“It wasn’t like he was going to college; he just grew up instantly,” said Gaylord, the administrative director at Flat Rock Playhouse. “We all drove him out to Los Angeles and it was very sad to leave him because even at 18 it was mighty young for him to be out there by himself.”

Sanders is a 23-year-old from Hendersonville. He currently stars with Tim Allen in ABC’s Last Man Standing. He plays Kyle Anderson, Tim Allen’s young co-worker at Outdoor Man. Gaylord is just like every other mother: worried about her son’s safety, his eating habits and whether or not people have good intentions for him. The only difference is that she can see Sanders every Tuesday night on TV.

Gaylord said that watching his show is her favorite part of his career. His body language makes him a great comedic actor, and the part he’s in now involves a lot of that.

“On this last episode of Last Man Standing he fell from a ladder,” Gaylord said, “and I hadn’t done this with any of his shows, but on the DVR I just kept reversing it because it was great.’”

She had seen his potential for acting from an early age. Sanders started taking classes at the Flat Rock Playhouse when he was 9 years old. His first role was as Tiny Tim in A Christmas Carol, and he continued to perform in main stage productions at Flat Rock.

“He had an agent in Charlotte and the first job he got with him was commercials for General Mills,” Gaylord said. “The actress that was in that was interesting because she’s become kind of big, too. It was just the two of them, so we went to Atlanta and stayed for a week. He got a big pay check out of that so he was excited.”

This was when Sanders decided to act as a career. His auditions hadn’t always worked out this well. His agent in Charlotte, who had been recommended by someone at Flat Rock Playhouse, would set him up with jobs, and they sometimes would be a lot more stress than they were worth.

“Because we were in Hendersonville and that was in Charlotte, we didn’t go out on very many auditions,” Gaylord said. “Some of the auditions would be in Wilmington and a lot of times we would get there and they wouldn’t be appropriate.”

Like maybe it would be for someone who was 15 years old, but they really wanted a 23-year-old to play 15 years old.”

Gaylord said she doesn’t know how they could have managed his acting without home schooling. His brothers, Alexander, 27, and Konrad, 16, were also both home-schooled until Konrad’s 9^th grade year, and his parents were therefore able to work around Sanders’ schedule.

“Some years he was in a lot of plays and then he did the commercials and after that he was in Talladega Nights and then he was in a movie called Hounddog,” Gaylord said. “Hounddog was the movie that really got him out to Los Angeles because he got a lot of connections through Hounddog.”

He got a manager and a place to live, and he was very fortunate for all of that. Everything was going very quickly for him.

“We found out a lot since he’s been out there about how he’s been really fortunate having both of those going out there because there are people who are there for years and they don’t have an agent or a manager,” Gaylord said. “Especially the manager, so that was very fortunate.”

While his fast moving career was great for Sanders, it was very strange for his mother. Being the parent of a celebrity is hard. Along with all of the joy and pride you get from seeing your child “make it big,” there’s a lot of stress and worry. Gaylord said Sanders has to cook for himself, an activity he enjoys, but he is also responsible for paying his own bills and buying necessities for his apartment.

“I felt like I had to separate myself from him a lot quicker than I probably would have,” Gaylord said. “These were all decisions he had to make on his own, so as a parent it was very sad.”

It’s also not easy to live so far away. Gaylord said all of her sons have stayed very close, and Konrad stayed with him in Los Angeles for a week last year. Gaylord, on the other hand, doesn’t like to fly, and the next time she will see her middle child will most likely be in July. These days though, keeping in touch isn’t a problem.

“His brothers go out to visit him,” Gaylord said. “And because of communication we’re talking to him all the time even though he’s all the way across the United States.”

Gaylord said she sometimes wishes he had gone to college. Sanders took classes at Blue Ridge Community College his last two years of home-schooling through a program called dual enrollment. She was glad that he had a year of college behind him before going to Los Angeles, Gaylord said.

“I hope still one day that he’ll go to college and I don’t know why,” Gaylord said. “I think that as parents with children you always feel like they’re going to go to college and I just feel like he’s missed that part.”

Sanders has thought about going back to school one day. Gaylord said he’s always been very mechanically minded, and he had dreams of being an engineer. When he was at Blue Ridge he took classes like math and drafting that fit with that dream.

“[College] isn’t out of the question for him either,” Gaylord said. “He just said maybe one day there’ll be a lull in there or something where he could go back to school and he doesn’t know what he’d study but he kind of understands that feeling that it would be fun to go to college.”

Despite all of the worry and crazy schedules, Gaylord could not be more proud of her son. When asked what she was most proud of him for, instead of naming a TV show or movie, Gaylord said the friends he has made. Sanders has continued taking acting classes after moving to California, and he’s made some really good friends. Even though he’s grown up a lot in the five years he’s been away, Gaylord sees her son as the same good person.

“These people are just down to earth, and they get together and there’s nothing wild about them, there’s nothing pretentious about them,” Gaylord said. “I guess I’m proud that he’s really the same person.”

“I think if someone wishes for fame it’s for the wrong reasons,” Gentile said. “I believe you should try your hardest and maybe hope for fame, but it should be something that goes along with being great at what you’re doing, like icing on the cake.”

Gentile believes that one positive aspect of fame is being able to provide entertainment for an audience.

“The best thing about being famous is to have that media platform to do what you love,” Gentile said. “It’s about finding that platform to where you can reach everyone and do what you love for the joy of others.”

With her passion for singing, Gentile has performed for an audience. “I sing a lot,” Gentile said. “My dad, brother and I have a trio, and we do jazz concerts. I really enjoy it. I do Falcon Idol. It’s something that I wish I could pursue, but I’ve got so many other goals, and it’s hard to know which one to follow.”

Gentile has even auditioned for the television show “The Voice.”

“I did audition for ‘The Voice,’” Gentile said. “For the show you have to go online and fill out this profile. You print out your audition pass and bring that to your location. You wait in a line, and finally, they call you up to the room, and you audition with 10 other people. You step out of the line and sing your verse and your chorus, and you step back, and the producer points to who makes it. No one in my group made it.”

Competing in pageants is another way for Gentile to express herself and do what she loves. “I have really enjoyed being in pageants,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about poise and how to reflect the person that I am.”

Fame is a possibility for Gentile to consider.

“The drawbacks are getting caught up in the fame,” Gentile said. “So often we hear about Lindsay Lohan. The fame just consumed her. She didn’t stay true to herself or her morals. Staying close to your religion and your family is really important. My family keeps me steady. In the end, they’re the only ones that are going to be there for you. You have to give the glory to God, stay true to your morals and remind yourself every day why you are successful.”

Many students have turned away form the idea of fame because of the recent celebrity deaths. For sophomore Hannah Graham, fame isn’t as desirable as it used to be.

Like most young girls, Graham used to long to be famous. Who didn’t? She used to want to be glamorous, gorgeous, and glorious like the celebrities she saw on TV. Thanks to Photoshop, makeup and other camera tricks, celebrities can fool people into thinking they are perfect and confident. Recently, however, something happened that allowed her to see through the image celebrities portray, and made her change her mind about fame.

The death of Whitney Houston erased every dream Graham had of becoming famous. She had always admired Houston, and loved listening to her inspirational music. Houston had been a role model for Graham. Without a role model, Graham had no desire to be famous anymore.

“When I was little, I used to want to be famous, because everybody used to want to,” Graham said. “But after Whitney Houston died, I didn’t really want to be famous anymore.”

Whitney Houston’s death caught Graham by surprise. She wasn’t expecting someone so young, lively and motivational to die.

“I was in the car, and one of Whitney Houston’s songs came on,” Graham said. “Then my mom told me she died, and I was sad because I really liked her music, and her songs were inspiring. She was really young, and I didn’t expect it.”

That day, Graham learned that celebrities are far from invulnerable. They may seem overconfident and satisfied, but in reality they can be just as insecure as regular people.

“Whitney Houston’s death showed me that even celebrities die, not just normal people,” Graham said. “Everyone, whether they are famous or not, is a human being, and human beings are not perfect. Celebrities definitely act cocky to make people think that they have it all together. In real life, they do stuff like drugs and have eating disorders, so they’re not as cocky as they seem. I’m sure they have things about themselves they don’t like.”

Graham said that she would not like being a celebrity because there are just too many drawbacks. As soon as a celebrity steps onto the street, they are instantly swarmed with reporters and people hoping to get an autograph. Every move they make, down to their outfits, is constantly analyzed, criticized and then gossiped about. None of this appeals to Graham.

“The drawbacks of being a celebrity are that everyone always knows your business and are always talking about you, whether it is true or not,” Graham said.

In Graham’s opinion, a normal life has many more advantages than the life of a celebrity. She believes an average person with a normal job would be more relaxed, less self conscious, healthier and would have more time to spend with their family.

“I would rather have a normal life, because I would rather have more privacy and be able to control what people hear about me,” Graham said. “You wouldn’t always have people watching everything you do. Normal people probably have more wholesome lives, too. You would live healthier and longer because you wouldn’t have as much stress in your life, and you wouldn’t have to worry what people think about you all the time. “

“I think if someone wishes for fame it’s for the wrong reasons,” Gentile said. “I believe you should try your hardest and maybe hope for fame, but it should be something that goes along with being great at what you’re doing, like icing on the cake.”

Gentile believes that one positive aspect of fame is being able to provide entertainment for an audience.

“The best thing about being famous is to have that media platform to do what you love,” Gentile said. “It’s about finding that platform to where you can reach everyone and do what you love for the joy of others.”

With her passion for singing, Gentile has performed for an audience. “I sing a lot,” Gentile said. “My dad, brother and I have a trio, and we do jazz concerts. I really enjoy it. I do Falcon Idol. It’s something that I wish I could pursue, but I’ve got so many other goals, and it’s hard to know which one to follow.”

Gentile has even auditioned for the television show “The Voice.”

“I did audition for ‘The Voice,’” Gentile said. “For the show you have to go online and fill out this profile. You print out your audition pass and bring that to your location. You wait in a line, and finally, they call you up to the room, and you audition with 10 other people. You step out of the line and sing your verse and your chorus, and you step back, and the producer points to who makes it. No one in my group made it.”

Competing in pageants is another way for Gentile to express herself and do what she loves. “I have really enjoyed being in pageants,” she said. “I’ve learned a lot about poise and how to reflect the person that I am.”

Fame is a possibility for Gentile to consider.

“The drawbacks are getting caught up in the fame,” Gentile said. “So often we hear about Lindsay Lohan. The fame just consumed her. She didn’t stay true to herself or her morals. Staying close to your religion and your family is really important. My family keeps me steady. In the end, they’re the only ones that are going to be there for you. You have to give the glory to God, stay true to your morals and remind yourself every day why you are successful.”

Many students have turned away form the idea of fame because of the recent celebrity deaths. For sophomore Hannah Graham, fame isn’t as desirable as it used to be.

Like most young girls, Graham used to long to be famous. Who didn’t? She used to want to be glamorous, gorgeous, and glorious like the celebrities she saw on TV. Thanks to Photoshop, makeup and other camera tricks, celebrities can fool people into thinking they are perfect and confident. Recently, however, something happened that allowed her to see through the image celebrities portray, and made her change her mind about fame.

The death of Whitney Houston erased every dream Graham had of becoming famous. She had always admired Houston, and loved listening to her inspirational music. Houston had been a role model for Graham. Without a role model, Graham had no desire to be famous anymore.

“When I was little, I used to want to be famous, because everybody used to want to,” Graham said. “But after Whitney Houston died, I didn’t really want to be famous anymore.”

Whitney Houston’s death caught Graham by surprise. She wasn’t expecting someone so young, lively and motivational to die.

“I was in the car, and one of Whitney Houston’s songs came on,” Graham said. “Then my mom told me she died, and I was sad because I really liked her music, and her songs were inspiring. She was really young, and I didn’t expect it.”

That day, Graham learned that celebrities are far from invulnerable. They may seem overconfident and satisfied, but in reality they can be just as insecure as regular people.

“Whitney Houston’s death showed me that even celebrities die, not just normal people,” Graham said. “Everyone, whether they are famous or not, is a human being, and human beings are not perfect. Celebrities definitely act cocky to make people think that they have it all together. In real life, they do stuff like drugs and have eating disorders, so they’re not as cocky as they seem. I’m sure they have things about themselves they don’t like.”

Graham said that she would not like being a celebrity because there are just too many drawbacks. As soon as a celebrity steps onto the street, they are instantly swarmed with reporters and people hoping to get an autograph. Every move they make, down to their outfits, is constantly analyzed, criticized and then gossiped about. None of this appeals to Graham.

“The drawbacks of being a celebrity are that everyone always knows your business and are always talking about you, whether it is true or not,” Graham said.

In Graham’s opinion, a normal life has many more advantages than the life of a celebrity. She believes an average person with a normal job would be more relaxed, less self conscious, healthier and would have more time to spend with their family.

“I would rather have a normal life, because I would rather have more privacy and be able to control what people hear about me,” Graham said. “You wouldn’t always have people watching everything you do. Normal people probably have more wholesome lives, too. You would live healthier and longer because you wouldn’t have as much stress in your life, and you wouldn’t have to worry what people think about you all the time. “

After becoming a sensation for his remarkable play on the field, Tebow had become an overnight celebrity. Athletes and non-athletes alike copied his “tebowing,” taking a knee to pray. His unconventional ritual inspired songs, TV parodies and Internet videos.

The quarterback’s ballooning popularity immediately affected his privacy as “Tebowmania” swept the country.

Tebow’s controversial comments on topics such as abortion sparked a backlash from the public and from the media as Tebow’s celebrity status changed from respect to ridicule.

Tebow was recently traded to New York. Some sports analysts have said that the transition from a small market team in Denver to a large-market New York sports franchise could also take a toll on Tebow’s private life. Tebow, however, has said that he will not be fazed by the attention.

“I’m sure there will be some pressure, but, you know, I’ve always enjoyed pressure,” Tebow said in his first interview as a Jet. “Before every football game I play, I always get a little bit nervous. I think I play better when I have more on the line.”

An athlete who appears to have cooled on the court because of intense media pressure is New York Knicks basketball point guard Jeremy Lin, the first American-born player of Asian descent in the National Basketball Association. The little-known Lin shot to fame after coming off the Knicks bench to score 20 or more points almost every game during two weeks in February, creating a media phenomenon known as “Linsanity.”

Media prying into Lin’s private life increased dramatically.

“The special request I have is for the media back in Taiwan to give space, because they can’t even go to work without being bombarded, without people following them,” Lin said when asked about the situation his relatives were in.

Athletes are not the only victims of media pressure. Celebrities have had major issues with paparazzi and have even filed lawsuits against them. According to the British website The Independent, in 2010, 21 percent of all privacy cases in the UK involved high profile individuals. That means that 1 in every 5 cases involved a celebrity claiming his or her right to privacy.

Many men and women in the United States think they are overweight or “pudgy.” While they may or may not fit the medical definition of obese, they think the idea that thin is beautiful. Because of this, tiny waistlines and a low BMI seem to be what many people think make them “hot” or “sexy.” A growing number of females consider themselves “fat” or “overweight” when in reality, they are average weight, and in some cases, underweight.

“People with anorexia have an extreme fear of weight gain and a distorted view of their body size and shape,” according to www.kidshealth.org. As a result, they strive to maintain a very low body weight.

Some students feel pressured to lose weight. Diets based on nutritional requirements, such as Weight Watchers, may allow them to lose weight safely. However, there are many diets that hurt more then they help.

One of these unhealthy diets is the Chicken Noodle Diet, where the dieter only eats chicken noodle soup.

According to www.livestrong.com, eating only chicken noodle soup does not provide a person with enough nutrients from vitamins or minerals. In fact, soup only provides a fraction of the dietary fiber needed each day.

Diets can quickly turn into eating disorders, the dark monsters that loom by the fridge. Anorexia is one of the most common eating disorders, and it can turn into a killer. Anorexia is where the afflicted person fears gaining weight and therefore does not eat and loses excessive amounts of weight. In most cases a person with anorexia believes he or she can never lose “enough weight.”

“You think about food, dieting, and weight all the time,” www.webmd.com reported about anorexia. “You have a distorted body image. Other people say you are too thin, but when you look in the mirror you see a fat person.”

Many suffer from this disorder, and some are less lucky than others in fighting it. One of those who were not as lucky was French model Isabelle Caro. She started suffering from anorexia when she was a little girl and died from it at age 28. In 2007 during a photo shoot, three years before she died, she weighed 60 pounds at a height of five feet, four inches.

“My anorexia causes death,” Caro said in an interview three years ago. “It is everything but beauty, the complete opposite. It is an unvarnished photo without make-up. The message is clear – I have psoriasis, a pigeon chest and the body of an elderly person.”

There have also been successful stories like those of Demi Lovato and Mary-Kate Olsen who battled with anorexia and survived. Lovato now speaks out against it to help others who are going through this painful disorder. “I wish I could tell every young girl with an eating disorder, or who has harmed herself in any way, that she’s worthy of life and that her life has meaning,” Lovato said to Seventeen Magazine “You can overcome and get through anything.”

Even though there are many celebrities who do speak out against eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia, a majority of them promote eating disorders without realizing it. This happens because celebrities, who are usually called beautiful or hot, are skinny. People may not realize it but when they see everyone who is pretty and thin, it makes them think that’s what all beautiful people should look like.

“From an early age we are bombarded with images and messages that reinforce the idea that to be happy and successful we must be thin,” According to a website called Rader Programs. “Today, you cannot read a magazine or newspaper, turn on the television, listen to the radio or shop at the mall without being assaulted with the message that fat is bad.”

So naturally, girls think in order to be beautiful they have to be skinny. Most people try diets and exercise, but what happens when that doesn’t help them lose the weight they want to or don’t feel they’re skinny enough? With all this pressure on girls to keep a tiny hourglass figure it’s no wonder there are over 7 million American women who have an eating disorder and one out of 200 of women that suffer from anorexia. This means there are over five girls at West with anorexia.

“Getting help early is important,” the National Institute of Mental Health (NIH) says. “Treatment involves monitoring, mental health therapy, nutritional counseling and sometimes medicines.”

This dance studio requires young dancers to watch their weight and participate in dieting activities. While these diets can be healthy, most people don’t understand that dieting can quickly merge into something greater and far more serious, such as an eating disorder.

“Whenever you start dancing, until you are around age 7 they really don’t care. They persuade you to diet, but after you hit age 7, depending on the dances you do, they enforce dieting strongly,” said a dancer who attends West and asked that her name be withheld. “A lot of the girls take it too far or to extremes. Some make themselves throw up and some just don’t eat in general.”

Eating disorders typically start in preteens and teenagers who are unsatisfied or self-conscience about their appearance and weight. According to kidshealth.org, two out of every 100 adolescents in the U.S. struggle with an eating disorder, most commonly anorexia and/or bulimia. However, most hide these disorders from their families for months or even years.

The dance student said that most of the dancers don’t tell their families when they start changing their eating habits. However, most families will eventually find out and attempt to help them recover.

Unfortunately, many athletes, including dancers, become so competitive that their parents actually promote unhealthy eating habits, such as skipping meals. Parents aren’t the only ones who promote these habits; coaches and instructors frequently do as well.

“Depending on which instructors you have, some will yell at you and try to motivate you to diet, which is not right. Sometimes they make you feel bad about yourself to where you do it on your own,” the student said.

The dancers from the dance studio compete in multiple events each year and always place well. They currently have many awards and titles in several categories. These competitions are judged using a points system.

“There’s a point system in dance just like competitive cheerleading. In dance, if your foot is not placed properly, and it doesn’t look effortless, you’ll get points deducted,” the student said.

The judges from these competitions expect perfection from the dancers and aren’t lenient when it comes to calculating the scores. They even expect the dancers to be around the same size, both in height and weight.

“They take off points if they feel a competitor is overweight, and in their eyes overweight would be 112 pounds,” the student said.

Eating disorders in youth can result in failure to develop properly and in extreme cases can lead to death. Most adults with eating disorders picked up their unhealthy habits when they were younger.

Forcing kids to watch their weight at a young age can affect them for a lifetime.

“I knew a girl who was very suicidal and depressed because the instructors were making her diet. On top of that, when she went home, her parents were trying to get her to do the same thing,” the student said.

Eating disorders are often associated with suicidal thoughts and actions. Insecurity and low self-esteem can also be linked to these disorders.

“Honestly, I enjoy eating food a lot and I don’t want to deprive myself of that. In my opinion you shouldn’t change your body to meet another person’s standards; you should make it how you want it instead,” the student said.

Dr. Douglas Dunnell, a psychologist at the Renfrew Center of Connecticut, described the dangers of eating disorders to the Wingspan staff.

“An eating disorder statistically has a greater chance of killing you than any other psychiatric illness,” he said. “So these are very significant illnesses, and we know that there is a significant risk even if they don’t kill them that it will be a chronic illness and really lower their quality of life.”

Studies have shown that it is common for habitual actions of people with eating disorders to be similar. These range from minute actions to significant behaviors.

“I have witnessed that patients may have a tendency of compulsive behavior. Also it is not uncommon for them to constantly try to change their appearance to be more ‘beautiful,’ avoid social events and become very withdrawn,” Dunnell said.

Also there is thought to be a similar pattern of history among victims of eating disorders.

“Often patients that I encounter may have anxiety disorders, depression, parents with eating disorders and/or low self-esteem,” Dunnell said.

Many people wonder what the reasoning is behind this self-mutilation and self-destruction.

“A common reasoning for this is that they can’t control other things in their life, but they can control what they eat. Or they may be thinking that if they are thinner then the other problems in their life will be resolved,” Dunnell said. “Research shows that there is a genetic piece to this, but society plays a key role.”

Additionally there are some stereotypes  and misconceptions that tend to be coupled with eating disorders.

“The most dangerous myth is that they are not serious. That continues to be the popular image. I think it has changed a little, but you can still hear that they are just bad habits or that the girls can choose to have one; it is a question of will power,” Dunnell said. “The second myth is that parents cause eating disorders. That is still a popular myth.”

As it is with many psychological disorders, eating disorders tend to begin as something that is quite harmless, but then escalate into a frightening downward spiral.

“When the person feels that they can’t stop the dieting,” Dunnell said, “or when the goal of thinness becomes the most important factor in determining self-worth and self-esteem, there is a problem. On a physical level, it is when someone has lost enough weight for physical consequences to occur.”

East Henderson held a one point lead over West at the home game on March 30 at the beginning of the second half. However, despite all challenges including weather conditions, the Lady Falcons held a goal of beating the Eagles — a significant rival.

“In soccer you should have the momentum to go score another goal and try even harder after a setback. We wanted to win, but the question was whether or not we were going to put in the effort. But we went back into the game with a hunger to play,” Denney said. “We eventually took the lead and won, 3-2. It felt so good. Everyone deserves to be on a sports team. People should have somewhere to go where they feel like they are part of something.”

Nevertheless, a recent decision made by principals and the senior staff of Henderson County Public Schools some students will not have an opportunity to participate on sports teams. When the North Carolina High School Athletic Association began the conference reclassification process for the 2013-2017 school years, it was discovered that only a small number of students from the Early College program participate in athletics at their home schools

The early college program was implemented in the fall of 2009, allowing students to take college courses as well as the traditional high school curriculum at Blue Ridge Community College. The process takes an additional year, but it allows student to obtain an associate’s degree upon graduating. Initially, early college students were allowed to compete on sports teams at the high school in their home district.

“I am a part of the last year of students the county is going to grandfather in and allow to participate in athletics. I run cross country for West, and feel that athletics benefit my grades and make me a better person,” Early College sophomore Alex Hardison said. “Everyone should have this opportunity; just because someone wants to participate in this program and work a bit harder does not mean they should have to sacrifice something that will ultimately be beneficial to them. Students should have the opportunity to voice their opinion in this matter.”

The early college course load differs significantly from standard high school classes. Transportation also weighed into matters, for most lacked the time and means for the away-game commute.

“Early College is a choice,” Principal Dean Jones said. “These students acknowledge that they are going to be in a different environment. The college curriculum is very taxing, and time limits can become more apparent. We weren’t getting a lot of participation, so it just doesn’t make sense. However, from this point on, those who apply to be in the program will know upfront that that’s not an option. If being part of the college atmosphere and curriculum is what they want, then they need to understand that the athletics do not come with that.”

Though controversial, this decision appears to be permanent, at least for the four year 2013 to 2017 school period. Both Jones and Hardison agree that with such inconsequential participation in athletics, a change such as this will not significantly influence athletic performance.

“This will not affect athletics at all, especially with the low number of kids who participate. However, in the coming years it may in fact make a difference,” Hardison said. “But, I feel that over all the decision was a bad idea. It is going to be very negative because it is going to deter students from coming to this school in the future.”

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.

“Peer pressure is one of the biggest deals for high schoolers. While it is both good and bad, it’s more good to be honest,” Cole Church, a guidance counselor at West, said.

Although most students only think about the negative aspects of peer pressure, positive peer pressure occurs just as often. For example, fashion is often influenced by peers. Shoes like Converse, Vans and TOMS are popular, which influences many people to wear them. Since these shoes are very popular, it would be no surprise if anyone were influenced to wear them.

“Most of us dress according to peer pressure,” Church said. “This form of peer pressure is not hurting you in any way, so it can be perceived as positive.”

Positive peer pressure can influence students to dress like others, but it can also have a positive influence in school. Many students take honors classes because of their friends. Positive peer pressure is defined as being influenced by others to do something good.

“I tell many students that they need to be in honors classes because they should be in a class where their peers are challenging themselves, studying hard and listening to the teacher. We put them in the honors class and they usually do very well,” Church said. “Since our peers are in the honors class with us they are hopefully working to their full potential. This will make us want to do just as well. We will end up getting a good grade, which is a positive thing. Therefore, it results in positive peer pressure.”

Jake Ashba, a freshman at West, was influenced by positive peer pressure to be a part of West’s production of Grease.

“A lot of my friends were doing it, so I decided to join the cast because it would be a good time to hang out with people and have fun,” Ashba said.

Ashba joined Grease two weeks before the first show. He had volunteered for stage crew and he was going to help with the lights.

“The first day I came to rehearsal, the lights and sound people weren’t doing much, so Mrs. Cooper asked me if I’d rather be in the ensemble for the day to see if I liked that better than helping with lights. So, I joined the ensemble for the day, and I really liked it, and it went from there,” Ashba said.

Ashba ended up having so much fun with the ensemble that he wanted to do that instead of help with lights. His friends also begged him to stay in the ensemble. This peer pressure influenced him to stay in the ensemble, and because of this, he got a chance to become an understudy for the character Vince Fontaine, and eventually got the actual part.

While positive peer pressure can pressure students into getting good grades and encourage people to try activities, it can also help fight acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS), get youth excited about democracy and help prevent tuberculosis. While these situations are rather random and bizarre, they occur because of peer pressure according to www.fastcoexist.com.

Www.fastcoexist.com talks about three programs that harness the power of positive peer pressure. These programs include Lovelife, Otpor, and directly observed treatment-short course (DOTS). Lovelife is a “successful youth program in South Africa that fights AIDS by creating a positive youth culture around sports, parties and multimedia storytelling, including short message service (SMS) campaigns, advice columns, magazines and a reality show,” according to www.fastcoexist.com.

Otpor is a “nonviolent youth political movement that arose in Serbia just before the 2000 elections and it used basically the same strategy as Lovelife: rock music, parties and fun, this time to get youth excited about democracy,” as stated by www.fastcoexist.com.

These two programs use peer pressure to get youth involved in things such as government. Since they want to have fun but also learn about society, it influences them to make choices based on what they learned.

Last but not least, www.fastcoexist.com talked about DOTS.

“Basically, it’s a buddy who comes to your house every day and watches you swallow your pills. When DOTS came to China, the cure rate for tuberculosis went from 54 percent to 90 percent. Even though it’s not the kind of peer pressure that involves a rock concert, plans like DOTS work and are cheap and effective,” www.fastcoexist.com stated.