High school ASB leaders resign after drinking incident
March 16, 2010
By Laura Geggel
NEW — 7:00 p.m. March 16, 2010
Mount Si High School’s Associated Student Body recently underwent a leadership change after six of its students engaged in underage drinking.
During the Feb. 15-19 mid-winter break, nine Mount Si students traveled to Vancouver, B.C., for the 2010 Winter Olympics. There was alcohol present and some students took pictures of each other drinking. Those photos were later posted on Facebook and shown to Mount Si High School administrators.
“We were able to put names to faces,” Mount Si High School Principal Randy Taylor said.
While the drinking age in Canada is 19, none of the Mount Si students in the photos were 19, Taylor said.
After learning about the photos, Taylor and other administrators talked with the students who went on the trip.
“The students were very open, very forthright with us,’ Taylor said. “They didn’t hide anything, and took responsibility.”
He noted that all of the students chose to remain in ASB class, even though they would not be able to hold leadership positions.
ASB leaders sign a code of conduct at the beginning of the year, much like student athletes, and are expected to stay away from drugs, alcohol and other illegal behavior, according to school officials.
So, the six students resigned from their positions, which were filled by other ASB students.
The students will not be suspended, because they were not on school property or at a school-sponsored event when they were drinking, Taylor said.
Mount Si’s student-run newspaper, Cat Tales, ran a statement from members of the school’s new ASB leadership March 11.
“An unfortunate incident occurred during mid-winter break involving six ASB students. Poor choices were made. Their actions have been dealt with by the administration. We fully support all members of ASB, but do not condone their actions,” wrote students Brookes Malberg and Trey Botten.
Mount Si takes underage drinking and drug use seriously, Taylor said. Before prom every year, the school invites the Washington State Patrol to put on a mock car crash to warn of the dangers of drinking and driving.
“We encourage kids not to engage in that kind of activity,” Taylor said. “Drinking is an at-risk behavior. If it’s underage, it has implications with brain damage.”
Laura Geggel: 392-6434, ext. 221, or lgeggel@snovalleystar.com
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