NEWS FEED

Column: Good, clean fun

Written by Ashley Heywood, Senior Editor

Imagine a Toyota Camry speeding through Jack Park at dusk full of seven teenage girls blaring P. Diddy with a glittery, ceramic chicken hanging out the sunroof. How about a game of midnight frisbee or a spur of the moment camping trip with absolutely zero equipment? Or the tradition that has lasted for over three years of going to the parkway on the coldest day of winter and sliding down sliding rock in little to no clothes.

These adventures I have had have been the most fun of my life and please notice a few things that are missing: drugs and alcohol. I do not need to get “f’ed” up and have a “raging kegger” in order to have a good time and neither do you. Do students not realize how ridiculous they sound when they  tell the glorious tale of being so drunk they weren’t in control of their own blabber? Do students think it is attractive to be vomiting uncontrollably or have the constant odor of smoke surrounding them?

Although I have never tried drugs I cannot not image one is good enough to risk my entire four years of hard work just for a moment of enjoyment. There is no need for drugs  or alcohol or any illegal substances for an enjoyable experience. I often times think how do people turn to these things and I always come back to my dad’s favorite saying: you become who your friends are. Peer pressure can cause you to try drugs or to stay away from them entirely, which is what I was subjected to as a freshman.

For me, the best decision I ever made was joining the cross country team as a freshman. Although running countless numbers of miles during the hottest months of the year may not sound enjoyable, I crave these momenta and I am sad that these days are over for me. The things I learned on the team, other than running, has been that good friends are the key to happiness. Take my advice and try to cut out the bad things in out life and see how rewarding it is to have true relationships and friendships that will last a lifetime.

The greatest memories I have of my high school career revolve around my best friends  gallivanting across the sleepy town of Hendersonville. I won’t forget how much fun I have had because of the choices I’ve made. No drug can substitute for the pain of sore abs after laughing for too long. No pill could be a substitute for the amount of tears shed at the last day of practice. No drink could ever make me feel as happy as I do when I am having good, clean fun.