City School sees gross-approach anti-tobacco ads
A new state ad campaign to prevent tobacco use among kids got an early review by West Valley City School students.
The reaction: laughs and grossed-out groans in all the right places.
State health representatives were at the school last week as the students viewed the new anti-tobacco commercials and Webcast videos. Before creating the campaign, state leaders heard input from youth who wanted anti-smoking commercials with humor and somewhat disgusting depictions of cigarettes’ side effects.
The campaign also includes the new slogan “No Stank You,” which was on blue T-shirts thrown out to City School students during a question-and-answer session. Washington state Secretary of Health Mary Selecky sent the T-shirts out to audience members with the help of the school’s student group, Teens Against Tobacco Use.
“Why am I here today to talk about tobacco?” Selecky asked, to which a student answered, “To show kids in the future not to smoke and die.”
She asked a series of questions: How many chemicals in a cigarette (4,000), what are some of those chemicals (arsenic for one), how many kids will start smoking today in Washington state (45 a day).
“And that’s too many,” Selecky said. She explained that the first anti-tobacco commercial in the state was borrowed from California, showing Debbie, who had throat cancer and was so addicted that she continued to smoke through a tracheotomy hole in her throat.
“With Debbie, we got your attention,” Selecky said. “Then we decided we would ask young people like you, what do you want us to show you?”
Newer commercials include one with a girl in a modellike pose, until she smiles. All the teeth are half-smoked cigarettes. Another has cartoon characters called “Smoke Buddies” with unappealing features – wrinkled face, bad breath and empty pockets. And the “Sniff-a-Date” commercial has a blindfolded contestant selecting an elderly grandma character over a cigarette-scented beauty.
City School students even got a local version of the campaign’s Yellow Tooth Fairy, who messes up mouths and turns teeth yellow. History teacher John Adams donned the smoke-stained costume and played the character as Selecky asked him questions.
Selecky said the advertising campaign is geared toward ages 12 to 14, the most common ages when youth start smoking. Many of the ads started running in September on Cartoon Network and Disney.
Selecky also praised the City School’s TATU group, which started visiting elementary schools with an anti-tobacco message last year. “When a seventh-grader can do that with a third-grader, it makes a bigger impact. We have to get the kids engaged. We want them to never start smoking.”
To see sample ads, go to www.nostankyou.com, and click on media.
Harvestfest Friday
West Valley City School holds its one fundraiser of the year on Friday called Harvestfest, which is open to the public. Prepaid dinner tickets, $8 for adults and $5 for children to age 12, need to be purchased early from the City School office, 8920 E. Valleyway Ave.
The dinner and a silent auction start at 5:15 p.m. and a live auction begins at 7.
Several parents organize the event, and the auction items are donated by student’s families and the school’s business partners.
For more information, call 921-2836.
‘Nunsense’ at CV
The musical comedy “Nunsense” will open in early November at Central Valley High School. The 7:30 p.m. performances are scheduled for Nov. 9, 10, 11 and Nov. 16, 17 and 18. The school is at 821 S. Sullivan Road.
This musical comedy with the zany sisters from Hoboken has become an audience favorite. The cast includes Emily Hansen, Melissa McCarty, Anna Daines, Hailey Ficklin, Natalie Springel and Carolyn Jess.
“Nunsense” at Central Valley is directed and choreographed by Michael Muzatko.
This production will have festival seating with tickets available at the door for $6. For more information, call 228-5154
FBLA officers attend leadership summit
Officers from Central Valley High School Future Business Leaders of America attended the Oct. 7 Youth Leadership Summit on “Ethics: Courage, Conduct and Character.”
It was organized by the Liberty Lake Centennial Rotary Club with the help of Gonzaga Institute of Ethics at Gonzaga University. Students heard from keynote speakers Tom Flick, former NFL Quarterback, Tim McGuire, an Arizona State University communications professor and the Rev. Robert Spitzer, Gonzaga University president.
Sessions covered topics on ethical decision-making in law, medicine, media, government, business, environment, sports, and the Internet. Guests included U.S. Attorney Jim McDevitt, U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris, and Steven Gilyeart, a Seattle international attorney.
In addition, several FBLA officers from Central Valley spent Sept. 26 at Adventure Dynamics’ outdoor challenge course, which fosters the development and understanding of character, commitment and courage. Jeff Evans, president of Auto Rain Sprinkler Contracting, provided a grant allowing the FBLA officers to attend the training.
On Sept 27, the group also sent 25 FBLA students to the annual Governor’s Industrial Safety and Health Conference held at the Spokane Convention Center.
EV students named AP Scholars
Four East Valley High School students earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their achievement on the college-level Advanced-Placement Exams. All were class of 2006 members.
One student, Nicholas Atwood, qualified for the AP Scholar with Honors Award by earning an average grade of at least 3.25 on all AP exams taken, and grades of 3 or higher on four or more of these exams.
Three students qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP exams with grades of three or higher. The AP Scholars are Sean Baird, Sara Jackson and Joanne Mayer.