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Ont. Junior Citizen of the Year Award, Canada 125 medalfor Whitby student Chaqtndra Hulnter' s WACY effort to 'reach' kids Who ya' gonnda'call if yu on rson looking for a dance or a night out without alcohol and drugs? The 'prl! lhat's the nicknamne Chandra Hunter, founder Of Whitby's Actve and Concerned Youth (WACY), and assistant Kelly Douglass have picked ujp. WACy holds regular aohl n drug-free events and encourages discussion on issues like drig and alcohol abuse, rncism and peer pressure. Hunter, who's being honoured this week as one of 13 Ontario Junior Citizens Of the Year by the Ontario Community Newspapers Assocation and is one of 25 people in Durham Centre riding who wil receive a Canada 125 medal, was inspired to stat WACY after attending a students' commission in Ottawa. "One of the ideas there was that teenagers should talk to younger students." Hunter and Douglass got together te brainstorm. and decided te put an advertisemnent in the nevispaper last August te see if there was interest ina group that would bring oider and younger people tegether - "itkidnd of went from there." WACY's latest project involves staging assemblies on multiculturalisrn and substance abuse. Hunter and her comirnittee enlisted the help of the Grade -12 drama class at Henry Street Hligh School to stage slits satiizing beer commercialg, for example, or showing how te stand up ta peer pressure.te Hunter and Douglaisstalk to te stde-t between the sIts, often telling students of their Y ovin experienoeS. IWe avoid saying 'Don't dinke or Dont d drug,' because that wiii make Ids do them," says Hunter.'Ne do say it's coayanot to drink and (te) be yourself;, doa't lot your friends pressure you -things like that. 'Ne tiy and use a lot of personal stories. This vihole assembly is rua by studeats; even the draina teacher vies onlymirinimally involved, because we feel we cen reach the students more than adulte oa.!' Hunter says public schoo students look up ta high school students end try te imiutate thomsoeI think the message reaily bas te corne from u.She says a lot of public school students feel everyoinhh cos the assembly is designed to show them thats not true. Discussion groupesud workshops viii be held afrer the assemblies te ailovi students te discuss issues raisod. The assembly vas recently prosented te public schooi principals at Glen Dhu Public School, and Hunter saYs the reection was verY positive. "It vent really wol; they thought it was great... at lest four or five of them came up and said'yeah, we'll dfinitely bookyou."' While WACY essemiblios raise some serîous issues, WACY events are much as the group's naine wouald suggest - take the "wifld sud cr .zyatiie" planned for aTun night? at Her Street Events were te include such delihts as su "irhead contes!£' - "(thats) vibere you put a walkman on someone sud they have te sing along te the song;, eoybody heers thein singing, but nobody hear the music," explains Hunter. A "blindi pudding foocing contes!' was also plannod. The rules for that one are aiso simple; -one pereon's bjndfôlded,. sud that pro bas te feed pudding to someone viho isn't blindfoided,' says Douglass. Another food-related competition bas participants eat jello with their hands tied behind their bocks. Othfer WACY events plenned include a scavenger hunt, dance, sport and movie nighansd a barbecue. Events arent exensive - Hunter sud Doata say the most the*'e ever charged is $2 - sud ail are vielcome.' 'TAS long as you ýre in Grade 7 or 8, or around there, you're invite. Having high school students pa ttention to them makes younger students feel speciai, saYs ?Funtesdhlses h etressfu transition from GCrade 8 t.o Grade 9. "Ws setting thoem up for high achool because theY get te 80e the high school Congratulations Chandra on this outstanding achievement. sud experienoe vhat it'slike. The ectivities vie do are stuff we've seen in ourhigh scbool:' Hunter says ites also helpful for WACY participants te get teknow poople thei ovin age furomn other schools. "'They're going to be going te high school sud theymr going te be mixed with ail thes people so Îskidnd of seting theupfoGrd9" Reechiug ldds before the1y developbadhabitsor get inta trouble was a big reason for "itarting ACY, says Doug as&. àW don't want ourkidds te grovi up ta be littie tevin wreckers"! Hunter nods in agreement. 'When I was in Grade 7 or 8, there were these popularkIdds viho started drin]dng, sud they're the ones novi vho are inte drugp and a lot of them have dropjied out. "It's reay sad te viatch these peoplevi o you grew up with just kiri of throviing their lives aviay; if viO can stop it, dolay it or do suything te help, I thiak that viould be good." WACY is holping te do just that, say local teachers sud political leaders, vho etr ongly prai se Hunter's efforts. Durham Centre MPP Drummond White, 'for exemple, is an earj WACY supporter vibo offéed hie office as a place for the WACY committee te meet. Whitae ays Hunter le -an organizational dynamo sud "the best representative I knovi of our local youth'e dedication, intelligence sud good h. intent. m Whitby Mayor Tom Edwarde says Huntar has displayed "a get deal of initiative...(sud) a sense of reeponsibility vhich is remarkabe in such a youngperson!."t People like Hunter "reassures me that the majrity of our youn tizens live "saye Edvierds. Weést word coundillor Judi Iongfield, who just lives dovin the street from Hunter, says she'e shovin "compassion, maturity, determination Waye Wlchkoneyears.!' steecers at Henry St., alse bas hig paieapladig brer nlcm-tnn t okteviardsa - model for providing our youths vith exciting alternatives te gang relatedbehaviour... "Chancira bas learly displayed very ftrong personal initiative.. -' (sud) exceptional leadership elîs." lhe big challenge now for WACY ierecruiting people te keep the gop going. ~e neepope who are ging teetay with i4, people who wiil eventaally teke over," saye DYouglas. "We're shoviing the younger people on our comxittee the ropes - ll the contcts, so they'I1bejreerod to take over." Qe o tit tto eep gig"ad ut 'WAÇY GIRLS' Kelly Dougass (Ieft) and Chancira Huner. r pâgà64ý:W Fiee Pe!ý; Wê&dsdaAy, MàiW C 1,1 ................ r