Drug Testing
Random drug testing at Brebeuf Jesuit is, in my opinion, a direct violation of Brebeuf students’ civil rights. Drug testing at Brebeuf is a newly established school policy. This past school year of 2008-2009 is only the second year that Brebeuf has practiced this policy. I’ve heard that the administration has toyed with the idea of drug testing for many years now. I know there are other new policies at Brebeuf Jesuit such as breathalizing before school dances, but throughout this paper I am going to focus solely on drug testing.
My perspective, hence this paper, is a little bit different because I was drug tested this past school year. Sitting in Geometry one morning I was not prepared for Dean Hyde to come the room, only to call my name. There I was sitting in the Dean’s Office being questioned, as if I were guilty of using drugs. Needless to say it was nerve-wracking experience for me. Though I do not engage in drug use, it’s no surprise to me that many students do. Nearly all students are raised not to use drugs. However, most high school teenagers wonder what it would be like to just try it. I am not trying to say that doing drugs is right, but I do believe that for most of us, it is part of growing up. I do think students have a right to test the waters.
Prior to writing this paper I sat down and questioned Dean Adams about the Brebeuf drug testing policy. Because Dean Adams is still a fairly new Dean, she made it clear that she wasn’t at Brebeuf when drug testing became policy at the end of my freshman year in 2007. While talking with Dean Adams I asked her why drug tests were started at all at Brebeuf. Dean Adams response was, “for the care of the person.” She also stated that in the recent years Brebeuf has gotten many complaints from parents about drugs. She didn’t go into detail about the concerned parents though. I also questioned the Dean about why the drug testing is random? Why not just test the whole school if you’re out to find those who do use drugs? “Equality” is the first thing that came out of Dean Adam’s mouth. The administration doesn’t want students to feel as if they are being targeted. The final question I asked Dean Adams was if she thought the drug testing was going to be continuous throughout the years. She said, “Yes, I see it continuing.”
In the Brebeuf Jesuit Handbook 2008-2009 it states “Drug/alcohol testing at a school‐designated facility or on‐site may be required of students at any Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School function on or off campus. Further, students may also be tested universally, at random, or upon suspicion of use with a breathalyzer and/or other testing mechanisms. Students may be suspended until the results of examinations have been made available to the Dean. Students who refuse to comply with testing, or who test positive for drug or alcohol use, will be subject to disciplinary action up to and including expulsion from Brebeuf Jesuit as well as drug/alcohol testing at random intervals for the remainder of his/her enrollment at Brebeuf.”
Last year I knew a junior girl who had tried Marijuana just once during Christmas break. Soon after the return from Winter Vacation the Deans Office randomly drug tested a couple of students from each grade. She was one of the “lucky” ones chosen to get drug tested. After doing marijuana during Break she realized she didn’t like it and swore to herself that she would never do it again. Unfortunately because of the drug tests, her parents along with the Brebeuf Administration found out that in fact, she had tried marijuana. Now most people thought of her as a “drug user”, when in fact she wasn’t at all. This is why I don’t agree with the random drug testing. If students were getting into hard-core drugs, then I understand that they would need help. But we are only in high school, and we don’t live in a dangerous area of the city. We live in a very nice area where it would be hard to get hands on very harmful drugs.
In conclusion, it doesn’t seem as if random drug testing at Brebeuf Jesuit will be going away soon. We as students should respect the final decision, be pro-active in the policies that govern us, and mindful of the decisions we make as young adults.
Work Cited
Brebeuf Jesuit Handbook. 2008
May 11, 2009
The Songs I chose for my hero movie are:
The Birth-This Town-OAR
“This Town”
In the morning, wake me up
And tell me everything
So I can understand your world
You can understand my dream
I could be anywhere
And you could be there with me
I just wanna be a ghost
And see everything
I don’t want it to be the way they want it
This town, this light, this crowd
Come on put em up
Let me hear it loud
This town, this city, this crowd
Stand up on your feet
Put your worry down
Any every one of you all around
Come on y’all let’s take this town
Its better that we keep this close
Keep you close to me
Walking under every sky
Over every scene
You could be my modern girl
And I could be the one you’ve found
If we’re taking on the world today
I know we gotta leave this town
I don’t want it to be the way they want it
This town, this light, this crowd
Come on put em up
Let me hear it loud
This town, this city, this crowd
Stand up on your feet
Put your worry down
Any every one of you all around
Come on y’all let’s take this town
On our own, let’s get away
Nothing more left here to see
Come on Love, make it perfect
More and more I will believe
Like a child I must believe
Come on y’all make it perfect
This town, this light, this crowd
Come on put em up
Let me hear it loud
This town, this city, this crowd
Stand up on your feet
Put your worry down
Any every one of you all around
Come on y’all let’s take this town
This song reminds me of the birth because it describes coming to town and taking it over and in a selfish way that how i think of my birth, as me coming and taking over. Haha
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qfexC57r28
The World- The World We Live In- The Killers
“The World We Live In”
This is world that we live in
I feel myself get tired
This is the world that we live in
Well maybe I was mistaken
I heard a rumor that you quit this day and age
Well maybe I was mistaken
Bless your body, bless your soul
Pray for peace and self control
I gotta believe it’s worth it
Without a victory,
I’m so sanctified and free
Well maybe I’m just mistaken
Lesson learned and the wheels keep turning
This is the world that we live in
I can’t take blame for two
This is the world that we live in
And maybe we’ll make it through
Bless your body, bless your soul
Reel me in and cut my throat
Underneath the waterfall
Baby we’re still in this
This is the world that we live in
Feel myself get tired
This is the world that we live in
I had a dream that I was falling, down
There’s no next time around
A storm wastes its water on me
But my life was free
I guess it’s the world that we live in
It’s not too late for that
This is the world that we live in
And no, we can’t go back
This is the world that we live in
We still want something real
This is the world that we live in
I know that…
This is the world that we live in
I like this song for my world because it continually talks about the world we live in and how we can’t change it by going back, we have to live in the now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aJYETbW36BI
The Call-Born to Run- Bruce Springsteen
BORN TO RUN
In the day we sweat it out in the streets of a runaway American dream
At night we ride through mansions of glory in suicide machines
Sprung from cages out on highway 9,
Chrome wheeled, fuel injected
and steppin’ out over the line
Baby this town rips the bones from your back
It’s a death trap, it’s a suicide rap
We gotta get out while we’re young
`Cause tramps like us, baby we were born to run
Wendy let me in I wanna be your friend
I want to guard your dreams and visions
Just wrap your legs ’round these velvet rims
and strap your hands across my engines
Together we could break this trap
We’ll run till we drop, baby we’ll never go back
Will you walk with me out on the wire
`Cause baby I’m just a scared and lonely rider
But I gotta find out how it feels
I want to know if love is wild
girl I want to know if love is real
Beyond the Palace hemi-powered drones scream down the boulevard
The girls comb their hair in rearview mirrors
And the boys try to look so hard
The amusement park rises bold and stark
Kids are huddled on the beach in a mist
I wanna die with you Wendy on the streets tonight
In an everlasting kiss
The highway’s jammed with broken heroes on a last chance power drive
Everybody’s out on the run tonight
but there’s no place left to hide
Together Wendy we’ll live with the sadness
I’ll love you with all the madness in my soul
Someday girl I don’t know when
we’re gonna get to that place
Where we really want to go
and we’ll walk in the sun
But till then tramps like us
baby we were born to run
I chose this song for my Call because I think it represents knowing what we want and going for it. I think of it as running towards my call.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rGFfO5fUvE
Supernatural Aid- Someone’s Watching Over Me- Hilary Duff
“Someone’s Watching Over Me”
Found myself today
Oh I found myself and ran away
Something pulled me back
The voice of reason I forgot I had
All I know is you’re not here to say
What you always used to say
But it’s written in the sky tonight
So I won’t give up
No I won’t break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I’m standing in the dark I’ll still believe
Someone’s watching over me
Seen that ray of light
And it’s shining on my destiny
Shining all the time
And I wont be afraid
To follow everywhere it’s taking me
All I know is yesterday is gone
And right now I belong
To this moment to my dreams
So I won’t give up
No I won’t break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I’m standing in the dark I’ll still believe
Someone’s watching over me
It doesn’t matter what people say
And it doesn’t matter how long it takes
Believe in yourself and you’ll fly high
And it only matters how true you are
Be true to yourself and follow your heart
So I won’t give up
No I won’t break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even if it all goes wrong
When I’m standing in the dark I’ll still believe
That I won’t give up
No I won’t break down
Sooner than it seems life turns around
And I will be strong
Even when it all goes wrong
When I’m standing in the dark I’ll still believe
That someone’s watching over
Someone’s watching over
Someone’s watching over me
Someone’s watching over me
This song talks about having someone watch over you and especially when times get tough, even if your supernatural aid isn’t physically around they are always there for advice.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hCoViK0G43Y
Road of Trials- Happiness- The Fray
“Happiness”
Happiness is just outside my window
Would it crash blowing 80-miles an hour?
Or is happiness a little more like knocking
On your door, and you just let it in?
Happiness feels a lot like sorrow
Let it be, you can’t make it come or go
But you are gone- not for good but for now
Gone for now feels a lot like gone for good
Happiness is a firecracker sitting on my headboard
Happiness was never mine to hold
Careful child, light the fuse and get away
‘Cause happiness throws a shower of sparks
Happiness damn near destroys you
Breaks your faith to pieces on the floor
So you tell yourself, that’s enough for now
Happiness has a violent roar
Happiness is like the old man told me
Look for it, but you’ll never find it all
Let it go, live your life and leave it
Then one day, wake up and she’ll be home
Home, home, home
This song fits perfect for my road of trials because I end up in the road of trials looking for happiness but instead I hit the road of trials.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_bDNQuNw1xU
The Boon- Old Dirt Hill- Dave Matthews Band
“Old Dirt Hill (Bring That Beat Back)”
Bring that beat back to me again
Come on take me back, can’t catch me can’t catch me
Bring that beat back to me again
Come on take me back, can’t catch me can’t catch me
Can’t catch me ride my bike down the old dirt hill,
First time without my training wheels.
First time I kissed you I lost my legs,
Bring that beat back to me again.
I hear scream and shout out loud of innocence
And days when all we did would never end.
Bring that beat back to me again
Come on take me back, can’t catch me can’t catch me
Bring that beat back to me again
Come on take me back, take me there, can’t catch me can’t catch me
Smoking under the railroad bridge
I used to ride my bike down that old dirt hill
The first time I kissed you I lost my legs
Bring that beat back to me again
I hear scream and shout out loud of innocence
Days when all we did would never end
Screaming down that old dirt hill
Bring that beat back to me again
She stole __
That’s when the days I remember seem so far away
That’s just a kid. That’s what I miss. Just a kid.
That’s what I miss
Oh take me back, take me back to that beat again
Smoking on the railroad bridge
Bring that beat back to me again [3x]
First time all with good, good friends.
(Can’t catch me, can’t catch me)
Bring that beat back to me again [4x]
I thought this song fit for the boon because it describes the feeling of reaching victory but you’re not quite there.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B-a2rbitPL4
Belly of the Whale- Change- Tracy Chapman
Lyrics to Change :
If you knew that you would die today
Saw the face of god and love
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that love can break your heart
When you’re down so low that you cannot fall
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good, does it need to get?
How many losses? how much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around
Makes you try to explain
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change
Makes you change
If you knew that you would be alone
Knowing right, being wrong,
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would find a truth
That would bring a pain that can’t be soothed
Would you change?
Would you change?
How bad, how good, does it need to get?
How many losses? how much regret?
What chain reaction would cause an effect?
Makes you turn around
Makes you try to explain
Makes you forgive and forget,
Makes you change
Makes you change
Are you so up right
You can’t be bent
If it comes to blows
Are you so sure you won’t be crawling
If not for the good why why risk falling
Why risk falling?
If everything you think you know
Makes your life unbearable
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you’d broken every rule and vow
And hard times come to bring you down
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you knew that you would die today,
If you saw the face of God and loved
Would you change?
Would you change?
If you saw the face of God and loved
If you saw the face of God and loved
Would you change?
Would you change?
This song fit perfect for my belly of the whale because my belly of the whale really made me look at my life and reflect on the things I needed to change and if I really would change.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drXwsVYrd20
Apotheosis- Living Life- Ben Kweller
“Living Life”
The greenest trees you’ll ever see
Are the ones in your mind.
And all the answers and the dreams
Will come to you in time.
Yeah, you are living life
The way you feel.
I know the world around you,
Everyone shares the sky.
You never see darkness,
You are the daylight.
Yeah, you are living life
The way you feel.
Go away with a smile.
Don’t forget about your past.
Don’t keep yourself from giving.
I am always watching you
Be yourself and stayin’ true
’cause it makes me feel like life’s worth living.
The way you feel.
I’ve never minded where you’re going,
I know that change is part of you.
I’m not gonna hide anymore, I’m gonna listen to myself
And maybe one day I can be real too.
Yeah, you living life.
Yeah you are, you are living life.
Don’t you know that you are living life.
The way you feel.
And that is real.
This was one of my Kairos songs and this song fit with my apotheosis because I realized I am living life everyday and I now know what I want to do with my life and how I want to live it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WroZKPjJH5E
May 6, 2009
