Pubdate: Thu, 14 Oct 2004 Source: Coalfield Progress, The (VA) Copyright: Coalfield.com 2004 Contact: http://www.Coalfield.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/3394 Author: Jodi Deal Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/dare.htm (D.A.R.E.) MAGIC SHOW TEACHES STUDENTS THE MAGIC WORD: 'NO' POUND - "It's your job to do the magic," magician Joseph Young told his audience of fifth graders. "The magic of making cigarettes, drugs and alcohol disappear." The magic show, performed before approximately 700 fifth graders, was a new approach to kicking off the Drug Abuse Resistance Education program. Each Wise County school was represented at the assembly, which was held at J.W. Adams Combined School. "We're trying to start the year off right," said Sgt. Teresa Meade, DARE officer for the Wise County Sheriff's Office. Meade teaches classes in Coeburn, Appalachia, Pound, Big Stone Gap and Wise, including classes at the alternative education center. Three other DARE officers attended the ceremony. Doug Evans of the Wise County Sheriff's office, Mike "Bulldog" Mullins of the Wise Police Department and Chief Alan Porter of the St. Paul police department were all on hand to meet their new students. Meade and Young have been planning the program, which was sponsored by the Wise County Sheriff's Office, since February. A magic show seemed like a fun way to get students excited about learning, Meade said before the show. Minutes into Young's award winning Rubik's cube act, student reactions proved Meade's theory right. Young, who performs as "The Amazing Joseph Young," describes his act as "puzzle magic and comedy with a twist." Young's Rubik's cube act, in which he makes the popular puzzle cubes from the 1980s disappear, reappear and grow, was set to upbeat electronic music. After the high energy opening, Young performed more tricks without music. His program included a good deal of audience participation, and he kept the mood light-hearted as he joked with the students and police officer he called to the stage. Toward the end of the program, Young told the students a true story about two teens whose lives ended in a car accident after a night of drinking and drugs. The magician didn't let his sad tale dampen the assembly's mood too much, though. Immediately afterward he taught the children how to make a bottle "disappear" into a paper bag, and threw treats and a plush Darren the DARE lion - the program's mascot - into the audience. Young, who has been performing professionally for seven years, stressed that he does more in his act than perform slight of hand tricks. "I'm not just a magician," he said, "I am a school assembly educator." An important part of the DARE program is showing students that police officers are not a threat, said Meade. Having officers on hand to high-five the eager children and joke with Young during his act helped accomplish this during the children's first real contact with police. "We want the kids to know that we're approachable," said Meade, noting that children will often disclose important secrets about abuse or other family problems if they have a good attitude about police. DARE is a 10-week program taught in the fifth grade. It began in 1983 in Los Angeles, Ca., and is now taught by police departments across the country. Meade, who has been a DARE officer for six years, explained that the program is updated often to meet the needs of our changing society. "The DARE program is up to date and user-friendly," Meade said. "It's tested, tried and true."