My Seven Pet Peeves Tobacco Factor Tattoo or Not: Here Are the Facts Soar With the Civil Air Patrol

contents LISTEN MAGAZINE • VOLUME 56• NUMBER 4

MY SEVEN PET PEEVES ABOUT SMOKING From smoking in cars to smoking at work, smoking drives me crazy.

10 THE TOBACCO FACTOR Henry had once thought smoking was really cool, but now ...

13 PAT ANSWERS Peers Against Tobacco is one school's way of reaching students.

A.C. GREEN: A CHAMPION ROLE MODEL A.C. is famous for telling anyone who will listen that it's never too - JUST BETWEEN US late to practice abstinence. One Out of Three

20 TATTOO OR NOT: ASK GARY HERE ARE THE FACTS Why Not Chew? Nichole says, "Don't cave in to peer pressure." 8 CHOICES Doesn't It Make You Mad? 24 SOAR WITH THE CIVIL AIR PATROL 23 LISTENING Ever wanted to fly? CAP may be When the Time Comes what you're looking for. 28 PRIME TIMES Service on Their Mind

FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM You're Never Too Young to Dream

COVER PHOTO Allsport/Getty Images

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EDITOR Anita Jacobs One Out of Three DESIGNER Doug Bendall EDITORIAL SECRETARY Joe, Bill, and John were best friends, and had been best friends Tanya Faith since they started kindergarten. There they learned that they lived just VP PERIODICALS Larry Becker a couple of blocks from each other and could ride their bikes to each other's houses. They really did enjoy each other's company, hardly ASSISTANT VP PERIODICALS Howard Scoggins ever disagreeing. SALES DIRECTOR All three boys became involved in sports as they progressed Ron Clark through school. And even though they might not always be on the EDITORIAL CONSULTANTS same team in soccer or football or whatever sport, they were good Winton Beaven, Ph.D. about winning and losing. Larry Becker One morning when they were in sixth grade, Joe whispered, "Hey, Hans Diehl, Dr.H.Sc., M.P.H. Winston Ferris, M.A. meet me by our tree at recess. I have something cool to show you." Allan Handysides, M.B., B.Ch. Curious, John and Bill made their way to see this cool thing. Peter N. Landless, M.B., B.Ch. Thomas R. NesLund Cautiously looking around, Joe pulled a pack of cigarettes out of Stoy Proctor, M.P.H. his pocket. "Where'd you get that?" questioned Bill in surprise. Francis A. Soper, Litt.D. DeWitt Williams, Ph.D. "My brother Jack accidentally left it in the garage, and I took it," replied Joe. "Wanna give it a try? It'll be cool to see what it tastes like." MEMBER OF THE And so it was that three 11-year-old boys began a habit that would PARTNERSHIP FOR A DRUG-FREE last a lifetime. According to a CNN report 1,157,399 kids became regu- AMERICA lar smokers in 2001. And statistics show that 370,368 of them will I I eventually die from their addiction. I did a little math, and it comes out ZHA LIErgis ICPA DRUGS to one out of every three smokers. Statistics also show that the average age to begin smoking is 11. What a waste of time and money and life. A recent news article states that many states are raising cigarette taxes, and some cities are adding their own tax. For example, the price T9. per pack in New York City is now $7, and it's more than $4 a pack in many states. Let's see: one pack a day at $7, times seven days, times 52

Mowsilion ler Menweitme-inonme• weeks equals—whew! That's $2,548 a year. Just think, if you were to MADISON MOH 50 YOUTH save the amount spent on cigarettes, it wouldn't take long to buy that new bike you've been wishing for, or Rollerblades, or a skateboard, . 4n.g free or . . . you fill in the blank. That would keep you healthier, admi Fs 11.4 and unlike Joe and his two friends, you wouldn't have to MON wonder which of the three of you is going to die from IMMIEEN their addiction. That's one smoker out of three.

TrEnD sr:opzi Anita Jacobs;

LISTEN (ISSN 0024-435X) December 2002, Volume 56, Number 4. Published monthly (EXCEPT JUNE, JULY, AND AUGUST) and copy- righted © 2002 by The Health Connection, 55 West Oak Ridge Dr., Hagerstown, MD 21740. One year $26.95 (U.S.); outside U.S. $33.45 (U.S.) . PERIODICALS postage paid at Hagerstown, MD. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to LISTEN, P.O. Box 859, Hagerstown, MD 21741. 1-800-548-8700, Alaska or Canada, 1-301-393-3267. This publication is available in Microfilm from Xerox University Microfilms, 300 North Zeeb Road, Ann Arbor, MI 48106. (313) 761-4700. Printed in U.S.A.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN 0 VVWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG %-) 44,

= 5. Smoking for "Social" Purposes magine that you are only Groups gathering, friends pressuring, I hon- 50 years old, yet you feel estly have to ask myself what the point is. Or is there even a point? I realize that you and your like 100. Your lungs are smaller friends may be bored when you get together, but I isn't there something better to do? I mean . . . than a baby's, yet you still puff away on a cigarette. Your teeth are yellow, and your find friends who actually have a life. For those of breath smells bad. Smoking is more than just a you whose friends pressure you into smoking, bad habit. With each and every puff of a I'm sorry, but they aren't really your friends. Do cigarette more and more of your life is being real friends want to cause you to become taken away. Experiencing personal situations addicted to a substance that could cause you to with my father, grandparents, and other close die of lung cancer? relatives, I know that it isn't easy to quit smok- ing. There are so many things about smoking 4. Smoking Because of Stress that drive me crazy that I decided to make a list Hard day at work? Need to smoke? Isn't of those things in reverse order and work my there some other way you can relieve yetur way to the thing that annoys me the most. stress? In reality, you are only stressing yourself out more. Pretty soon you will be in debt 7. Smoking in Cars because of your cigarette addiction. You will be Do people really experience an addiction to fighting lung disease, and your 12-year-old son smoking so strong that they can't stop even for a will be asking you if he can have a cigarette short 10-minute drive? What about during the because he sees you.smoking. Now what are winter when it's so cold outside that they need to you going to do? I'm going to be honest with roll down the window to smoke? Not only are you: I've never smoked a cigarette in my life, they getting us sick from secondhand smoke, but and I'm still doing OK. we could catch pneumonia before we reach our destination. And what about the people who are 3. Smoking Because You Think It's Attractive sitting in the back? The wind blows in through One of the best commercials I've ever seen is the open window and pushes smoke into the the one in which a good-looking teenage guy back and into their faces. I highly doubt that any- turns into a frog. Of course, he doesn't really one else in the car wants to go somewhere turn into a frog, but in the eyes of the girl who smelling like smoke. I've always wondered what watches him put a cigarette into his mouth he would happen if you were to get into an accident does. Every time I see a good-looking guy smok- with a burning cigarette in your hand. ing, it completely turns me off. I can picture a rather comical image of a slimy green frog the 6. Smoking in Restaurants size of a human, eyes bulging and cigarette dan- I'm sitting there enjoying my meal and along gling from its big green lips. Now, how's that for comes a whiff of smoke right onto my food and a turn-on? into my mouth. Yum . . . ha—right! Not only can However, other commercials and advertise- I not breathe, but now my appetite has disap- ments make me want to scream. Do people really peared. What is it with this "smoking section" think that you will look beautiful and attractive thing in restaurants, anyway? I don't care what to the opposite sex when you smoke? Think area is designated for smoking; you can still smell about it. If those models actually smoked, their smoke. OK, I guess if people want to smoke teeth would be yellow instead of white. Actors with their meal, they can create their own eat- don't really care about us. What they care about ing section . . . outside. is the money they make from the commercials.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN WNW. LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I 2. The "It Won't Happen to Me" Attitude want to run away. Being a secondhand smoker People with an attitude like that really need scares me now. to think twice. Saying that you won't become Smoking makes me think of my grandma addicted after trying a few cigarettes may seem and how smoking made her have to have oxy- easy, but you may find it hard to stop. It's also gen all the time. Her thin white hands shook, easy to think that you won't get lung cancer. her frail body trembled, and she moved at the The odds are against you. One out of every pace of a child taking their first baby steps. three smokers will develop some kind of smok- Grandma had a deep cough that would pull at ing illness. I can't believe that some people can her body, leaving her limp and helpless. The watch a loved one dying from some sort of poor woman, old and wrinkled, reminded me of smoking disease and still go out and smoke a a walking zombie. She used to frighten me cigarette. I can't even imagine what must be when I was a child. The sight of her sticks with going through their minds. And what happens if me and is a constant reminder of how I don't you find yourself lying in a hospital bed with want to end up. emphysema or something? It's sad to think that I can't help wondering what will happen to when the doctor tells you that you have a smok- my father, who is addicted to tobacco. I don't ing-related disease, you decide to quit smoking. want him to die because of something as stupid I'm sorry, but you are too late. as a cigarette that no one should have invented in the first place. Dad tells us that he's OK (I think he's probably a perfect example of the "It 1. Smoking at Work won't happen to me" attitude). He wants to quit, finally, my final pet peeve about but it's hard for him. The 16 years he's been smoking have been bad for him, but if he could smoking. This is my number quit it would do miracles for him. It would also F one pet peeve because I wit- do miracles for the rest of you smokers. VA ness it the most. You see, where I work a Tashana was 17 when she wrote this article. She wrote the arti- lot of people smoke. So for some strange reason cle because of her strong opinion about smoking. She says that these people get extra breaks. All they have to she worries about people who smoke because she has seen the say is "Hey, I'm gonna go out for a smoke, OK? effects of smoking in her own family. I'll be right back." When they tell me this, I always reply, "Don't tell me that," or "What- ever," even though inside I really want to scream, "No, you may not leave me here with things left to do just so you can go out to relieve yourself with a device that is making your life shorter by the second!" Sure, we get our short breaks to get a drink or use the bathroom or whatever, but then, so do all of the smokers. You know what—maybe I should start smoking so I can get extra breaks. Or maybe the next time I want a break I'll say, "Hey, I'm going to go shorten my life a little . . . be back in a few!" Sometimes I think that I've become allergic to the smell of smoke. Growing up I didn't notice it as much, but now when I smell it I just

L LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 6 I \AWN.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG (Ask Gary • By Gary L. Somdahl Why Not Chew?

My dad has a disgusting clear of all mind- and mood- make positive changes in your habit of chewing tobacco. altering chemicals, including life. The reason is that those in How can I get him to stop? marijuana. the habit of being under the in- Sean fluence of alcohol and other Last week I was cited as a drugs have a different perspec- No one has the power to make minor in possession of tive than those whose minds your dad give up tobacco except alcohol. My parents will are clear. Many drug users feel himself. We know that chewing have a fit when they find threatened when they see some- tobacco can cause lip, cheek, out. Should I tell them or one make progress in changing tongue, and other types of oral wait until the court noti- their life. This causes them to cancer, as well as causing dam- fies them by mail? I'm 17. look at their problems. If I were age to mouth tissue, causing Lisa you, I would seek out clean and receding gums. You can help sober friends who understand your dad by sharing your con- If your parents are like most, what you're doing and why. cern and fear with him. Let him they probably hate surprises. They would be less stressful to know the cold hard facts of this Especially a surprise that comes hang around with as well as a addictive habit. Give him all the in the form of a court order. wealth of support toward your support you can should he Face it, what you did was ille- recovery. Giving up drugs is a decide to quit. Tell him that gal. You got caught, and now great step, but long-term recov- people of all ages have success- it's time to face the conse- ery from them involves more, fully given up this nasty and quences. Be responsible. Let including changing our dangerous substance. your parents know as soon as lifestyles, our circle of peers, possible. It should take a load and our range of activities. NI I'm 15 and smoke a little off your shoulders. This inci- weed now and then. I won- dent isn't the end of the world, der if it really affects my unless you fail to learn your les- brain. Jim son. I hope you've thought o ahead, ask Gary his about what alcohol has done, advice on some of those There's no doubt that marijuana and that is to put you into the Gbig questions. Gary directly affects the brain, even if legal system, where you'll prob- Somdahl is a dad who puts it's used only once in a while. ably be fined or worse, jailed. his skills as a licensed Research shows that it impairs youth chemical dependency the ability to concentrate and I quit using drugs last counselor to the real-world retain information. Tetrahydro- month, but most of my test all the time. His latest cannabinol, the active ingredient friends are pressuring me book is Drugs and Kids. in marijuana, attaches itself to to get high with them. receptors in the hippocampal How do I convince them Send your questions to: region of the brain, weakening that I'm serious? I'm 17. short-term memory and getting Ann ASK GARY in the way of the mechanisms Listen magazine that form long-term memory. I'm not certain you can con- 55 West Oak Ridge Drive Why not live your life free and vince them that you desire to Hagerstown, Maryland 21740.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN WVVW.LISTENMAGAZINE ORG 1 7

Choices • By Kay D. Rizzo)

DOESN'T IT MAKE YOU MAD?

• Last year's tobacco sales for Philip Morris to- bacco company topped $42.7 billion. Their CEO, Geoffrey Bible, earned $5 million a year to convince you to start smoking. Doesn't that make you mad? • Three thousand new young people begin smok- L&M cigarettes, wrote to his staff, "If you are really ing every day! More than 80 percent of smokers and truly not going to sell [cigarettes] to children, begin smoking before their eighteenth birthday. you are going to be out of business in 30 years." Doesn't that make you fume? Doesn't that make you sizzle? • The president of a branch of R. J. Reynolds sent Know the truth! Since teens are the ones being a memo to his staff, admitting that "high school stu- targeted by the tobacco industry, they should partici- dents are the basis of our business." pate in the fight against tobacco use. You can make a • Bennett Lebow, the CEO in charge of producing difference.

Here are some cool teen Web sites where you might want to learn what you can do to kelp fight the giant tobacco industry.

• 02 Zone: wwvv.tobaccofacts.org/o2zonel.html • www.notobacco.org—sponsored by the (You'll love their "puke" page.) Foundation for a Smoke-free America. •vv-ww.cdc.gov/tobacco/tips4youth.htm— • www.costkids.org—opposed to tobacco use. activities and interview with Boyz II Men. • www.youthtobacco.com—online source to • www.gottaquit.com—site to help smokers. help people stop smoking. • www.questionit.com—gives hints to help • www.tobacco.org—get a free subscription smokers battle their addiction. to Daily Tobacco News. • www.getoutraged.com—ways you can make a If you want help to quit smoking, call 1-800- difference in the fight against tobacco. LUNG-USA. • www.wholetruth.com—a cool site for teens. Get involved: Make your team, your school, and • www.quit4life.com—a cool site with stories of your home tobacco-free. Join others to prevent four teens trying to kick the smoking habit. tobacco use. "02

0 I LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 (-) I VVWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG Take the following quiz to find out what else about smoking the tobacco I Th industry would rather you not know. noA aiv •aw pue noA—sueDpawv o; lips o; pap; seq A.n.snpui oneqo; aq; sari eie 11V .3/9/2 'OZ 1. Nicotine is a. more addictive than heroin elanoi pep ;s!.6a;e4s b. less addictive than ecstasy jaND se yaps 'AJ;snpui oneqo; au; jo ;no ;q6!.e.q.s c. the hardest addiction to break aidoad manas paq.0 sal qsng ;uamsaid ;eq; 2. If you smoke a pack a day for one year, it JanoDsw o; aspdins Aue ;!. si •sueD!.-1qnda o; ;Liam will cost you at least suopnqp;uoD aq; jo R .2 •6 a. $50 b. $100 •@1_11.1.031.0 10 aamos leyial c. $1,000 wow pue Ja6uaqs 2-6uplows 126p 6upow 3. Tobacco kills more people each year than s,;!. jo pea;sui •sal.now s;i u!. spe which of the following? 6upeld paddo;s sey ;i sleams poomMioH 'sdnoib a. illegal drugs ag.ialebp-Rue woJJ anissaid jo asneoag •q b. car crashes c. AIDS •;uaDJad os Aq paseanut d. all of the above seq oneqo; buisn s;uapn;s jo Jaqwnu aq; lie 4. The number one source of pollution on -Jana, quaDiad I? o; ;uaolad i7T, way. asol a>lows California beaches is OL1AA slape.15 u;q5p jo a6e;uaDiad aqi -q .L a. oil slicks b. soda cans •2wasAuclwa JO ssaDold c. cigarette butts aq; 6upe;s 's6uni aq; u!. saes 42 au; 6u!.ficu;sap u!6aq pue uopajui way. s6uni inoA ;Da;o1c1 pue 5. The safest form of tobacco use is sfiem.q.2 aq; 041 42q; siley flews a. chewing tobacco au; azAieJed o; b. pipe tobacco u6noua si a41.a.te6p ;s.q.j au; woij alows '3 •ig c. bug spray 6nq ;2a16 e saNew aupcoN '3 .9 6. Smoking begins to harm the body after a. 30 years Jed fiq s;;nq a;;@.126!.3 •D '47 b. one year c. the first cigarette •SJOApV111S ou 1.141.M fiep uDea 7. Over the past five years, the percentage of 6u!.usen s;a[ oqwni Jadns ;no-pios aalq; se awes eighth graders who smoke aq; sjeui •@1.1012 saes pa4un au; ui sq;eap ang a. increased from 5 percent to 15 percent Alana jo ;no auo sasneD II ipauNwoD sail} pue b. increased from 14 percent to 21 percent 'sapp[ns 'slapinw 'sausen .123 'asn 6rup louoDie c. stayed the same 'saw woli- si-142aP ueq; wow 'aidoad 000'00,7 8. Sylvester Stallone took a $500,000 payment 6uplows JeaA 4323 •anoqe aq; jo lly .p •E from a tobacco company to smoke their brand of cigarettes in how many of his films? •sieg 0? jo pua aq; 4e SZ•6T.L',E$ anal a. one p,noA 1.saJa;u!. ;uaDlad s ;e it palueq nofi jI idea, b. three waij sun° loop Auew MOH Anq noA prop sawe6 c. none Ja;ndwoD Auew mou 'Aauow jo pu!.>!;eq; uwit 9. In the 2000 elections the tobacco industry •wnq o; fiauow jo ;o1 e si JeaA e 000'3 *Z gave how much to Republican candidates? a. $4.7 million •aiDgie ayi b. $1.2 million jo pua au; ;e pa;sq sails qam aq; pain dlay jo c. same as given to Democrats s;o1 anal mnofi puv i;i op ue3 noA ;eq; s!. Law; 10. The tobacco companies would have you aq; ;n8 •leaJci o; uoRDIppe 1.1nDmp ;sow au; believe that aq o; uanold seq aupoD!.0 ;eq; palanoDs!.p @net] a. retailers don't sell tobacco to kids s;spuapsieD!.paw sJeafi of ;sed au; Li' 'D/e •I b. smoking is a choice :siamsuy c. smoking is cool and sexy

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I an wvvw.usTENNAAGADNEoRG thl 10 4000 factor so bad that he just had to have a smoke or he'd Ever since he could remember, Henry'd go crazy. Plus, his parents refused to support thought smoking was cool. He doesn't remem- his habit, so he had to cough up the money, ber when, but somewhere from his earliest and cigarettes didn't come cheap. And he didn't childhood memories he has images of people like the fact that the one girl in his class whom smoking. Maybe it was his older brother, Jack, he really, really liked absolutely refused to go who was already in the Army by the time Henry out with a guy who smoked. "Kissing you," she was old enough to remember anything. Jack said, "would be like kissing a dirty ashtray." And smoked, and had been a paratrooper who fought finally, what he didn't like was that reoccurring in Vietnam. Young Henry was proud to have a little cough. big brother who jumped out of airplanes with Sure, Henry liked smoking, at least that's people shooting at him. what he told himself. But as the years went by, Or maybe it was one of the movies he'd he liked it less and less. seen as a kid. When he was quite young, his He thought he knew how bad tobacco was parents had taken him to the movies, which for him, but he didn't realize that tobacco itself was very exciting. The hero of the movie, a cop who kept on blowing awaykall the bad guys, seemed always to have a cigarette in his mouth. Forihe longest time afterward Henry The hero of the movie, a cop thought about that cop, and he wanted to be who kept on blowing away all like him, including, of course, smoking. By the time Henry was 16, he'd started the bad guys, seemed always to smoking. Of course, at that age he had to sneak have a cigarette in his mouth. around doing it, because it wasn't legal for him to buy cigarettes. But they were easy to come by. He kept it a secret from his parents as long as he could. But by the time they found out smoke contains more than 4,000 substances. (smelled it on him, found butts in his room And if that isn't bad enough, among them are and burns on the floor), he was already ad- such things as carbon monoxide, hydrogen dicted and wasn't going to 4op. And he didn't cyanide (yeah, that kind of cyanide), and want to stop, not really. ammonia (the stuff your mother uses to clean Smoking, he thought, is,tool. ("Just leave me house). It had never bothered Henry before, alone," he snapped one d in a heated debate but as he got older and thought more about it, with his dad. "I know w I am doing.") Sure, the idea of all those burning chemicals and he knew all the informa n about how bad it substances going into his lungs and then into was for you. Who didn't? But he didn't care. his bloodstream, where to one degree or an- Smoking was cool. He liked the way he looked other they impacted almost every cell in his with a cigarette in his mouth; he liked the feel- body in a bad way, just didn't seem too cool ing of being a bit of a renegade; he liked every- anymore. thing about it. Something else Henry didn't like was that Well, almost everything. He didn't like smokers are more prone to injuries. It's kind of being in places for a long time where he couldn't weird, but one study in England showed that smoke. Such as the time he and his parents soldiers who smoked were twice as likely to get flew to Japan, when his dad was on a business hurt in training than those who didn't. trip. He thought that if he didn't get a smoke, Another fact that began to bother Henry he would drop dead right there somewhere each time he lit up was that about every 13 sec- over the mid-Pacific. And he hated not being onds someone in the world dies from tobacco- a. able to smoke in restaurants, in cafes, and in related illnesses. That's right, in about the time 12 school, because sometimes the urge was so, so, it takes you to read this paragraph, someone

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN VVVWV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I 1 1 died because they had started smoking, proba- before. That really bothered him. He always bly beginning when they were young like wanted to view himself as a free, independent Henry. kind of guy (like the cop in the movie he'd seen It is estimated that about 5 million people as a kid), and yet somehow being addicted to who are alive today will die prematurely from tobacco wasn't his idea of freedom. And then smoking-related illnesses. It is estimated too there was the time this sore developed in his that of 257,000 kids who become regular mouth. The doctor had been concerned that it smokers, 85,684 will die directly because of might be mouth cancer. Fortunately it wasn't, their smoking. That equals one out of every but it really gave him a scare, at least enough to three smokers. keep him away from cigarettes—for about 10 One day when Henry was browsing the days. Web, he read this fact that brought a frown to Yes, Henry had once thought smoking was his face: "Smoking-related diseases claim an cool. Advertisements in glossy magazines cer- estimated 430,700 American lives each year. tainly made it look that way. Yet as he got older and would see 13-, 14-, and 15-year-old kids smoking, he wanted to walk up to them and grab the cigarettes out of their mouths. He And then there was the wanted to tell them that they weren't cool no matter how cool they thought they were. time this sore developed Today Henry is 26, and he's been smoking for about 10 years. He's tried to stop smoking in his mouth. about six times, but finds himself smoking even more after each failed attempt. But he's going to quit. He keeps telling himself that, over and over. He's going to quit. Yes, he's going to quit. Smoking costs the United States approximately He thinks he can do it, just not now . . . proba- $97.2 billion each year in health-care costs and bly not tomorrow, either. re lost productivity. It is directly responsible for 87 percent of lung cancer cases and causes *www.lungusa.org/tobacco/ most cases of emphysema and chronic bronchi- tis."* And then there is the higher rate of bladder cancer in smokers (40 percent higher), the higher rate of kidney cancer in smokers (40 percent higher), the higher rate of stroke (twice as high in smokers), the higher rate of mouth cancer (nearly every case is caused by smok- ing), and the higher rate of . . . , and on and on. Not one of these diseases seemed like a par- ticularly cool way to die. All this bothered Henry, but the thing that troubled him the most was that he couldn't quit. For years he'd told himself that he could quit anytime he wanted—but he just didn't really want to. But once when he'd had a cough that stayed with him for weeks, Henry decided that he would quit and prove to himself and others that he could. Within two days he was smoking more than

LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 1 2 I VVWW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG

low students who smoke, he answered, "Mostly we meet with respect." He went on to say, "The response of the kids at the elemen- tary and middle schools, their 000hs and aaahs, validated that they got our message." In addition to the puppet shows for the younger students, PAT members at Musselman PAT High do a lot for their peers in their own school. The group's vice president, Amanda Russell, class of 2003, went on to recount many of PAT's activities and accomplishments. "We meet once every month on club days in ANSWERS school and after school, if needed. Team mem- bers have spoken at the local 4-H Club on the dangers of tobacco, as well as at the speciality school. We set up a table during lunch so that any student in the school who wants to can "DON'T BE A DUMMY sign up to join our group." And join they do. This is the club's largest anti-tobacco group! Stop Smoking for Life" Following is a review of a few statistics is the friendly but urgent message greeting that helps to heighten the appreciation for students as they pull into the parking lot of what these students are doing: Musselman High School, located just south of Martinsburg, West Virginia. What makes this billboard and its message so powerful is that it is the work of students who are members of the team "Peers Against Tobacco" (PAT). "We feel that peer influence is the strongest educational influence," says Donna Kuhn, regional educational service agency (RESA) drug prevention coordinator. "And everything the PAT team does," adds Mrs. McDonald, Musselman High School PAT facil- itator, "is student driven. For example, stu- dents make their own puppets for the mentor- ing sessions they conduct for elementary and middle school students. They designed the logo and are responsible for printing the T-shirts. And the list goes on." "One of those puppet shows was a takeoff on the story of the big bad wolf and the three little pigs," reflects Matt Houghton, class of 2003 and PAT president. "The big bad wolf couldn't blow the house down because he had been doing too much 'puffing' on cigarettes." When Matt was asked if he and other PAT members encountered much "guff' from fel-

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN 1 13 VWWV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I I • "More people die each year from cigarette them practice leadership in saving lives. smoking and related illnesses than die from When many of the PAT students graduate AIDS, alcohol, traffic accidents, illicit drugs, from high school, they are still interested in murder and suicide combined."' working in the PAT program. One of these stu- • More than one in five deaths in West dents is Jennifer Newman, Musselman class of Virginia are related to smoking cigarettes. 2000. As an education major at Shepherd • The West Virginia death rate from lung College, in Shepherdstown, West Virginia, cancer from 1989 to 1998 was 22 percent Jennifer is still involved as a trainer and con- higher than the United States rate for 1994, sultant to middle and high school students. and in 1999 the deaths from chronic lower Mrs. McDonald is quick to give credit to respiratory disease was 36 percent higher than Dwight Dougherty, head coordinator of the the U.S. rate for the same year.' Musselman PAT chapter, and Jeff Cunning- These West Virginia high school students ham, the sponsor assisting with the "Hoops for are setting a positive example of what young Heart" three-on-three basketball fund-raiser for people can do in any setting. "No wonder West the American Lung Association. Virginia governor Bob Wise has hired eight "And that's not all," continues Brittany tobacco prevention specialists and given them Lamb, class of 2002 and PAT president for that the primary responsibility of contacting stu- year. "We usually organize a health fair each dents for input in the state's Teens Against year and invite local organizations to set up Tobacco Use (TATU) program," reports Mrs. booths. The focus is for all the students, but the ninth and tenth graders are scheduled to go through and talk to the nurses and other health professionals, state police, and people from the women's shelter. It's a really great These West Virginia experience." She went on to tell how the PAT team at Musselman, in addition to putting up high school students the billboard in the student parking lot, also volunteers to keep that same parking lot clean! are setting a positive When asked if she could summarize her involvement with PAT, Brittany used one example of wha word: rewarding. "You see," she continued, "my dad passed away in May 2000 from smok- young people ing. He was only 45. I believe that someone like me who has had a real experience with 44% do in any setting . what smoking does is far more powerful than any TV ad or magazine advertisement." She went on to say, "I'll be a freshman at West Kuhn. She went on to describe how the PAT Virginia University next year, and I want to get team from Musselman High has been instru- a similar group going there!" mental in passing the Indoor Clean Air Act in Those of us who work in the prevention Berkeley County, West Virginia. She says, field of at-risk behaviors have often been heard "These are West Virginia's goals: to prevent to say, "There are no pat answers," and while it alcohol, tobacco, marijuana, and violence in is still true that prevention requires coopera- the lives of her young people." tion on the part of many people, we can all Judy Boykin, with Family Resource learn something from the PAT answers that are Network of the Panhandle [West Virginia], has coming out of West Virginia. rd been active with the PAT club since its begin- ning in 1996. She provides training and 'Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. resources for peer tobacco education. Boykin's 'West Virginia Department of Health and Human network continues to work with youth to help Resources (www.wvdhhr.org).

LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 1 41 WVVVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG Some of the students who attended the RESA VIII April 2002 conference.

Students in • front of the sign at the high school parking lot.

Left to right: Art Cerami of the E. A. Hawse Health Center with Musselman High School representatives Matt Houghton and Amanda Russell and MHS leader, Dottie McDonald. DON'T BE A DUMMY Stop Smoking For Life

N. 0606 4tvislOb** P.A.T.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN 5 VVVVVV.LISTENMAGAZINEORG I I A.C. with kids at camp.

p I LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 VVVVW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG .C. reen: A Champion Role Model

by Kimberly Kimmel

ust ask A.C. March 13, 1999. His streak began November Green. He'll tell 19, 1986, and ended April 17, 2001, spanning Jyou what the best 15 seasons. things in life worth A.C. helped the Lakers win three NBA waiting for include. championships, winning his last championship He'd say that for ring in 2000. him it's his wife, A.C. was drafted in the first round of the his family, his bas- 1985 draft and became the first rookie since ketball career, and LeRoy Ellis in the 1962-1963 season to appear the A.C. Green in every game. He spent eight seasons with the Youth Foundation. Lakers and was voted by the fans as a starter for Even though A.C. retired from the Los the 1990 NBA All-Star Game. A.C. then spent Angeles Lakers in 2000, he still speaks with four seasons with the Phoenix Suns and two sea- c great pride about his time spent on that chain- sons with the Dallas Mavericks before returning pionship basketball team. to play one more season with the Lakers. In "It felt great being on the Lakers. It's always 2001 he reunited with Pat Riley, his former

iL great to win a championship, playing and know- Lakers head coach, with the Miami Heat, for his ing you are on the greatest team in the whole last season playing professional basketball. (-) wide world for that particular year," A.C. says Even though A.C. (whose initials do not with pride. stand for full names) is now retired from profes- "6 A.C. is the National Basketball Association's sional basketball, he still manages to keep (NBA) "Iron Man," having played in 1,192 involved. A.C. is president and general manager Ei straight games. A.C. surpassed Randy Smith's of the American Basketball Association's 8 907 consecutive games played on November 20, Southern California Surfs. 1997, and played his one thousandeth game on A constant passion of A.C.'s through the

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I 7 VVWW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I 1 years has been the A.C. Green Youth both of my parents constantly in my life," A.C. Foundation, which he established in 1989 with says. "I take my hat off to them." sexual abstinence education as its main focus. Family is very important to A.C. He has two Each year more than 100 boys and girls are brothers and one sister and lots of nieces and sponsored to attend summer youth camps in nephews, all of whom live in Oregon. "I have a huge family," A.C. says, smiling. "There are a lot of things people may wish they could change about their upbringing, but I don't have any complaints. There's nothing better than a parent being with their kids going through activities in life. My parents were always the Little League kind of parents." His family was always very supportive of the sports he chose to play. His sister attended almost all of his high school games, and his brothers many of his professional games. His parents have a solid marriage and were always a good example of what a strong rela- tionship should be. Understandably A.C. wanted a relationship like that for himself. On April 20, 2002, in Laguna Niguel, California, i - _ -- A.C. got his longtime wish and married his a...... sweetheart, Veronique Green. "My wife is a breath of fresh air, bright, intelligent, and beau- Phoenix, Arizona; Portland, Oregon; and Los tiful. Angeles, California. The camps focus on basket- ball and also career exploration, educational opportunities, and character building. "One of the reasons for the foundation," A. C says, "is that I want to help more kids experi- Info A.C. Green Youth Foundation ence some of the things they didn't get growing up. Things like watching a baseball or basket- Here is how you can contact the ball game. I want them to believe in themselves A.C. Green Youth Foundation. and know they have power within." The Foundation also believes that young L Mailing Address: people must develop morally, ethically, educa- A.C. Green Youth Foundation tionally, physically, and mentally to fulfill their P.O. Box 1709 dreams and goals in life. It helps young people Phoenix, AZ 85001 to know that they are accepted for who they are unconditionally. ❑ e-mail address: Many young people feel that they are rejected [email protected] and neglected, and that can breed hopelessness and despair. A.C. hopes the youth program can E Web site: teach athletic skills and character development www.ACGREEN.com or while offering fun things to do. The foundation www.ClubAC.com strives to accept each person for who they are and offers an atmosphere of unconditional love. 111 Phone: A.C.'s motivation for working with kids 1-800-AC-YOUTH comes from the support and encouragement his parents gave him. "I feel very blessed to have

LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 1 81 VVWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG "One of the greatest reasons for my retire- ment," says A.C., "is that I was really looking forward to planning our wedding. As far as A.C.'s Stats retiring goes, I felt the timing was right to move on. Getting married was the number one thing I ❑ Graduated: Oregon State University wanted to put my energies toward." A.C., who is 38 years old, says his wife was 0 Degree: speech communication well worth the wait. In fact, A.C. waited until 0 His Iron Man Streak: marriage before having sex. He strongly believes • November 19, 1986-April 17, 2001 in abstinence, and it is a subject he talks about openly and with conviction. A.C. has a strong • Played in 1,192 consecutive games relationship with God and maintained a lifelong (a difficult record to break) vow of celibacy before marriage. El] Points per Game Average: 9.7 "It is so important to know what you want ❑ Rebounds per Game Average: 7.4 and to have the faith to hold on and wait until ❑ Hobbies: the time is right. You really need to wait until • tennis marriage to experience what sex is all about. You wait, and you do your self-control thing, • bowling and the result is the blessing that comes at the • baseball end of the rainbow, and that's what Veronique • football has been." • eating frozen yogurt Abstinence with really important, and having a strong character is sex, drugs, and part of that. Think about your future, the goals alcohol— that you want to achieve. What steps are you • going to take to help you get there? If they're not my message is going to help your body, then why hurt your- self? That's crazy." really simple. Yo A.C. has always refrained from negative influences in his life, including tobacco, alcohol, need to care for and other drugs. His personal motto has been yourself. that with a little patience and self-control you can wait for the best things in life. Veronique agrees, saying, "A.C. is the man I Not caring who knows it, A.C. is famous for have waited for my whole life. To know that he telling anyone who will listen that it's never too has also been faithful in waiting for me is the late to start practicing abstinence. He says, best wedding present I could ever imagine." "Abstinence with sex, drugs, and alcohol—my They got married on the beautiful coast of message is really simple. You need to care for southern California. It was a small wedding with yourself." about 100 family members and friends gathered A.C. is a youth mentor, author, speaker, and together to celebrate the beautiful occasion. The successful entrepreneur. And he is a positive role ceremony was so moving that when A.C. hap- model for young people. In fact, his positive pened to look over at his parents, he saw his stand has been recognized in the House of father crying. That was a first for A.C., as he had Representatives' Congressional Record of October never seen his father cry. 26, 1999. One of the reasons the subject of abstinence Listen magazine salutes A.C. and his contribu- is so important to A.C. is that he believes it goes tion of encouraging youth to be the best that they hand in hand with self-respect. "Self-respect is can be. rffl

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I WVVW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I 19 The Sunday before prom is "etched" in my daisies covering the full, billowy skirt. Now all memory. The day began for me about 11:00 a.m. we needed were the accessories and shoes to It was a perfect May day, and my three best complete our wardrobes. friends, Diedra, Kara, Amy, and I had gone to By now we were starv- Westlake, a giant mall only a short distance from ing, so laden down with our our suburb. It had every kind of store imaginable. packages, we headed for the Soon we were selecting possible prom dresses food court. Along the way and trying them on. At Meyers, the third store Diedra pointed out the we'd been to, Diedra found her favorite dress. It beauty salon where she'd was midnight blue with narrow straps over the acquired her tattoo. shoulders. It contrasted beautifully with the blue, "You mean you can get a tattoo yellow, and red colors of the butterfly tattoo on there?" asked Kara in surprise. her right shoulder. "Of course," replied Diedra, TATTOO OR NOTE Here Are the Facts by Gloria Roesch

"It is perfect," Diedra purred. more worldly than the rest of us. "I hate you," laughed Amy. "I want a tattoo Our conversation continued as we drank sodas just like yours. It's so romantic." and devoured salads. As the day wore on, Kara and Amy found "Hey! Let's wrap up the day with a tattoo," sug- their dresses, but continued to covet that little gested Amy with excitement. "Something we can butterfly on Diedra's shoulder. share that will unite us as friends forever." "Wouldn't it be a lark if we all flaunted tattoos The idea was so daring to us, and with Diedra's at the prom?" suggested Kara. encouragement, it created an irresistible excitement. "The guys would know we'd outdone them, "I don't know," I hesitated. "Maybe we should and the other girls would be green with envy," gig- think about . . ." gled Amy. "Oh, come on! What's to think about? You The conversation didn't really intrigue me, as can get a daisy on your ankle to match your I'd never been interested in tattoos, but I went dress," said Diedra. along not really considering the possibility. "I've seen college girls who have them," chimed "Let's get a snack after we find my dress," I said. in Amy. I tried on several black dresses and even a red When we arrived at the salon, Diedra made one, but none seemed to have the look of spring I the arrangements. was hoping for. I wanted something that would "My friends and I want tattoos," began Diedra. say, "I'm free of high school. All the restrictions are "Nichole wants a yellow daisy on her ankle, and I a thing of the past." Then I spotted the dress. It was want to add a flower under my butterfly." beautiful: white, knee-length with tiny yellow Kara and Amy were busy looking through the

LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 201 VVVVVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG Tattoo History Tattoos date back to ancient times and are still popular in some circles. Often tat- toos are acquired on impulse or the compul- sion to defy authority and/or draw attention to oneself. Some people merely obtain a tat- too to do something they feel is daring or different, bringing some excitement into their ordinary lives. Let us not forget those societies that consider avant-garde those who cover their bodies with tattoos and exhibit themselves as art at tattoo shows and carnivals. Women in America in the 1800s and 1920s used tattoos for cosmetic reasons. They had dark ink injected to shape eye- brows specifically. And they used red ink to tattoo color into their lips and cheeks. Indeed, tattoos have never disappeared from social use. Gang members, religious cults, White supremacists, and motorcyclists often use tattoos as their identification to membership of a specific group and as com- mitment to a particular code of behavior. For most people, tattoos come and go with fashion fads or trends. Today some col- lege girls have the sorority insignias tat- tooed on their bodies in insignificant places as an initiation process. Attitudes about tat- toos vary. While some people view tattoos as works of art, others find them repulsive and self-destructive. Others find them some- thing that only freaks or weirdos have. In some instances employers see visible tattoos as a negative and refuse to hire individuals who display them. Tattoo artists do not consider their work as depraved or destructive. Rather, they feel their work is a serious form of aesthetic art, available selections, each choosing a small and they equate themselves to the canvas design, such as a lady bug or a bumble bee. artist. However, most important, one must With our choices made, the four of us were directed into an adjoining room, and there the consider the health factors that accompany a salon owner and her tattoo artist got to work tattoo procedure.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN 1 WVVW LISTENMAGAZINE ORG 21 immediately. The owner traced my teeth to keep from flinching. He also stated that it was possi- the design for each tattoo while Finally the procedure was com- ble that the design could never the artist readied the gun, ink, pleted. I was somewhat fright- be completely erased. I feigned gloves, and needles. I was the ened to see my ankle all swollen liking it and claimed it was no first client despite my deferring and red. I was further jolted by big deal. to the others. I watched the pro- the bill for $175. When the senior prom cedure for two long hours I don't really remember arrived, my three friends despite the pain. The needles much about waiting for my enjoyed showing off their flow- were very real and penetrated the friends' sessions, although I did ers and insects, while I found layers of the skin on my ankle. sit with them as they endured a the show anticlimactic. In my The needles were dipped into the similar procedure. About 5:00 private moments I knew that different colors of ink, and then p.m. we "friends forever" headed impulse bound me to four girls they were injected into the pores home. who, like me, had hoped to cre- created by the needles. The ink The next morning, after a ate a shock wave. burned. I could hear the vibrat- painful night, my ankle still Now I'm in college, and I ing of the tattoo gun as it moved burned and was swollen. Now I try to discourage my friends along the design that had been was concerned enough to show who contemplate permanent traced on my skin. The pain was my parents my tattoo. They were tattoos. Don't cave in to peer about as much as I could endure very upset, especially my father, pressure. Make your own smart without tears, but I was afraid of who quickly informed me of the and informed decisions. VA losing face with my friends. So I health risks of tattoos and of the held back the tears and gritted costs and pain of removing one.

Health Risks of Tattoos

The health risks of tattoo injections include HIV, than the application. While the dark ink is fairly 1 hepatitis B and C, infections of the tattoo, and easy to remove, the colors red, green, and yellow benign and malignant tumors. Consequently, before are especially difficult to remove and sometimes obtaining a tattoo, one should question whether take up to 10 treatments. the tattoo artist understands and practices aseptic And laser removal is expensive. The average technique. Namely: tattoo costs about $100 or sometimes $100 per ❑ 1. Are the needles and tattoo gun really sterile? hour. The laser light removal is approximately $300 ❑ 2. Does the artist wear surgical gloves, and if per minute or $500 to $700 per square inch. (Some so, are the gloves taken from an individually tattoo removals have cost as much as $3,000.) wrapped sterile package, or are they pulled out Once again, as with tattoo application, laser of a previously opened box? removal can have serious complications. Some of ❑ 3. Does the tattoo artist clean the site of injec- the complications include the formation of thick tion with aseptic solution or soap? modular scars. Another is systemic, when tubercle- ❑ 4. In what kind of container is the ink stored? like lesions form in the lymph nodes, lungs, bone Is it germ-free? marrow, and skin. Upper extremity soft tissue ❑ 5. Is the artist an HIV or hepatitis carrier? At swelling has been known to cause damage to blood present there are no clear standardized national vessels and nerves. health regulations for the practice of tattooing. If you are thinking of acquiring a tattoo, an Because of the laser technology available alternative would be to have one painted on at a today, many people acquire a tattoo, thinking it beauty salon, or use the press-on design obtained will be easy to remove when they are tired of it or from beauty boutiques. This alternative to a tattoo when the fashions change. However, it's not that is much easier and cheaper to deal with if you simple. Laser tattoo removal is much more painful want to change your mind.

I LISTEN ! DECEMBER 2002 22 VVWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG

FEEDBAG( FROM READERS

When the Time Comes Why Would 1 Do That? When the time comes to choose what to do, Why would I want to do drugs? I'll make a decision that affects me I wouldn't want to kill my brain It will affect not only me and you, Or cause myself pain. But our community, too. I wouldn't want to make myself sick When the time comes, I'll choose what is right. Or waste my money. I'll stand up to the pressure with aft my might. Why would I want to smoke? I'll remember what my parents said about It's bad for me And makes me choke. using my head, And I know they'll be proud of the life that I've It smells bad And makes me sad. led. ready Why would I want to drink? When the time comes, I know I'll be teady. To make decisions to keep my life s It could make me lose my mind, , But for now I'm living life day-to-day And it makes my breath stink. But when choices come, I'll choose the positive I could get addicted And wouldn't be able to stop. way. Erin Cave, Grade 7 Why would I want to cheat? St. Barnabas School It's the wrong thing to do, First Place And nobody would trust me. I'll get caught, And get low self-esteem. Caroline Maxwell, Grade 7 Making a Choice St. Barnabas School Honorable Mention One day a bunch of kids offered me a beer. I guess everyone gets that from a peer. I said, "No!" They said, "Come on, go with the flow. If not, you just aren't cool." Expect Nothing Less "No," I said. "I'm not a fool!" Goals are important in life, They said, "Come on, it makes you feel Big or small, they all make a difference. good." When you set a goal, you should expect I said, "I'm too young and don't think I nothing less. should." You know what you are capable of achiev- So I turned and walked away, ing, Knowing I made the right choice that day. and you should take only the best— It made me feel good because I'd stood from sports to schoolwork, strong. life is always a test. And, hey, it all worked out; I chose right Chris Wahl, Grade 8 over wrong. St. Barnabas School Ashley Waugh, Grade 8 Second Place St. Barnabas School Honorable Mention

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I 03 WWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG

ody Barnette concentrates on the receiver. war we cannot walk away from. The CAP cadets It is picking up a signal from an emer- of the Dogwood Squadron are serving their coun- Cgency locater transmitter (ELT), a black try—and having a lot of fun at the same time. box that helps locate an airplane if it crashes. Civil Air Patrol, a civilian auxiliary of the Lives might depend upon how quickly Cody, a United States Air Force, started in World War high school-age teenager, can find the ELT II—another war that started with a sneak attack sending that signal. on an unsuspecting America. CAP offers private SOAR

With the Civil Air Patrol by Mark N. Lardas / Photos courtesy of the Civil Air Patrol

Walking through the field, Cody follows the pilots a way to serve their country while contin- signal to a Cessna 182. He turns to his buddies, uing their civilian lives. The program celebrates stating, "The transmitter's in there." its sixtieth anniversary this year. Sixty years of This ELT is a practice receiver set to a train- citizens providing disaster relief, search and res- ing frequency. Cody is a Civil Air Patrol (CAP) cue, and aerospace education. cadet of the Dogwood Composite Squadron in The Civil Air Patrol's cadet program, which Palestine, Texas. This training exercise is for the is open to everyone from 12 to 18, lets teens search and rescue team, and was planned and interested in flying get in on the act. It gives conducted by cadet officers in his unit who are teens an opportunity to learn about aviation and also teens. aerospace and to fly in light airplanes. And Many high school students have wondered more than that, it gives them an opportunity to how to serve their country—especially since help in times of emergency. CAP cadets help September 11, 2001, thrust this country into a search for downed aircraft as well as pitch in

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I 05 WWW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I Z- during emergencies, running communica- If you have ever wanted tions, providing first aid, to fly—other than on a or offering an extra pair commercial jet—Civil Air of eyes where needed. Patrol may be what you are The seniors, as adult looking for. All cadets get members are called, will the opportunity to fly. not let the cadets do any- They get up in a light air- thing dangerous. Rather plane at least once a year. they use them to direct And they can also learn to traffic at air shows or guard fly if they choose. Many hangers, but only when CAP units teach the there is no physical threat. ground school portion of Their work is needed and the training needed for a important. A cadet may run private pilot's license. a communications network That is free, and many during a weather emergency or in a Civil Air Patrol air- craft surveying the country- side. They may be part of a first-aid team in an unexpected emergency. Like Cody, they may be part of a ground search and rescue team seeking a downed aircraft. That may make up for not being allowed to take on al-Qaeda single- handedly. The Air Force plans to expand Civil Air Patrol's home defense responsibilities. CAP senior mem- bers will fly routine homeland surveillance patrols, freeing up Air Force personnel for more vital mis- sions. This program continues the tradition of the citizen/soldier that helped create the United States.

LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 26 1 WWW.LISTENMAGAZINEORG units offer flight time at a discount. There are Dogwood Squadron's missions have been trig- also scholarship programs for which the cadet gered by this situation. Austin wants the cadets to can earn free training time. recognize this situation while they are in training. Besides flying, CAP offers many other oppor- There are as many varied types of CAP units tunities. There are summer camps that are held at as there are units. Each one has its own personal- an Air Force base, where you can observe first- ity. The Dogwood Squadron is a small unit in a hand what life is like in the Air Force. Here too rural area. Squadrons in major metropolitan areas cadets are given the opportunity to fly and learn are larger—the Dallas (Texas) squadron has 80 about aviation. They can tour aircraft museums cadets. The Dogwood Squadron is a composite and get involved in training activities done by the squadron, with both cadet and senior members. Armed Forces. Civil Air Patrol is also adding a Other squadrons are purely cadet squadrons, program for those interested in careers in law some operating out of high schools. The Civil Air enforcement or security services. Patrol cadet program may also be linked with Dogwood Composite Squadron is representa- Boy Scouts. tive of what you can expect in Civil Air Patrol. It CAP activities are tailored to the region where operates out of Palestine Municipal Airport, in the unit is located. Since CAP units are generally Palestine, Texas, a small town with a population local—the twenty-first century's version of the of about 19,000 in rural eastern Texas. Every town militia—this makes a lot of sense. Alaska Thursday evening six to 12 cadets and three to CAP members get a crack at cool school—the five senior members show up. The meetings are U.S. Air Force's arctic survival school in Alaska. low-key but focused. CAP senior captain Eric Texas cadets go to Lackland Air Force Base in Hall, a twentysomething college student, oversees San Antonio and observe what Air Force basic the cadets, but generally watches cadet captain training is like. Tim Austin as he leads out in the cadet portion of Regardless of the type of unit or its location, the meetings. CAP gives you an opportunity to mix fun, learn- Austin, a slim, pleasant, yet intense high ing, and service to your country. So if you want school student, has already soloed in a private to get a real high—no drugs involved—check out airplane. He keeps his unit hopping with a vari- the Civil Air Patrol unit in your neighborhood. WA ety of activities during a two-hour meeting. In the winter the cadets study modem aviation and its history. In the spring, with a number of the members planning to go to the Texas Wing's How to Join summer encampment, they practice drill and cer- emony—after all, at an Air Force base you can be nterested? The first step is to sure that cadets do not dawdle. They march from contact your local unit. The place to place, striving to be the best, as there are drill competitions to be won. I fastest way to find it is to The cadets also practice search and rescue search through the Internet. Start techniques during meetings. The transmitter exercise described at the beginning of this article at the Civil Air Patrol Web site was done during one of the meetings. Usually (www.cap.gov). Go to "Joining CAP." Tim Austin puts the transmitter somewhere out There is an online membership form. in the fields, but this time he put it in one of the airplanes at the airport. If you do not have Internet access, Why? ELTs are often triggered when a pilot call 1-800-FLY-2338 at no cost for makes a hard landing. If the pilot fails to notice, membership information. and leaves the light plane without turning the transmitter off, the signal will get picked up, and a search team will be activated. So far all of

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTENI 07 W VVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG L. V by Deena Bartel-Wagner

Finding ways to serve others is high priority for a group of students at Boonsboro High School in Boonsboro, Maryland. They've discovered that Angela Burns participates in the Shafer Park beauti- there is a certain satisfaction that comes from giv- fication project. ing your free time to help someone else. The Boonsboro Service Club was formed in teering to serve meals at the local county's the fall of 2000. In order to graduate, students REACH cold weather shelter program. "There must have accumulated 75 hours of service learn- were about 25 students who wanted to do more ing during their high school years. But some of than just put in their service hours toward gradu- the students wanted to go beyond the graduation ation," says Sally Poole, BHS instructional assis- requirements. tant and adviser for the club. "The students wrote "We knew about the service requirement," bylaws and gained permission from the Student says Angela Crawford, "but we wanted to help Council to start the club. It really was their pro- students increase their involvement in the com- ject from the very beginning stages." munity." Angela is club copresident along with Open to students in grades 9 to 12, the ser- other founding members Wesley Stewart and vice club encourages a range of activities from Lisa Jardeleza. clothing and canned food drives to working with The idea to begin the club came after volun- Habitat for Humanity. Last school year the stu- dents focused on local families who had lost their homes because of fires. They also helped with spring cleaning in a local retirement center and collected school supplies for children in Kenya. Chase Deener, a member of the National Honor Society, helped lead a clothing drive for Children in Need, Inc., and headed up the effort to collect hundreds of cans of food for a local food drive. Jessica Webb spends her time with residents in a local nursing home. "I play games and talk with them," she says. "I've made some new friends that I would never have met otherwise." Sorting clothes for a clothing drive for Children in Need, Inc. Jessica is presently working on an advocacy pro-

I LISTEN I DECEMBER 2002 28 VVVVW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG gram to recycle leftover food items to be used for other students." homeless people. "It can be hard to find volunteers to work with The students enjoy working together on our different projects," admits Lisa. "We some- group projects. "We're pretty well known at the times have people stumble onto the fact that they REACH cold weather shelter for our grilled want to get more involved. It can be as simple as cheese sandwiches, tomato soup, and lasagna," helping to serve a meal at a shelter. You just never says Lisa. "It's a great feeling to see the fruits of know what will spark someone's interest in get- your labors." ting more involved." Several of the students in the club are seniors. Their service experience has affected how they are choosing the college they will attend. "I'll be look- ing at how active the college's sororities or clubs are in service activities," admits Angela. And Lisa agrees. "I know I want to keep involved with working for others. I'll be looking at the commu- nity service programs and what the college has to offer as outreach." Ashley also wants to continue her community Serving sandwiches at the REACH cold weather shelter. service during college. "I've worked as a volunteer Left to right: Mandy Binder, Mrs. Webb, Jessica Web, at the Fellowship of Christian Athletes summer Angela Burns, Ashley Amezcua camps for children," she says. "The service that I've done will affect my choice of a college. I know Another group project was helping Habitat I'll be going somewhere that will encourage that for Humanity build a home in Hagerstown, kind of activity as a regular part of college life." ra Maryland. "We helped paint, build porch rails, and do landscaping," says Angela. "And we also helped distribute flyers for an annual holiday toy drive and helped with the collection." Other projects planned for the near future include painting over the graffiti on walls at their school. "We want to give words of encourage- ment to the students instead of messages of crime, violence, and drugs," says service club member Ashley Amezcua. Efforts by the club haven't gone unnoticed by others. The members have received Washington Cou Commissioner Greg Snook presents the Most County's Most Wonderful Citizen award and Beautiful Citizen Award for the birth of the service club. Maryland's You Are Beautiful award. "This club has been a catalyst to empower 13- students to reach out to their community and get involved as citizens," says Poole. "When cc, they start reaching out to others, it changes atti- tudes, builds their leadership skills, and helps them to see needs of others instead of focusing § on themselves." CO The club members aren't keeping their 2 learning experiences to themselves, though. "We § want to help other schools learn how to estab- lish service clubs," says Angela. "We'll do this by participating in workshops and also talking with Getting the word out that the club is eager to serve.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I 09 VWVW.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG 4. Following Your Dream

'm sitting at the helm of the "Are you nuts? You want to flashing in the night. Capkin Cousteau research vessel play night tag with a great white quickly pulls the bait fish IAlcyone, loading a camera shark?" Capkin takes a bite from upward. The shark propels its with film. Looking out the an apple. "OK, I'm in." massive body higher out of the bridge's windows, I see it is Outside I muck about in the water. Its wide-open jaws are going to be a truly fabulous bait bucket for a rotting mack- less than two feet away from me night. The setting sun washes a erel and tie it to a rope hanging as I lean forward and release the bank of clouds brilliant crimson from the crane. Capkin grabs camera's shutter, capturing the as it slowly slips behind the rope as I step down onto the first-ever picture of a shark Dangerous Reef. At the reefs swim step. Four large sharks are belching. Caught in the instanta- highest point a group of fur seal aggressively circling Alcyone's neous flash of light, I see that a pups are silhouetted by the stem. A torpedo-size shape great white belch is a visible fiery globe. They are playing silently glides beneath the swim affair. A misty cloud wetly king of the rock. I can hear step, which is only eight inches impacts my face. There are them barking over the rhythmic above the dark water swirling moist chunks mixed in with the sound of the surf. Soon a full beneath my sneakers. Beyond shark slobber. moon will rise as I make my the glow of the stem light I hear "Yuck!" announces Capkin. plans to liven up the evening. a loud splash, then a rapid "The shark barfed on you!" All I need is a little help. swishing sound of something Later in the expedition I will Right on cue, Capkin steps being chased. "Lower the fish," I get slobber-sprayed by another unsuspecting through the door. say nervously. shark. It is a result of my trying Raising a finger to his lips for The mackerel hits the rest- to get too close with a camera secrecy, he quietly opens a floor less water, and instantly a great and their tendency to shake and hatch and drops into the reefer white shark steals it. rip their prey apart. After my below, where we store our fresh "Well, that was fun," watch I lay out my sleeping bag "GET READY," I YELL. "IT'S COMING!"

fruits, vegetables, and dairy announces Capkin. "May I go on the wind ship's main deck. products. Bruno, the chef, watch my movie now?" I've decided to sleep outside, would have a fit if he knew I lift the shredded end of the particularly since the captain Capkin is raiding the grocery rope. "I need another fish," I won't let me into our cabin. The locker. respond. moist pieces in the shark belch "Hey, Capkin," I whisper, Within half an hour we've were putrefying mackerel, and I "want to help me with an exper- lost six fish. All I see are the stink. Capkin's and my adven- iment?" slick backs of the great white ture is something we will both "Ah, Steve," Capkin frowns, sharks shimmering in the moon- remember for a lifetime. Yet he "the guys are going to watch a light as they depart with my almost missed it because of a video in the saloon." fish. Plunging my aims elbow video. "Capkin, I'm ashamed of deep into the bait bucket, I lift A recent survey found that you," I tease. "Are you going to out a squishy fish, tie it brutally the average North American sit in front of the boob tube to the rope, and hurl it into the youth has watched approxi- when there's an adventure hap- ocean. Abruptly I see the tip of a mately 18,000 to 19,000 hours pening outside?" black fin cutting across the dark of television by the time they "What kind of adventure?" water heading right at me. "Get graduate from high school. That Capkin asks suspiciously. ready," I yell. "It's coming!" is far more time than they will "I want to get a night shot of The shark erupts from the have spent with their teachers. a shark leaping out of the water." murky water with its white teeth Everyday we unconsciously

n I LISTEN DECEMBER 2002 3 V VVWVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG make choices that define the minds and bodies are our "Creative man lives many quality of our existence. adventure machines. By lives; some men are so dull Watching too much television studying hard, being open to they do not live even once," or an obsession with video mind-expanding ideas, and says Dr. Dagobert D. Runes, games is a very real path that exercising our bodies we help president, Philosophical can lead to an adult life that to ensure a future life that can Library, New York. WI is mediocre. Boredom is be extraordinary. I believe always self-inflicted. Instead that the state of unhappiness Visit www.drugsbite.com to see a we can choose to create a based on undervaluing our picture that Steve shot from only two future full of adventure, chal- potential in life is consciously feet away of a great white shark leap- lenge, and wonder. Our achieved. ing out of the water.

DECEMBER 2002 I LISTEN I r) VVVVVV.LISTENMAGAZINE.ORG I 0

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