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."