TEAM SPIRIT TEACHES FUN WITHOUT DRUGS

Students danced, sang Karaoke, and created monstrous ice cream sundaes around the patio Wednesday night. It was a party -- a fun party without drugs or alcohol.

"They were having a great time and it was not with alcohol or drugs," said Sharee Galnore, event coordinator for Team Spirit.

About 80 students from eight high schools in six counties attended the Team Spirit Leadership Training conference this week at the Victorian Inn. Seminars conclude at 11 a.m. today.

Team Spirit is a national program that promotes drug and alcohol abuse prevention by emphasizing student leadership. This is only the second year it has been held in Missouri. The conference is funded by the Missouri Division of Highway Safety.

During the conference, students work on team-building exercises but also learn about drunk-driving laws, accident statistics and other related issues. Accident victims, police and other officials present the classes.

Most seminars are designed so that students eventually can take control of a project.

When nothing changes and problems persist, most people think that kids are just bad, but often it's because they don't know how to get started, said Donna Boardman, a Team Spirit organizer.

Each team, which represents a participating school, develops an action plan to take back to their school. The plans often include forming clubs or planning activities that emphasis drug and alcohol-free fun.

"It's hard to measure prevention," Galnore said. "It's hard to measure what doesn't happen."

Students from Leopold High School hope to organize a club that will carry on the Team Spirit goals.

"They'll go back as a unit and carry on those ideas," said sponsor Carlton Thoma. "It's not going to be solved overnight, but it's the right idea."