People Attaining Complete Equality started the 2014-15 school year off by starting a new, favorable trend in the annual Red Ribbon Week assembly. The organization ditched the traditional drug panel and invited speaker Tyler Durman to inspire the student body to lead a life with purpose rather than trying to scare students away from substance abuse.
According to PACE President Ali DeRosa, the organization decided that it has been difficult for people to connect to past speakers because every year students hear “some random person telling them don’t do drugs, drugs are bad.” PACE chose Durman based on his positive reputation after he spoke at freshman orientation. PACE’s recognition that students who use drugs or alcohol are not going to suddenly change their habits based on what a speaker tells them was the first crucial step in improving the effectiveness.
Durman earned his masters in counseling from Fuller School of Psychology and has spoken to over 4 million students nationwide. As a professional with years of experience, Durman stated that he dislikes the image that Red Ribbon Week assemblies’ have acquired over the years, as they mostly involve inflicting fear upon students to steer clear of drug or alcohol use. Instead, Durman engages his audiences using humor and personal stories, a task difficult for the untrained speakers usually present at Red Ribbon Week assemblies. This expertise allows Durman to hook students with an amusing story, which then leads to a meaningful message about leading a life with purpose and value.
According to a survey of 100 Costa students, 81 percent responded saying that it found this year’s Red Ribbon Week assembly to be more engaging and effective than in years prior. This positive response to a simple change shows that the typical speakers had become repetitive, and PACE responded adeptly by adopting a new direction for this year’s Red Ribbon assembly.
Although he prepares diligently for his “conversations,” Durman’s brilliance stems from his ability to constantly make adjustments on stage depending on how he gauges his effectiveness. This constant self-evaluation ensures that Durman is consistently adapting to his audience.
Durman firmly believes that the greatest life change comes when something rings true to each individual. PACE’s improvements shined as Durman strived to relate his wisdom to every student, rather than just those who are abusing or will abuse drugs or alcohol in the future. In the past, the Red Ribbon Week assemblies’ predictability did it a disservice, but this effective alteration diminishes its past reputation.
Although this is DeRosa’s last year with PACE, she hopes that the organization will continue its success from this year’s assembly by possibly combining a speaker like Durman with individuals who can share information about their own personal drug use to deter students from substance use. Although leadership changes as seniors graduate, PACE should make a concerted effort to build upon the positive impact that it has made with this past year’s assembly.
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