Hopkins High School - Warrior Yearbook (Minnetonka, MN)

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Although Hopkins ttgh was below rhe Minnesota aver-oge in use of cocaine and its derivative crock, it sri doubled rhe overoge on overol use of fegal drugs (exckxjing marjuano) 21 5% of students or Hopkins used iegol drugs corn-pored with 10 9% in Minnesota os a whole. Speed and add were rhe most popular drugs or Hopkins, with 13 4% ond 12.6% having used them respectively. Add is terrifying ... ond very accessible.’' commented Sharon McDonald, a school sodal worker. In fact, most drugs ore quire avcsJoble at Hopkins -even I know when odd is aval- able.'' Dorbituores, quooludes, cocaine. speed, hashish, ... it was all ovoiloble to Hopkins students. Even crock, with on od-dicrion potential higher than herion, was used, although sources soy it was nor available in rhe school itself. Tires screech Metal twists. Goss shatters. A % vodka bottle breaks on rhe pavement. DWI. Thar’s Drinking While Intoxicated ond 24.1% of Hopkins Ugh students reported having done it. This figure was sightly less rhon rhe Minnesota aver oge, but that still didn't lessen rhe severity of rhe problem. Hundreds of teens die or ore injured each year in olcohol or drug related cor accidents. Out an organization or school tried to do something about it. SADD-Srudenrs Against Driving Drunk- held a progrom in rhe fall to inform rhe student body of its activities. At one of rhe hourly sessions senior Adam Soeks soid, SADD does nor condemn or condone drinking. We simply want you to know they there is a problem and hope that you support SADD in its endeov-ors.’’ The organization was formed our of concern regarding rhe dangerous situations students were putting themselves into involving drinking ond driving. SADD's goal was to instigate a pickup service which any student could coB if he or she was unable to drive home safely Peer pressure ... prob- ably one of rhe most over used phrases heard by teenagers Why do high school students use drugs? Ann Landers soid peer pressure.” What's rhe reason? Phil Donohue said peer pressure. Out, surprisingly, only 22.6% of students soid their drug or olcohol use was influenced by their peers. As one yu-denr pur it Peer pressure is gor-boge-if that's rhe kind of friends you have then they aren't your friends. Of course, there were some yudenrs who dtd feel their peers played a large port in their chemical use. One junior soid, Some of the things I've done were just to make someone else think I could handle it and was cool enough JUST SAY You were at a parry when there was o knock or the door. Or maybe you were cruising along when a police officer's sirens starred whinng behind you When that squod cor showed up. was rhe pony over? What could rhey do? In a nationwide survey, yudenrs poSed soid their greorey fear in using drugs or olcohol was prosecution. Hundreds of minors were orreyed lay year for underoge drinking, drug possession or DWIs In some cases, it was o short trip to the local poke yorion ond a call to Mom At rhe worey, it was a record that toted o life-rime. From rhe facts presented, it is obvious that there was a problem Hopkins teens, like teens across rhe notion, were using drugs ond olcohol. some or alarming rotes Out who was to soy how to solve it? Sharon McDonald hod some answers for mony yudenrs The problem she sow moy often was olcohol abuse As she soid, Alcohol, by ond large, is the biggey issue at Hopkins High There s no comparing olcohol with pot and other drugs ” She felt that many factors influenced addiction ro drugs, rhe moy important being hereditary influences ond rhe abuser's self-imoge A student reflected Mrs. McDonold’s point when he said, Alcohol is for people who are insecure about themselves. Also, Teochers do nor ger involved enough when they see a problem with a student. And if they do report it to a parent, oil rhe adult con muster is disbelief.” Moc-Donokj bebeved that a possible solution would be to install preventative measures when rhey really count : one year before experimentation, which would mean the sixth or seventh grode While mony students refrained from using drugs, ond others hod been freed of their oddenons, mony continued ro join rhe drug scene eoch day It was 1987 ond like it or nor. drugs were a parr of rhe culture at Hopkins High. DRUGS 25

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 ophomore. Junior. Senior. The em-borrossment of Dig Kid Liftle Kid. Sweoting over SAT's. Reigning on the Senior Steps. On the outside, it looked like just onother yeor at Hopkins High. But deep down our students knew this yeor would be far from ''normal because we hod something special: a new attitude. CLASSES 27