Pubdate: Sun, 14 Sep 2003
Source: Savannah Morning News (GA)
Copyright: 2003 Savannah Morning News
Contact:  http://www.savannahnow.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/401
Author: Jennifer Smith Richards
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v03.n1397.a11.html
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/testing.htm (Drug Testing)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/youth.htm (Youth)

A NEW KIND OF SCHOOL TEST

Benedictine Military School leads the charge to curb teen substance
abuse through drug testing that pinpoints who's using and gets them
help.

"Hey, man - want a hit?"

The drug screening program - virtually unheard of in both public and
private schools - is already under way, and tests the school's
athletes. Savannah Morning News "Uh, no thanks. I can't. I get drug
tested at school."

Benedictine Military School believes many of its cadets are facing
tough choices, and they want to give them an out - a respectable
reason to just say "no" to peer pressure and drugs.

At a weekend party, at his buddy's house after school, wherever he is
- - the school hopes its young men can pass up a joint, a beer, or
whatever other drug comes his way. They hope he'll say "no" -
especially in light of a new, comprehensive policy that randomly drug
tests all students and faculty.

School leaders, with the support of much of their parent base, feel
they must move ahead with testing for the boys' health and well-being.

The drug screening program - virtually unheard of in both public and
private schools - is already under way, and tests the school's
athletes. The rest of the student body and faculty will enter the
testing pool the fall of 2004.

But everyone hasn't greeted the idea warmly.

The boys seem torn about it. They're grateful for a new way to say
"no," but want to cling to their teen-age freedom.

Benedictine's leaders say they're prepared to lose half of the
school's population, if that's what it takes to continue the program.

They're willing to face difficult times, but they're also praying
they'll make the boys' futures brighter.

Monitoring the party

Benedictine knows its reputation in the community - party school, hard
partyin' boys.

"Maybe it has more to do with our all-male environment," Principal
Kelly Burke said. "There are bragging rights that BC boys can hold
their liquor, or get in trouble. And part of it is said
affectionately."

While BC says it's drug problem is no greater than that at other
schools, parents and faculty hope the new policy will help to dissolve
its party-hardy reputation.

Teens have always faced the temptation of drugs and alcohol, said
Gloria Lowe, who volunteers at BC. She's a grandmother of students
there now, and her father, husband, and sons graduated from the school.

"When my kids were in high school, there were some serious shindigs,"
she said.

Now, "there's just more of it, and at an earlier age," said Betty
Shay, mother of a BC student.

Ask the boys how many teens use drugs, and they'll tell you about 60
percent do. Some feel they're in the minority; but the prevailing
notion is that pretty much everybody does drugs.

"It's frightening, but it's very real," said Maria Oxnard, president
of the Parent-Teacher Association.

Parents can't deny some teens are using. Drug educators say the number
is much, much lower - that it's a fallacy that everybody's doing it.

Fallacy or not, the question of how hard BC boys party will be
answered: The test will provide that answer in clear, certain terms.

"To my mind, there's not an educational professional who's not well
aware of what's going on," Burke said. "They're just not in a position
to do anything about it."

Until now.

Testing the limits

Young athletes across the nation were taking risks - and some were
dying - as they experimented with drugs and tangled with the problem
that followed. That caught coaches' eyes, and helped prompt the new
program at BC.

Educators were also tired of being flies on the wall - hearing about
what was going on at weekend parties.

Benedictine has developed a two-pronged program that marries intense
anti-drug education with the testing. They've contracted with private
agencies to make sure the test procedures and methods, especially, are
the fair, pristine and, above all, accurate.

Administrators won't be the ones selecting who to test. In fact, they
won't be part of the process at all, unless a double-blind test finds
drugs in someone's system.

Even then, only Burke will be notified.

Students who test positive for drugs - for drugs that can't be
adequately explained - must enter and successfully complete a
substance abuse rehabilitation program to remain enrolled.

They must to stay drug-free afterward to stay in school. Refusal to go
to rehab or submit to drug or alcohol tests means immediate expulsion.

Students recently completed an intense, four-day drug education
workshop, presented by a Massachusetts-based company called FCD, or
Freedom from Chemical Dependency.

Other area private schools, including St. Andrew's School and Savannah
Country Day School, have also brought in the well-respected drug educators.

"They're taking a very thorough approach here," said Chris Kelly, one
of FCD's educators. "They're really tackling it well. Usually, it
takes clients five or 10 years of working with us to get all those
components."

The cadets say they've learned a great deal so far.

"It's like nothing we've ever had before," said senior Charlie Anglin.
"All the (FCD) teachers were past users."

"They knew exactly what it was like," said senior Joseph
Shearouse.

"And they didn't tell us to 'just say no,' " added Corey Wheeler, a
sophomore.

What the educators did was make a powerful argument - from a health
perspective - against using drugs and drinking.

Sketches on classroom white boards look like an eerie mix of biology
and chemistry lessons - a hand-written version of "this is your brain.
This is your brain on drugs."

Unknown territory

Despite the new program, it's not as if Benedictine turned a blind eye
when word of drug abuse spread.

Chatham County drug dogs make visits to the school.

Students suspected of drug abuse were already subject to
testing.

But all of that simply wasn't enough, school leaders
say.

Most cadets are quick to say the program is a good idea - even
needed.

"I don't have anything to hide," said Mason Savage, a
senior.

Others do, the students say.

They have friends who smoke pot and worse; friends who, they say, have
already refused to play sports because they'll be drug tested.

"We didn't lose any kids we expected to come back," said football
coach Tom Brackett. "But it really doesn't matter. The issue here is
identifying kids who have drug problems. (Football is) just a game."

But even the students who say they've got nothing to hide aren't sure
they want their urine tested for drugs.

"All teen-agers our age are trying to get more freedom," senior Anglin
said. "We're trying to be adults. When they do something like this,
they make us feel younger. Maybe it's the right thing to do, but
they're taking away my freedom."

And what about those cadets who may use drugs occasionally - who may
smoke pot on the weekends - but still make straight-As, wonders Shearouse.

"I think it's a little too much," he said.

Some of last year's students were in that boat, he
remembers.

"Some of those kids would've been kicked out, and they're all at great
colleges now," he said.

The cadets have other questions.

"Is it the school's business?" asked Savage.

And what will it really do to the school?

"It could be real bad," Anglin said.

"Well, they give you two chances," mused Richard Hample, a sophomore.
Younger students seemed more comfortable with the policy - even
grateful to have another excuse to say "no."

Anglin knows people will get caught.

And Shearhouse doesn't think there's any way to stop teen drug
use.

BC leaders hope they're both wrong.

"We're not afraid to take this bold step," Brackett said. "I think
you're going to see some more schools follow suit."

Officials don't expect testing to be a panacea, Burke
said.

But they do expect change.

"It has taken some courage on the part of people here. We're venturing
into unknown territory with the best of intentions," Burke said. "I
hope it will be appreciated and we'll be blessed."

Q&A Q: WHAT IS BENEDICTINE DOING? A: They are giving students ongoing,
intensive courses on drug and alcohol use and abuse. They're also
testing students and faculty for drugs.

Q: WHY ARE THEY DOING THIS? A: BC's leadership hopes to dispel the
community's misconceptions of cadets as hard partiers. There was also
growing concern about the health of athletes, especially, who might be
using drugs - even legal ones. And educators were simply tired of
hearing stories from the student body - they want to know, for
students' sake, the truth about drug use at BC.

Q: HOW WILL IT WORK? A: A private Atlanta-based agency will assign
each student and staff member a number. They will randomly select
people to be tested from that pool. Testing will take place
out-of-town, and only Principal Kelly Burke will be notified of any
urine that tests positive for drugs. Parents will be notified and
questioned - to rule out innocent reasons for too-high levels - first.

Students who test positive will be asked to take part in
rehabilitation. If they refuse, they'll be expelled. If they agree,
they face follow-up testing after completion of the anti-drug course.
If, at any time, they test positive, they'll be expelled.

The school's zero-tolerance policy regarding drugs or alcohol on
campus remains in place.

Q: WHAT'S NEXT? A: In a couple of weeks, random drug testing for
athletes will begin. In the fall of 2004, all students and faculty
will enter the random testing pool.

OTHER SCHOOLS Here's what a few other area private schools do to
prevent drug abuse.

. St. Vincent's Academy teaches drug prevention through health
courses. Chatham County drug-sniffing dogs also visit.

. Savannah Christian Preparatory School teaches a three-day drug
prevention course, teaches drug abstinence through regular courses and
invites visits from county drug dogs.

. St. Andrew's School uses FCD, a Massachusetts-based company that
teaches drug education courses.

. Bible Baptist School teaches drug prevention through its regular
health courses and allows drug dogs on campus.
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MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin