The Goderich Signal-Star, 1985-12-11, Page 20It was a household event when Granny came to visit in the Children's Little Theatre production of Foxy Grandma
The cast of Foxy Grandma
Children's Theatre also presented The Little Red Schoolhouse
Program helps students to cope
Students learn about peer pressure, values, and belittling people
When a young boy attempted, to sell il-
legal drugs at the playground of Victoria
Public School about a month ago, students,
who are involved in a pilot project called '
VIP, reacted right away. Within minutes.
the incident was reported to local police,
says Goderich Police Chief Pat King.
"The kids in the program were very
helpful and the incident showed that the
program is worthwhile. We were very
pleased and we think the teachers and
parents were too," he says.
Because police were unable to confirm if
the substance being sold was marijuana,
there were no charges laid. Police did talk
to the boy and his parents and no incidents
have happened since.
The program called Values, Influences
and Peers (VIP) has been offered for the
first time in Goderich to the Grade 6 class
of Victoria Public School. Sponsored joint-
ly by the Ministry of Education and the
Ministry of the Solictor-General, the pro-
gram deals with coping, and knowing what
to do in certain situations.
"We started the first class in October
aimed at Grade 6 because they're the ones
that can be reached. We're looking at
prevention," says Constable Jay Poulter,
who's helping to teach the class with
teacher Dave Brereton.
"It teaches us to make our own decisions
and shows films about how to get out of
situations. We knew what to do when so-
meone tried to sell drugs in the
playground," says student Christina
Melick.
Her classmate Shelley Alcock adds that
the program teaches about peer pressure,
belittling people,
shoplifting.
"When you're in a group and they're do-
ing things you don't want to do, sometimes
it only takes one person to say 'No' and the
rest will follow," says Shelley.
During a session last Wednesday with
Dr. James Rourke, chief of emergency at
Alexandra Marine and General Hospital,
the class talked about drugs used for
pleasure, both legally and illegally. He told
them that Canadians are the fourth highest
users of nicotine in the world smoking 72
billion cigarettes a year.
With the help of the class, Dr. Rourke
determined that people smoke because
smoking relaxes them, is cool, helps them
be like their friends, gives them something
to do and is promoted in advertisements.
"Tobacco companies aim their ads at
you, the people between 10 and 15 years
old, because once you reach 20, hardly
anyone starts to smoke. They don't have to
advertise to those who are hooked
already," he said.
Since smoking is the cause of lung
cancer, breathing problems, tongue
cancer, behavior problems, yellow teeth
and fingers, heart attacks or strokes,
ulcers and money problems, many people
go to I)r. Rourke's office wanting to quit.
"They want to quit because their kids
are bugging them but it's very hard to quit
because they're addicted. It happens to be
legal but that doesn't mean it's any easier
to quit," he said.
Alcohol is another legal drug which
Canadians spend $10 billion a year on, $4
Turn to page 2A
values, stealing and
tir. James Rourke, head of emergency at Alexandra Marine and General Hospital, talked to
the Grade 6 class at Victoria Public School about both legal and illegal drugs. The presenta-
tion was part of a pilot project called Values, Influences and Peers (VIP) co-sponsored,by
the Ministry of Education and Minister of the Solicitor -General. ( photo by Susan Hundert-
mark )
By Susan Hundertmark
Phil's a pill
that's needed
twice a day
One of the distinct benefits of my job as
a reporter is its flexible hours. Sure, I
may be out almost every night of the
week covering council, attending
meetings of every description, taking
pictures and putting together the
newspaper, but the boss doesn't make too
big a fuss if I compensate for the over-
time by strolling into the office an hour
late a couple of times a week.
You see, my boss has come to
understand that if I'm not in the office
until 10, I've been spending some time
with Phil.
Time with'Phil is not wasted or leisure-
ly time. It's high -energy time full of fun,
debate, excitement, anger, passion and
argument. I come away from Phil vin-
dicated in my beliefs, boiling mad at op-
posing viewpoints, sorting out arguments
but always full of new thoughts and
ideas.
Turning on the Phil Donahue Show is
like inviting a debating team into your
living room first thing in the morning.
You may not agree with the point of view
but it's loud and it certainly gets your at-
tention (sometimes more effectively
than an alarm clock.) For me, it's like a
shot of caffeine—it opens my eyes and
gets the blood pumping through my
veins.
Depending on the subject matter, the
show brings different reactions from me.
Sometimes, it finds me pensively mun-
ching on my raisin toast. Other times, I
storm around my apartment foaming at
the mouth while I shake my toothbrush at
the TV screen. And, I usually race to my
bedroom during commercials and gather
up my clothes to dress in front of the TV
so I don't miss anything.
I know quite a number of people who
look forward to daily time spent with
Phil. You can tell who we are—we're the
ones sitting calmly with the thoughtful
.expressions on our. faces. Bat, ,hatch of t
if an argument heats up because we
usually leap in with both barrels blazing.
It's a technique we learned from
Donahue himself.
No matter what the topic—from mail
order brides to U.S. defence spending—
Phil and his audience have a million
questions and just as many opinions
which they have no qualms about ex-
pressing no matter how outrageous. I
often marvel at the bravery of the show's
guests to withstand such an intensive
barrage when Donahue races through
the audience pointing his microphone at
anyone who opens his or her mouth.
To be fair, it's usually only the
"villians" such as seasoned politicians
and controversial figures who get the
hard questions. The "victims" including
survivors from atomic bombing of
Hiroshima and incest victims receive a
more sympathetic treatment. Excep-
tions do occur, though, such as the time
when audience members insisted that if
women are victims of family violence,
it's their own fault.
The wide range of questions and opi-
nions are what makes the show wat-
chable and sometimes explosive.
Donahue seems to pride himself on the
idea that his show reflects the mind set of
all representatives of the American peo-
ple which leads to all sorts of interesting
directions.
Imagine if U.S. President Reagan used
the Phil Donahue Show as one of his of-
ficial advisers to measure the concerns
of his citizens. By marching Donahue, his
microphone and a group of represen-
tative Americans around at Reagan's
side, the country would have an instant
opinion poll just waiting to be asked any
question.
The idea becomes more intriguing if
U.S.S.R. leader Mikhail Gorbachev could
find a Soviet counterpart to Donahue and
his walking opinion poll. Summit
meetings would not longer be private
diplomatic sessions. Instead they could
become internationally -televised discus-
sions where average citizens of both
countries could voice their concerns and
questions.
Of course, the role of Donahue and his
Soviet counterpart would have to change
from confrontational devil's advocate to
mediator to prevent any mob scenes.
Otherwise, the commercial breaks may
as well be sponsored by the arms in-
dustries of both countries.
Maybe before we give Phil such an im-
portant position, we should take a look at
how he deals with less serious confronta-
tions around the kitchen table at home.
When he and his wife, Mario Thomas and
the kids argue about whose turn it is to do
the dishes, how does Phil handle it?
Does he let everyone express his or her
point of view? Or, does he refuse to help
with the dishes and then jump across the
table in his confrontational style aiming
a spoon (in absence of the microphone he
left at the studio) at his child saying,
"What do you think about that?"
Come to think of it, Phil may not be the
best negotiator for world peace. With his
style, we'd be more likely to go out with a
bang. It's good TV but I'm notready for
that.
9'