Editorials 7 May 4, 2010Valor Dictus

BY ALEXANDRIA HIPONIAManaging Editor

Oh, God. Not again. These were my exact thoughts upon reading my itinerary for my all-expenses paid trip to the 2010 Al Neuharth Free Spirit Journalism conference in Washington, D.C., which promised a jam-packed sched-ule of meet-and-greets, Q & A’s with numerous VIPs of the journalism world, and of course, some good, old-fash-ioned sightseeing. Sightseeing… Really? As most NoVa locals know best, having the nation’s capi-tal basically in your backyard has its benefits. But after the thousandth time of climbing

the steps of each marble palace, I figured I’ve had enough. I was wrong. During those five long days spent with student journalists from every state, I was able to rekindle a flame of sorts in my heart and fall back in love with this beautiful city. Before I knew it, we were whisked off to see the monuments in their full nighttime glory. Now, although I assumed this would be the boring part of our excursions, I didn’t ex-pect to have such a drastic change of heart as I did once we arrived. I stared at Jefferson and Lincoln basking in a golden glow of lights with the city’s reflection painted on the surface of the Tidal Basin and suddenly, I felt this strange sense of liberation as I looked all around me.

After all of these years, I could open my eyes to the history, beauty and true grit of character that is Washington, D.C. at its finest, all because of these relics put into place by our founding fathers. From the constant bustle of U Street to the array of professional opportunities in fancy white build-ings, so much soul lies within this city that we often take for granted. D.C breeds some of the best and brightest political minds of our time and stands as the site of the Go-Go music revolution; it’s home to the Smithsonian museums, Na-tional Galleries, and of course, the President. After seeing this unique blend of a thriving arts scene intertwined within the prestigious political headquarters of the city, I couldn’t

help but want to become a natural fixture in all of the excitement. Thus, I was re-baptized as a true believer in the city of D.C. and ap-propriately enough, decided to make it official alongside my new-born D.C. lovers as any true free spirit would do. We ran to the edge of the Tidal Basin, facing the post-card-worthy view of the Washing-ton monument and stopped. And we shouted at the top of our lungs, “I LOVE YOU, D.C!” into the darkness, letting our voices be car-ried by the breeze. Cliché? Perhaps. But there are certain things that simply can-not be experienced without being immersed in a city with Jazz-age roots and full of inspiration to work hard and chase your dreams. And I couldn’t be more ecstatic to

be living and studying in the district for the next four years at American University, where I can immerse myself in ev-erything beautiful and unique about the city. So take advantage of the oppor-tunities presented to you within the District, whether they are in the form of government in-ternships or tourist buses, and just live a little. You don’t have to go to a five day conference to experience the timeless magic that Washington has to offer. Revisit those tourist sites that you’ve placed in the back of your memory and open your eyes to the beauty of the action around you. You may not know it right away, but you won’t have to. You’ll just feel it inside.

BY MOLLIE BERNERSports Editor

As I sat on the five student panel at PTSA’s teen awareness event, “Satur-day Night in the Suburbs” April 7, I found myself shocked, yet relieved, by the amount of concerned parents on the edge of their seats, eating up fact by fact and story by story about high school drugs, alcohol and partying. The four students and I were origi-nally supposed to be anonymous to the parents, protecting our identities behind black screens. We were told by our school’s Drug and Alcohol Counsel-or, Sam Wagner, that what ever we say would not be held against us in a legal context. However, once the panel saw the large number of hungry parents attending this event for a good cause, we all de-cided it would be both beneficial and courageous to let down the tall black screens and show our faces. We de-cided that by telling the truth to their faces, we could create an even larger impact in stepping up to tell the truth; in a bigger sense, hoping to make a difference in their child’s lives. PTSA event sponsor Heather Galusha Ripley led the event. Parents asked questions about alcohol abuse and activ-ity first. Where do students get it from? Why are they so drawn to alcoholic activity? Is it done for social reasons? How big of a role does peer pressure play in the abuse of alcohol? Parents and even grandparents were appalled at the answers given by the panel. Some of their ignorance on the is-sue surprised them as well. It is not un-

common for students to take what is already available in parents’ bars; accessibility was explained as a major theme of alcohol abuse in high school. Students explained the idea that some students play beer pong to get drunk, as well as some students who play with water or soda, or even get a friend to drink with them; because carrying around a red Dixie cup is enough. Even some are deemed designated drivers. Parents sat back in their seats after the last remark, feeling a bit more at ease, knowing not all high schoolers are alcoholics; perhaps none. The panel became a bit nervous about the next discussion topic: drug abuse. Every stu-dent at our school has sat through numerous health classes to learn about drugs. Teachers tell us not to do them. Students agree. But rarely are students given the opportunity to sit in front of parents, and educate them on drug abuse. We all agreed to be completely honest and could continue to do so, even with more dif-ficult subjects. We explained that not every kid is a drug dealer, few are; also, however, not every kid has never been exposed to drugs.

Our panel agreed marijuana is the most popular drug at our school. Ecstasy, meth and heroin are avail-able as well. Prescription pills are abused at times, and just like alcohol, can be found in the home. Accessibility is easy. If students want it, they can get it. And if they do not know where to

directly find it, they can have someone tell them. Many parents asked where the money came from. Five out of the five students on the pan-el answered back to the parents, “You.” In the conclusion of the drug abuse section, a parent asked, “When are we going to talk about sex?!”A few giggles were heard across

the crowd, while fear covered others’ faces, many of whom are concerned mothers. A male panel member explained the re-spect necessary in a high school relation-ship, the way to treat a girl, and how to maintain a healthy and accept-able reputation among fellow schoolmates. Female panel members discussed the lack of self esteem in someone as a link to girls having sex or hooking up often. It was e s t a b l i s h e d that rumors are a ma-jor com-ponent to one’s sexual reputation in high school. Once deemed a “slut” or “whore,” always a “slut” or “whore.” But, this was not the panel’s desired mes-sage to the audience. We wanted parents, mothers especially, to realize that their daughters want them to sit down and talk to them. Talk to kids about safety, staying healthy, and how to treat the opposite sex; in a relationship or not. The self esteem issue led us to our final topic: the internet. Most parents had heard of Facebook and Formspring. Facebook is a good way to stay in touch with others, and deemed the least dangerous, next to MySpace. Some parents admitted to having their own Facebooks; some even obtaining their teen’s passwords. Formspring is a recipe for disaster, and can take a toll on someone’s self esteem, if abused. Then the panel mentioned Chatroulette. Parents were shocked and disturbed. We explained that rarely will one find someone searching for friendship and ap-propriately using the website. Some are funny, but in a larger sense, bothersome. What many parents seemed to feel after two hours of discussion in the Recital Hall was relief. This was the panel’s objective.

Our mo-tive was not

to give away any high school

secrets or create heli-copter parents for all, in

one short night. It was not to scare parents so much so that they enforced new, crazy rules on their teens, and stomped home and into

the bedroom, ready to interrogate them as soon as possible.

The objective was to educate par-ents, let them out of the dust a bit, and show those in denial that teens are sur-

rounded by these issues every day. And show those overprotecting, that many of them have nothing to worry about. It is most important and essential to find a bal-ance between the two strategies of parent-ing. Every parent loves his or her child, and showing up to this event was a large step forward. The panel emphasized communi-cation as a major component of success. Par-ents need to show their teens that they did everything in their power to avoid danger-ous situations for themselves, and going to this event got them one step closer to this desired solution. Kids need to know if they need to call someone they trust at a party to come pick them up, that person can be their parents. Yelling and punishing only goes so far; and for some, in one ear and out the other. On the other hand, a parent does not need to always be a best friend to their child. Find-ing a middle ground between the two is the most beneficial way to begin a road to suc-cess. So build a relationship with your par-ent or child. A bad grade, sneaking out, or filling your parents’ vodka up with water will not alter one’s life entirely. However, losing trust in a relationship undoubtedly will. At the end of the day, be able to look at yourself in the mirror and know that as a parent, you tried your hardest; and as a child, you returned that favor.

“Filling your parents’ vodka up with water will not alter one’s life entirely. However, losing trust in a relationship undoubtedly will.

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I Love You, D.C. Reviving an old ‘city love’ at the Free Spirit Journalism Conference

Parents need to approach teens about drugs, alcoholStudent panel encourages communication