Simons: School officials should be applauded for alcohol policy

Why did it take the courage of several Free State High School students to disclose the degree of alcoholic consumption among their peers before high school and school district officials woke up and acknowledged the seriousness of the matter?

Those without teenage children were shocked and surprised by the students’ claims that a large percentage of the school body was intoxicated at a recent school dance. Parents, meanwhile, didn’t indicate much surprise or embarrassment.

We must wonder, however, how such a situation would be tolerated and allowed to grow.

Students, once the story became public, acknowledged there was a lot of drinking; some said if school officials tried to get tough on the matter, those who want to drink and become intoxicated would merely go someplace else to do their partying.

None of the above – students, parents, school officials or those who said they would continue to drink – gave any indication of worrying about underage drinking and breaking the law. Nothing was said about parents knowing the drinking habits of their children, enforcing strict limitations and policies to limit such actions, and/or thinking about the liabilities they face if they provide liquor or beer to their underage family members.

Even more surprising is why school leaders had stalled on the drinking matter or didn’t have the courage to speak up and demand corrective action until several students had the courage, as well as intelligence, to bring the matter before the public.

Certainly these school officials knew something was wrong.

How could they have attended school dances, watched the students and their conduct, and not have known it was a matter far more serious than one or two students being asked to leave the parties?

The old cartoon of three monkeys sitting side by side – one covering his eyes, one covering his ears and one covering his mouth – comes to mind when wondering how alert school officials have been to the drinking and drug usage. Or, did they know but not want to speak up for some reason?

Supt. Randy Weseman apparently was sufficiently concerned and decided prompt, meaningful action was necessary. Some may call it overkill, others will find fault with his proposed use of Breathalyzers and others will say it damages the image of Lawrence high schools. Some students – or more unfortunately, some parents – will side with their underage sons and daughters who want to drink and maybe experiment with drugs, and see nothing wrong with their children bypassing official school parties in favor of gatherings where drinking is allowed. Worse yet are those parents who make alcohol available to teens.

Congratulations to the students who had the courage to speak up, and thanks to Weseman for his quick action to stop an “anything goes” attitude of some of those supposedly monitoring school functions.

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Clenece Hills has done a superb job encouraging Lawrence-Douglas County residents to be generous and enthusiastic in their support of the Sesquicentennial Point project at Clinton Lake.

With the city celebrating its 150th birthday Sept. 18, 2004, plans were started several years ago to provide the city with a birthday present marking this historic date and, in so doing, provide something future generations would consider truly significant for the city and its residents. The target date was Sept. 18, the city’s 151st birthday.

Something more than just a nice fountain or piece of sculpture. Parkland is precious, particularly in a growing, expanding community. Through a combination of favorable geographic conditions, the generosity of the Corps of Engineers, the vision of city and government officials, and the generosity of citizens, it became evident a 1,600-plus-acre park, green space and recreation area could be created from the Clinton Reservoir Dam east through the Baker Wetlands.

It might be compared to New York’s Central Park. Not many cities the size of Lawrence have anything like this.

Hills, with the help of city officials such as Parks & Recreation director Fred DeVictor and many volunteers, set out to raise money for the Sesquicentennial Point effort. This would be the first, very visible and permanent project in the development of the overall park site.

Few could have devoted the time and effort Hills has given to the project. Many have been generous, others have had other fiscal priorities and there may be some who don’t think it is a good project. This is difficult to believe, and maybe it is more a case of some not having the vision of others.

Nevertheless, Hills plans to turn the effort over to others, probably city officials. She’s done her best and Lawrence citizens should be quick and enthusiastic in thanking her for what she has done. Future generations certainly will thank her.

Now it is up to others to follow through and demand that city and county officials do what they can to turn the Sesquicentennial Point dream into a reality as soon as possible.