The nation’s largest drug-prevention campaign has officially reached Torrance High! This campaign brings awareness to all the destruction that comes from drugs: the addictive disorders, the alteration of our reward circuit within our brain, and the long term changes of learning, judgment, decision making, stress, memory, and behavior. The consequences of drugs have become more known in the 21st century after this campaign’s start in 1980. Red ribbons have been a symbol of the awareness of these dangers and the destruction that follows the use of drugs.
Torrance High has taken action in this cause throughout our campus in red ribbons adorning walls and pillars and posters highlighting consequences and spreading awareness. Let’s take a look at how each class does their part in spreading this cause:
Freshmen:
Outside the small gym, the grass, trees, and railings were filled with pops of red. Posters of freshmen spirit were present between trees and along columns that lead to the small gym while streamers lined the railings. A ribbon filled with red hand paints laid on the glass of the small gym.
Sophomore:
The sophomores filled our quad with red plates with encouraging messages along the paths of the quad while red papers filled the walls. These posters were red squares with statics and phrases acknowledging the harmful effects of drugs. Overlooking all these decorations held a large red banner with the words “Red Ribbon Week,” on the science building’s balcony. The entrance to the main gym had streamers around the columns and bushes.
Junior:
The Junior patio was where the juniors let facts run free as the walls of the c building were filled with statistics and numbers outlining the risks of drugs, leaving an impactful message behind each poster. These posters lined the health building. Reflective decorations and red streamers were hung between the colonnades. The trees did not skip out on the spirit as they were wrapped in red streamers.
Senior:
The seniors filled their senior patio with an abundance of red as well. From bottom to top, the patio was an explosion of awareness as seen with the red ribbons filling the floors and the trees. Plates were stuck into the grass along red ribbons made of paper. These decorations filled the entirety of the grass. Large banners with messages encouraging a drug free life lined the balconies and planters. All railings leading toward the senior patio and along the stair cases were spiraled with streamers.
Among all of these decorations and the student’s hard efforts, the competitive spirit of Torrance High continued. Spirit points were awarded to each grade based on these decorations. The freshmen were put in last place with 370, while the juniors gained 380, leaving the seniors and sophomores at a tie with 395 points each.
To learn more about the harmful effects of drugs: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
To learn more about the red ribbon campaign and to take action on this cause please visit:
https://www.redribbon.org/about
Sources: https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
