E is for example," explained Wheeler. "But today, I want to concentrate on two Ds." He continued explaining to the students that defense and determination were two Ds the students needed to remember. "Dare to be different," said Wheeler. "Dare to be determined to stay off drugs." Following Wheeler's speech, the graduating fifth grade students were presented certificates of achievement and a special DARE pin. The DARE essay winners were then introduced by Phillips, who said it was a very difficult decision to decide the top essays. A job he said he has help with from other local law enforcement personnel. Hailey Lamp, Lana Stone, Cole Fechtig and Tessie Nelson were recognized as the top essay writers. The essay winners received a number of prizes including $25. Phillips then presented the I Dare You Awards to John Feldman, Loren Minnick, Molly Belford and Austin Winters. The annual Randy Harris Citizenship Awards were presented by Sheriff Doug Maier, who explained the awards were presented by the local Fraternal Order of Police and were in honor of Harris, a former local law enforcement agent, who was killed in an automobile accident. This year's Citizenship Awards were presented to Aisha Saqib and Ian Kendricks. Myers closed the ceremony related a conversation with a mother of a Crossville student, who had completed the DARE program, when she was in school. Myers said the mother said the program had helped her make the right choices in life. "If just one person is influenced to make the right decisions in life because of DARE," said Myers. "Then that is reason enough to have DARE." She thanked the students, staff and parents for helping make the program successful. - --- MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom