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Teens' event promotes two agendas
By PAULETTE LASH RITCHIE LECANTO -- Selected students from Citrus, Lecanto and Crystal River high schools were recently given a challenge: Commit themselves to a project that would both discourage teen tobacco use and promote multicultural awareness and understanding. The result will be an event May 7. They plan to hold the SWAT/Multi-Cultural Kaleidoscope festival from 2 to 6 p.m. May 17 at Lecanto High School. Planning is being guided by Students Working Against Tobacco and Citrus County's Multicultural Advisement and Planning committee. Citrus County schools are mandated to address multicultural initiatives, said Frank Mattera, tobacco-free coordinator for the Citrus County Health Department. Providing an event for multicultural students to coordinate, which could also involve the anti-tobacco group, seemed like a good way to promote both messages. The festival is intended to be a fun event. There will be food, music, and activities that represent the cultures that make up Citrus County. There will also be anti-tobacco skits, games with anti-tobacco themes, exhibits and informational booths. One of the festival's goals will be to recruit students for a Students Working Against Tobacco Community Summit planned for June 17. A Tampa-based multicultural speaker was brought into Citrus County to assist the students for the recent two-day planning workshop at the Family Resource Center in Lecanto. Terry Allen Jones, the president of Creating Alternative Thinking Through Theater, said he has presentations that cover nine or 10 topics and has been with the anti-tobacco group since its inception, doing training sessions for various groups for about five years. He has been helping local students learn how to organize their event and take on leadership roles. Danita Eatman, an English and journalism teacher at CHS was also at the workshop. She said she its on the multiculturalism committee for Citrus High School. Eatman sponsors Imani, a high school club that promotes multiculturalism. She said racial tension had to be addressed at the high school and the students need to know they have the support of the school's authority figures. "What we're hoping," she said, "is these kids will go back to their high schools and reach other kids." George Swedlidge is a 17-year-old junior from Crystal River High School. He is white. He said he came "to see what it's about." George was interested in meeting students from other schools and will be involved in providing the entertainment for the festival. "It's a good program for kids," he said. Caroline Rodriguez, 18, is a junior from Lecanto High School. She is of Filipino descent. "I'm involved with MAP because I thought it was a perfect thing to be in," she said. "This is a step for changing things in Citrus County." She said she appreciates the opportunity to be heard. Ashley Rawls, 17, is a junior at Citrus High School. She is black. "I'm doing this because I thought it would be interesting," she said. "They call it diversity, but it's much more." Ashley will be a chairperson of the event and one of the troubleshooters. She said she is glad to integrate the two groups. "This helps get the message out to everyone," she said.
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