PCHS honors 2012 “Warriors Above the Influence”

Dunmore, W.Va. –

“This year, we had more students apply to be on the poster,” says Marilyn Norris.

That’s Marilyn Norris, from the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition talking about the students on the 2012-2013 Warriors Above the Influence poster.

“The first year the poster was done they told me they had to pull teeth to get kids to step up to want to be on it,” she says. “Every year there’s been more and more kids interested, more and more kids involved in a variety of activities; sports, but also the band, Future Farmers [of America]. We were looking for kids from all types of interests to be involved in the poster. I think we’re going to have even more next year; it’s going to be harder to settle on twelve or thirteen or so to be on the poster.”

The Pocahontas County students on the poster this year are Steven Casto, Kyler Doss, Derek Hamman, Gabriel Walkup, Ryan Cain, Cassidy Rao, Clair Mossesso, Tiffanie Alexander, Caleb Arbogast, Wesley Felton, Makeia Jonese, and Fredricah Gardner. All passed a drug screen test. The students were recognized at an assembly Thursday morning at the high school. Norris talks about what it means to be a Warrior Above the Influence.

“Being on this poster, they’re committing to being representatives for healthy lifestyles and the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition,” says Norris. “So they’re involved in a variety of activities that we do throughout the year. In addition to the poster, they participated in the “tag project” for Above the Influence day, today, and they also recently did the PSA at the radio station. We keep coming back to them and we use them for a variety of projects.”

The event was one of many held across the country for the first national above the influence day. ATI is an advertising campaign targeted at teenagers struggling with pressures related to drug and alcohol use and abuse. It seeks to give teens the tools they need to deal with these pressures. Norris says the kids on this poster participate in activities both in the school and in the community.

“One of the gentlemen on the poster helped us doing the tobacco compliance inspections,” she says, “so there’s an opportunity in the community for for them to participate and encourage other youth as well to show that they are above the influence, to be proud of that fact and to stand tall.”

During the ceremony, each student was presented with a signed, framed copy of the poster, which will also be distributed around the county. WV Senator Joe Manchin was invited to be part of the presentation, but was unable to attend. A representative from his office was on hand to read a letter from the senator. Norris also thanked the sponsors of this year’s poster – Pocahontas Memorial Hospital, Glades Building Supply, JL Clifton, Marlinton Rotary, Pocahontas County Chamber of Commerce, Drew Tanner Photography, the Pocahontas Sheriffs dept, the Pocahontas County Prevention Coalition, Pocahontas Times, Drug-Free All Stars, State Farm Insurance, Pendleton Community Bank, the NRAO and Pocahontas County Board of Education.

Congratulations to the 2012 Warriors Above the Influence!