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Dare County students attend state SADD Conference
Photo by MERRI JAMIESON
The
2007 North Carolina Students Against Destructive Decisions (SADD)
Conference in Raleigh was the 25th annual celebration for NCSADD. With
a total of 14 students and five advisors - from Cape Hatteras Secondary
School of Coastal Studies, First Flight High School and Manteo High
School - Dare County Schools was recognized as the only district in the
state with all high schools represented at the Nov. 16-18 conference.
MHS students Ashleigh Champlin and Katie Lee are
also on the State SADD Advisory Board and played a big part in helping
to organize and set the conference up, reported MHS SADD advisor,
School Resource Officer Mark McKay. Both Lee and Champlin made
presentations at the conference. Notably, Lee, now in her second year of
state SADD leadership, led the attendees in the Pledge of Allegiance
and sang the National Anthem at the beginning of the banquet that was
held on Saturday evening. From MHS - in addition to McKay, Champlin and
Lee - were students Kelly Smith, Renae Hester, Sommer Moore, Kourtney
Trott, Keegan Lee, Stephanie Harris and Kylie Beasley.
Marking the first year of CHSSCS participation, student Brooke Hosey
attended with SADD faculty advisor Merri Jamieson from Cape Hatteras
Secondary School for Coastal Studies. Attending NCSADD Conference for
the second year representing First Flight High School were advisors,
DCS Substance Abuse Counselor Holly Gibbons and School Resource Officer
Billy Essick with students Hope Hendricks, Sarah Gist, Camren Conner
and Gwen Hageman.
"The purpose of the conference is to allow students and advisors to
share ideas, gain leadership skills and most importantly, take home a
sense of commitment to do more to combat alcohol, tobacco and other
drug use, drinking and driving, and other destructive behaviors,"
explained McKay, who has accompanied a group from MHS for the past four
consecutive years.
At the 2007 conference on the recreation side of the agenda were
performances by a hypnotist, the Newport, R.I., hip hop group Off the
Curb, and a dance. The working component included sessions related to
fundraising, teen pregnancy, gang awareness, highway safety, drug use,
peer pressure, and bullying. This landmark district SADD trip was
supported by funds from the Dare County Juvenile Crime Prevention
Council.
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