Union of Youth

The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation, represented here by board members Mary Rossing and Tristan Cox, presented The Key, represented here by President Marie Fischer and board member Max Jennings, with a $317 check. The check serves as a “thank you” for the Key’s help during Taste of Northfield and the money comes from the silent auction during the event. A big thanks goes out to Ross Currier for arranging the contribution and the phototshoot. The gentleman taking the photo is Dan Iverson of the Northfield News (probably in Saturday’s paper).

The Northfield Union of Youth showed off its many talented members this Thursday the 26th of July during Northfield’s annual Crazy Daze. Members breakdanced, skateboarded, got soaking wet in a dunk tank, tabled information about the organization, made buttons, sold greeting cards, bumperstickers, t-shirts, and chatted it up with the community. The dunk tank was an especially big hit and raised over $100 for the organization. The Key set up in front of Bagel Brothers (thanks Kiffi and Victor) around 10:00am and put up with the heat until 4:00pm. Check out the many photos of the event here.

Art Projectionists are getting to become experts at glass beads, though there were some newcomers at the 7/24/07 session. Various photos below.

I enjoyed the Potter festivities and took three photos of Key Kids. Here they are. I can’t believe Harry died. Too bad I didn’t get Gilly as a house elf. Say hello to Pansy Parkinson, Dobby, and Andi Potter. A big thumbs up to Monkey See Monkey Read for handing out the wands and making it an experience. Of course River City Books also did an amazing job.

The Key participated in and helped set up the 2nd annual Taste of Northfield on Thursday July 19th. The NDDC put forth quite an amazing event with hundreds and hundreds of community members coming down and purchasing food from local businesses. The Key’s Cooking Class made some amazing shortbread cookies (or Key Cookies) that were definitely one of the talks of the event. I personally saw and heard many people chomping on the cookies and telling their friends to go get a cookie before they were gone. Unfortunately the Cooking Class had neither the time or capacity to make an endless amount so the cookies sold out within the first hour of the event. Many sad faces left the booth in tears. Take a look at some photos.

Notes from NUY Community Meeting on Drugs

On July 16th, The Northfield Union of Youth (The Key) held an open community meeting to discuss the issues of drug use in our community. The meeting was youth-run and consisted of dividing attendees into four intergenerational groups which discussed the issues of 1) perceptions/reasons for drug use, 2) misconceptions about drug use and users, etc., and 3) actions/solutions/suggestions for dealing with the problem. Each group reported on its discussion to the larger group. The evening culminated in an open mic opportunity for comments and further suggestions. The following is a list of notes compiled from the individual group discussions and the open mic comments. Click here for more photos.

1) Common Perceptions/Possible Reasons for drug use:

Boredom - Rebellion - Escape - Curiosity Lack of Education (dropouts) - Poor Drug Education

Misperception of Common Usage - Desensitization - Environment - Consumer Culture/Drugs Glorified

Lack of Fear - Feeling Neglected - Availability - Different Generational Mindset - Prescription Drug Culture

Gateway Drugs - Societal Pressure/ Need to Self-Medicate - Peer Acceptance/Habit - Money - Low Self-Esteem

2) Misconceptions about Drugs/Users/Reasons for Use:

All Users are Addicts

Can Control Addiction

Heroine (and other drugs) are Expensive/Rich Kids Drug

Only Lower Class People Use

You Can Know Someone is High by Looking at Them

You Can Know an Addict by Looking at Them

“My Kid Wouldn’t Do This”/ “People I Know Wouldn’t Do This”

Youth are the Source of Drug Problem/Majority of Users

“Gateway Drugs” lead straight to more Hardcore Drugs

Drug Education is Effective

Heroine is “Instantly Addictive”

All Drugs are Equally Bad/Addictive (Tobacco/Alcohol as bad as Meth/Heroine)

Colleges Influence Drug Use/Abuse

Colleges Do Not Influence Drug/Abuse

Athletes are Addicted to Pain Killers

Societal Pressure Causes Abuse

Smart/Good People Don’t Get Depressed

All People Have the Same Reactions to All Drugs

Most Drug Users Have Low Self-Esteem

Drugs are the #1 Problem in Northfield (instead of a symptom of other problems)

Turning in Abusers=Getting Them Help

Other Comments Included:

Questioning whether this is a “Capital P” Community Problem, or if this is a problem with a small number of individuals which the community can help.

General disbelief of the numbers quoted in the Northfield News (both population of users and cost of heroine use).

Drug Education is a “joke,” is unrealistic, leads to mistrust.

Northfielders feel a sense of security, were in denial of the ongoing problem.

3) Solutions/Actions

Improving Drug Education

More Realistic

More Accurate: Abuse Education ignores the large percentage of drug use that does not constitute abuse. It promotes a “black and white” picture of drug use that leaves out ways to deal with recreational use, etc.

Less Scare Tactics

More Education Available for Parents and Other Adults

Drug Education, resources, options, etc.

Activities/Clubs

More money for alternatives—after school, weekend, summer

Peer Solutions—Peer Pressure to NOT do drugs

More Open Communication between Parents/Youth

Youth feel mistrusted

Youth are afraid to confide in parents

Discussions, not rules

More Caring, Trusting Adults as Resources

Youth want to be approached more delicately, not criminalized

Be a Mentor/ Get a Mentor

Treat the Individual—no single problem leads to a drug problem

Break Down the Misconceptions to Discover How to Treat the Problem

More Law Enforcement or Judge Involvement

Youth need to know what is going to happen (in treatment, in court, etc.)

More Solutions Not Involving Law Enforcement

Developing a Better Relationship Between Youth and Police

Hold a Key/Youth and Police Officer Baseball Game

More Treatment Options in Northfield

A confidential support center where youth and adults can go to get help/advice without fear of being turned in or having to give their real name.

An in-patient treatment center in town so youth don’t feel they are being “sent away”

Changing the Stigma of Treatment

Treatment is currently seen as punishment

Mindset should shift from “Criminal” to “Victim

Drug Users/Abusers are not bad people, they made bad choices

Support for those who return from treatment—peers could offer support, take part in preventing relapse

Youth and Adults Need to Know Resources in the Schools and Community

Where/who are the resources

What should a person expect when contacting a resource

Northfield needs to work on Prevention AND solutions for those who are using drugs.

The Key will be holding a public forum for adults and youth to discuss the recent heroin and drug issues in Northfield, as well as ask each other questions. We will be meeting Monday the 16th, 7:00pm at the Key. Bring good questions (not that there are bad ones)! The agenda will go as follows:

7:00-7:15 - Break into 4 groups and introductions within group
7:15-7:30 - Group discussion of causes of drug use (including heroin)
7:30-7:45 - Large group feedback of causes
7:45-8:00 - Group discussion of drug misconceptions
8:00-8:15 - Large group feedback of misconceptions
8:15-8:30 - Group discussion of solutions and actions
8:30-8:45 - Large group feedback of solutions and actions
8:45-9:00 - “open mic”

Here are some websites that may be helpful in learning more about heroin and other drugs:

www.dare.com/home/default.asp (D.A.R.E.’s website)
www.efsdp.org/dare/index.htm (Educators For Sensible Drug Policy refutes DARE)
http://www.whitehousedrugpolicy.gov/drugfact/heroin/index.html (Office of NDCP)
http://www.drugpolicy.org/homepage.cfm (Drug Policy Alliance)

Pens and paper will be handed out to groups and individuals and people are encouraged to hand in their ideas for a compilation list that will be listed on out website in the near future.

Youth Board: meet at 4 o’clock.

Book Club will be handing out its newest book, Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe, this Wednesday the 4th at the Youth Board meeting. The book is Nigerian Chinua Achebe’s best known work and is widely read and considered part of the “global literary canon.” At its simplest, Things Fall Apart is a study of the European colonialism that took place in the continent of Africa. The novel shows the relationship and effect of the white settlers and the African (Nigerian) tribespeople. We namely see the effect it has on the main character Okonkwo and his people. In the novel, Okonkwo recognizes the cultural imperialism of the white men and tries to show his own people how their own society will fall apart if they exchange their own cultural core for that of the English.

First off, apologies for the horribly dorky title. I should have just passed a kids name off for the post. In any case, here are pictures from Cooking Class (with Ani Lovoll) when they made twisty bread and cheese spread on the 29th of June.

The Northfield Skateboard Coalition showed their deep level of commitment last Thursday the 28th of June by sending 4 carloads (17 youth) on a skatepark research trip in the twin cities area. The Coalition visited and skated Zero Gravity Skatepark in Mound, Minnesota. They also talked to the planners and architect of the park, learning much in the process. After visiting Mound the skaters headed to Armitage Park in Minneapolis, a Solo-owned company. Both parks had their strengths and their weaknesses and the trip served to reinforce the Coalition’s goals of their future skatepark. Many cool photos were taken on the trip.