"Are You Smarter Than a Middle-Schooler" successful

by Dustin Faber

news@waldronnews.com

A very successful night is how Melissa Gasaway described the "Are You Smarter Than a Middle-Schooler" program held Monday night.

Gasaway, coordinator of the Scott County Health and Education Coalition, said the event was held to educate the community about underage drinking prevention.

Approximately 175 people were in attendance, with 24 people (12 adults, 12 students) participating in the game, which quizzed contestants on underage drinking.

The event, which had food, catered by Char-Broiler, also recognized teachers that implemented evidence-based programs to curb underage drinking. The teachers were: LeAnne Millard and Debby Saunders (seventh-grade), and Joey Curtic and Brad Johnson (ninth-grade).

The winners of the trip to Washington D.C. were also announced. Brandon Freeman, Rachel Tischer, James Bates, Dillon Madden, Carla Mendez and Eric Vongphakdy will go to the nation's capital in the second week of February. The students, freee of charge, will attend a national leadership conference, which will include conferences on substance prevention, and a day with U.S. senators and representatives advocating for policies to curb underage drinking, and education the representatives and senators about what is going on in the community with regards to underage drinking.