Karen Steinhauser returned to campus this week to speak to 9th graders. Ms. Steinhauser has been an attorney in Denver for thirty years, and she also currently appears on Channel 4 News as their legal correspondent. She has visited CA several times in the past, speaking to parent and student groups about the legal ramifications and implications of drug and alcohol use, social media misuse, and sexual assault.

The reason we believe Karen has been effective as a presenter is that she is very non-judgmental about the issues she presents. There is no preaching about the evils of drugs and alcohol per se, only clear explanations as to the legal ramifications of one's decision making. She helps students understand, for instance, that if they are arrested, their record will stay with them for a long time and will affect everything from summer employment to college options. She also has very interesting points to make about what it means to be in "possession" of alcohol or marijuana; simply being at a party where drugs and/or alcohol are present (whether consuming them or not), puts kids at jeopardy for arrest if the police show up.

In the end, we believe students make better and healthier decisions when they have all the facts in front of them. Karen Steinhauser is one of our best guest speakers because she speaks in a straightforward, not patronizing way with kids; as she says, "none of you want to end up as one of my clients."

Another recent presenter, Ethan Fisher, visited our Upper School Town Hall on April 22 and shared his life story with the whole student body. A basketball standout at Poudre High School years ago, Ethan was recruited to play at the college level, but his life's path was devastated because of his struggles with drugs and alcohol, which started when he was in 8th grade. Ultimately, he squandered multiple opportunities in basketball and hit rock bottom after killing a man while driving drunk. He now travels to schools and organizations to relate his story. Despite the fact that we have had speakers like this before, Ethan's authenticity shone through and appealed to many students. One student noted that he was the "best [speaker] we've had on the subject of drugs/alcohol. He was upfront and didn't tell us a sob-story, despite the fact that his story was tragic. He came across forceful, factual, and inviting."

In both cases--indeed in all our extra-curricular programming--we strive for educational programs that enlightens students without bombarding them with negative messages. Studies have shown that the "scared straight," "just say no" and DARE programs of the past really were not very effective because adolescents felt too much like they were simply being talked down to and told what to do. Teenagers do much better when they come to their own conclusions about what to do and what not do. Obviously, as educators and parents who care about them, we can try to stack the deck so that the information we provide them leads them in the right direction. Armed with as much information as possible, along with the support and care of trusted adults in their lives, our kids will do the right thing more often than not.