This morning students from Excelsior Junior High, St. John's Vianney, and the Muslim Primary Schools joined forces to chant one chorus: "say no to drugs." All three schools are in the Faber's Road-Central American Boulevard area and we found out that they share more than just a location, they share a mission.
Keith Swift Reporting,
With St. Luke's marching band in the lead, this morning students from Excelsior Junior High, the Muslim community primary school, and St. John's Vianney Primary School joined together in a march against drugs. For Excelsior, today's march brought to an end a three week drug awareness campaign.
Yolanda Martinez, Excelsior Junior High
"We had three weeks of campaign and so the first week we had marijuana and alcohol awareness where we presented all the facts in sessions and then the second we had cocaine, crack cocaine, and other drug awareness, all the facts about those drugs. The third week we had alternative activities where we had videos, we had games, we had displays, we had the K9 Unit participate and we had the ZBLO and then road march."
Keith Swift,
Why march?
Yolanda Martinez,
"This is the culmination because it is not only education for our students, we want to participate in educating the community too."
Muslim Primary School's Loretta Jefford says the march is a part of a drug awareness week for her science class.
Loretta Jefford,
"Presently we are doing, in science we are doing drug awareness and peer pressure so that is the reason why we are joining in this parade."
The students marched with placards in all sizes, shapes, and colors bearing one central message: whether it was to "be strong and say no to drugs" or the classic: "if yuh sprang, you wrong." These students say they aren't only mouthing it - they mean it.
Student #1,
"We just marching today for drug awareness week…we are not to take drugs."
Student #2,
"Drugs are bad."
Student #3,
"We want people to stop have drugs on the street and thing. I would tell young people to stop smoke drugs and those thing because those things will put them in trouble, cause them to go to jail and so."
Student #4,
"I feel bad because a lot of people are dying on the streets because of drugs."
