FCD Visits ISB
BY: Angela Chen, Hazel Chew, & Jane Park, Staff Reporters
How was your experience with Freedom from Chemical Dependency (FCD) this year? FCD is an organization that helps educate students from all around the world about alcohol and drug use, and sends a couple of speakers to ISB each year. Some students and teachers find the event interesting and helpful, but others view it as too time-consuming and not especially effective.
To begin with, what is the purpose of FCD? As an FCD instructor says, “[FCD aims to educate] kids about alcohol and drugs and the consequences of abusing them. FCD hopes that someday when someone offers these kids drugs and when they are wondering whether or not to accept it, these children know what the consequences can be, and understand that their future can change by their choice of drug abuse.”
In addition, FCD focuses on other ways of dealing with stress besides drug use. For example, freshmen and juniors participated in a meditation exercise, during which the students were told to clear their mind of any thoughts and worries, and instead just focus on their breathing. ISB guidance counselor Cara Tebo also says that FCD’s aim to “celebrate kids who make healthful choices” is equally important. Sure enough, praising students for making the right choice encourages them to continue their practice. Even though FCD seeks to educate students about drugs, it does not only help students gain knowledge about drugs, but also how to deal with various troubles related to drug abuse.
Student involvement in FCD also differs among grade levels. Grades nine and eleven have four 45-minute sessions throughout the week, whereas grades ten and twelve only have one 40-minute assembly. ISB has adopted this system for quite a while, although there are no definite reasons. However, Charlotte, a lecturer from FCD, says, “[FCD speakers] think that it is more important to stress the danger of chemical dependency for ninth graders, since many ninth graders tend to receive a lot of stress when transitioning into high school, and stress can be a factor leading to the usage of chemicals at a young age.” Some believe that only an assembly is arranged for twelfth graders, so as to not occupy too much of their valuable class time and lead to a buildup of schoolwork and college applications. Seniors have to spend much of their time preparing for college and their future.
During one of the FCD classes, the ninth and eleventh graders were given time to share personal causes of stress with the FCD instructor and their classmates, so they could find an alternative way to decrease or release stress rather than depending on chemicals or taking part in other harmful activities.
Student reactions to FCD are varied. Some find it helpful, while others do not. Is FCD actually meeting the expectations of ISB? Are students wasting their school time, or can they actually reap the benefits of participating? Ms. Tebo states that since student evaluation of experience with FCD is mostly positive, the school feels that expectations have been met and that FCD has achieved its goal. Nonetheless, Maggie Shang (9) says, “It depends on the student’s attitude. Some may just take is as a joke, whereas others may try to act on what the FCD instructors say and truly improve their lives. ”
FCD encourages students to make healthy choices for themselves and stay away from drugs. Even though the reason as to why some grade levels are prioritized is unclear, as a whole, FCD appears to be successful in encouraging ISB students to lead healthy lives and recognize the dangers of substance abuse. Although some students may view it as trivial, advice from the FCD instructors may very well alter your life in the future—so don’t just take it with a grain of salt.