Pubdate: Tue, 07 Oct 2008
Source: Windsor Star (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 The Windsor Star
Contact: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/letters.html
Website: http://www.canada.com/windsorstar/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/501
Author: Craig Pearson
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?135 (Drug Education)

ANTI-DRUG LECTURE COMES WRAPPED IN A HIP-HOP BEAT

KINGSVILLE - It was a cocktail for teenagers even parents could 
appreciate: equal parts rap, comedy and anti-drug.

Toronto performers Stuart Knight and Sean Hakim, from KnightFlight 
Productions, entertained crowds Monday at Leamington District, 
Cardinal Carter and Kingsville high schools to kick off Drug 
Awareness Week at the schools.

Knight told almost 600 Kingsville students at Migration Hall that 
peer pressure can act as a clamp around people, preventing them from 
succeeding in life.

"That clamp we get from other people is nothing close to the clamp we 
get around us when it comes to drugs," Knight said. "If drugs start 
controlling our lives, it makes us talk a certain way, it makes us 
walk a certain way, it might make us steal money from somebody so we 
can buy drugs, it might make us fail at school or lose a job.

TRIALS OF DAILY LIFE

"That's a clamp we ask you to release right now."

Knight, 35, often spoke in rhyme while Hakim, 32, beat-boxed -- used 
his voice to provide various rhythms through the microphone -- joking 
about the trials of daily life. But always the energetic pair 
provided a positive message.

They asked students to throw their fears into a pillow case, 
performed a skit showing the differences between negative and 
positive people, and generally clowned in the name of making wise choices.

The pair pointed out that everybody makes mistakes. It's what you do 
about those mistakes that matter, they said.

"You're not a bad person if you've done drugs," Knight said. "You now 
have a choice, though. From this day forward and for the rest of your 
life, you can make a choice to no longer allow peer pressure to stop 
you from becoming the person you're meant to be."

Justine Sutor, 14, a Grade 9 student at Kingsville who volunteered to 
briefly dance in front of the audience -- as part of an exercise the 
performers set up to encourage individuality -- liked the message.

"It was inspiring," she said of the show. "You should just be who you 
are. It doesn't really matter what other people think."
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom