Calhoun Middle School’s students and staff along with community members celebrated Red Ribbon Week with a variety of activities. Red Ribbon Week, the last week in October, is the most far-reaching and well-known drug prevention event in the United States. The goal of the celebration is to empower students to choose a drug-free life.

A student led assembly was the culminating event. The event was a celebration of choosing to live a drug-free life. CMS band, chorus, and cheerleaders led in songs and cheers about being drug-free. Eight grade students Vilma Jimenez and Tanner McCormick shared why they don’t use drugs. They stated that they enjoyed sports and doing volunteer work in the community. They have goals to be successful in school and later to go to college. Becoming addicted to drugs would keep them from accomplishing these goals.

Former Atlanta Falcons player and four time pro-bowl participant Elbert Shelley told students how important it is to set goals and work hard to obtain them. He shared about a time when he was in the 7^th grade. He played on his school’s football team and sat on the bench most of the time. He became discouraged and wanted to quit. He came home one day and told his mom that he wanted to quit. He said, "I’ll never forget her response, ‘Son, we don’t have quitters in this family.’" Mr. Shelley said those words have stuck with him all his life and have been instrumental in helping him not to give up when things get difficult and hard. He challenged the students to work hard at whatever they do, and choose to do things that are right and good for them and the community.

All week students have participated in theme days to help discourage drug use. Monday was "Turn Your Back on Drugs" day and students wore their clothes backwards. Tuesday was "Drugs are Tacky" and students dressed as tackily as possible. On Wednesday students wore red to be "Fired Up Against Drugs". Cowboys came out on Thursday to "Lasso Drugs". The big scare was on Friday, "Scare Away Drugs" day. Students wore their scariest Halloween costumes to scare away drugs. CHS Beta Club members have spoken on Jacket Jive about why they are drug-free, and a video of the 7^th grade chorus singing a drug-free song was played each morning.

The first National Red Ribbon Week was celebrated in the fall of 1988, and now each October communities throughout the country take a stand against drugs with Red Ribbon activities. The red ribbon honors Enrique Camerena who was an undercover DEA agent in Mexico. Even though his work was dangerous, Camerena would not quit. "Even if I’m only one person, I can make a difference," he told his mother. The drug dealers found out who he was and murdered him. In 1985, his family and friends wore small badges and red satin in his memory. The symbol spread throughout the country.

Elbert Shelley

Tytiana Williams, Vilma Jimenez, Molly Palmer, Adrian Torres, Tanner McCormick, and Chandler Padgett