Hundreds dress up during Red Ribbon Week

October 27, 2017 — by Karen Chow and Chelsea Leung

Students wore pink on Wednesday for breast cancer awareness, reaffirming the theme of “Get Your Pink On.”

After Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent Kiki Camarena was killed by drug traffickers in Mexico City in 1985, the Red Ribbon Campaign was established by the National Family Partnership. It is a national campaign for “keeping children, families and communities safe, healthy and drug-free,” according to its website.

Since 1986, the campaign’s Red Ribbon Week, which involves schools and cities, has taken place every year in October. The Leadership class organized the week from Oct. 23-28.

Encouraging students to dress up each day of the week, the spirit commission promoted this year’s message of “Your Future Is Key, So Stay Drug Free.”

On Monday, students dressed up in their pajamas, promoting the theme of “Follow Your Dreams; Don’t Do Drugs.” Tuesday was Tie-Dye Day, intended to spread the message of “Peace Out to Drugs.” Students wore pink on Wednesday for breast cancer awareness, reaffirming the theme of “Get Your Pink On.” Sports Day on Thursday intended to “Knock Drugs out of the Park” and Red Out Day ended the week with school spirit.

“We wanted to promote [not using drugs] in a way that will get through to the students that isn’t super forceful,” said junior Madison Hartmann, the head of the spirit commission.

The commission also decorated the quad with posters and tied red ribbons around the trees, as well as posted on Facebook to get the word out.

Student reaction was generally positive, as class officers also promoted the week through Facebook posts telling students what to wear the next day.

For example, junior class treasurer Samyu Iyer posed with the other junior class officers, Hanlin Sun, Nevin Prasad, Sasha Picard, Ashley Feng and Khiara Berkowitz-Sklar in pajamas for a photo posted before Monday.

“It provides a fun opportunity for people to dress up and think about what they’re dressing up for in the process,” Iyer said.

 
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