This week, Type One sat down with Brett Elpert and Shane Williams, two students who took the initiative to organize a group of seniors who will mentor the eighth graders on campus. Their group, whose other members include Ana Simon, Stefy Grau, Maddie Mulkey, Julie David, Jared DeFaria, and Blake Guillaume, has already given a presentation to the eighth graders about the dangers of peer pressure, drugs, and alcohol, and will be meeting with them in smaller group discussions to guide them throughout the semester.

Type One: What inspired you and the other seniors to give this presentation?

Brett Elpert: Shane and I have seen other people be damaged by things like drugs and alcohol, so we wanted to prepare our future high schoolers to make better decisions.

T1: What was the main message of your presentation?

Shane Williams: Dealing with the issues of peer pressure and the negative effects that it has. We also dealt with social media, drugs, and alcohol. During your experience in high school, there is going to be a time where you come across these issues, so we wanted to get across that it is against the law and can lead to long-term consequences. We also explained to them how posting pictures involving drugs and alcohol can affect the ability to acquire jobs, get into college, and affect a person’s overall reputation.

T1: How did the eighth graders respond to your presentation?

Williams: We thought they took it well. They really sat there and listened to us. I think overall we felt that they were able to get a better understanding of the certain issues we talked about with peer pressure, drugs, and alcohol, along with how to handle these particular situations, because we are on a more personal level since we are closer in age. It gave them an opportunity to see people go through the things they will experience in high school.

T1: Because of your group, how will the students you spoke with be able to better handle the issues you mentioned?

Elpert: We are going to be meeting with them two times a month in smaller groups to talk about these issues in a more personal environment for them to have a better understanding of what they are dealing with. It should prepare themselves better for high school and their lives in general.

T1: How did you present this message in a way that would not scare the middle schoolers, but would instead make them understand such dangers?

Elpert: Our point wasn’t to scare them, but to give them the perspectives of high school seniors who have dealt with these issues. We emphasized the fact that we once sat in their shoes, and wanted to be there to guide them as they move up to high school.

T1: What do you hope that the eighth graders will take from your message? How could your group help them not only in high school, but also in their lives?

Williams: We hope that it sticks with them and that they understand that there are consequences when you do the wrong thing. We hope it helps them mature into young adults and also hope that they put these lessons to use when they come across situations involving drugs and alcohol in high school and beyond.

Brett and Shane are clearly very driven students dedicated to sharing their very important message with future generations of students. We cannot wait to see their group’s progress as they continue to make a lasting impact on the minds of the eighth graders.