Issue 14 / March 2016 - Port Byron Central School District

Anna Vincent
Columnist
In Like A Lion, Out Like A Lamb
Around this time every March, people are getting restless having to stay indoors during this
bitter weather, and are ready to welcome in spring with open arms. Spring sports are beginning, and
people are wondering, “Will I get to watch these sports without having to bundle up in a parka?”
According to a common March superstitious phrase, you won’t have to. The saying “In Like a Lion,
Out Like a Lamb,” has been referenced and passed down for many centuries and will hopefully
bring us a nice, gentle “lamb” of an April.
This theory of March beginning cold and bitter, but ending sunny and warm, has many different places where it might have come from. Some believe that because the constellation Leo (the
lion) is rising in the sky early March, hence in like a lion, March will begin rough and cold. Then,
rising by early April is the Aries constellation ram, or lamb. This is believed to be how the saying
got its start. Others believe that this saying came from the mood swings of Mother Nature throughout the month of March, somedays like a lion, others like a lamb.
With the crazy ups and downs of weather seen in Central New York, it is almost impossible to predict what the weather will be like in a few days, much less
a couple weeks. Don’t put too much of your heart and soul into this
phrase hoping for that lamb to reappear. Just enjoy the warm days as
they come, because you never know when that roar of a lion will scare
our precious lamb away.
Printing
Brought To
You By:
Attention Poets!
The Panther Press Team is looking for guest
poets for our special edition Panther Press to celebrate
Panther Press Staff Poetry Month.
Anyone in grades 7-12 is eligible to submit poems for the issue; all poems will be accepted but only
a few can be published. Poems should be from the
heart, but remember to keep them school appropriate.
They will be accepted in the guidance office or
through our Panther Press email account:
[email protected].
Poems will be accepted until March 24th. Happy writing!
Questions? Comments? Concerns?
Feel free to contact us!
[email protected]
Staff Editor: Miss Rao
Editing Chief of Staff and
Senior Columnists:
Tyler Guarnieri
Maddie Jorolemon
Katie Locastro
Molly Ryan
Kaitlyn Sevilla
Eric Stabinsky
Columnists:
Kaleigh McLoughlin
Kristen Sevilla
Marissa Recckio
Emma Redmond
Sophie Redmond
Emily Ryan
Abbey Vincent
Anna Vincent
On behalf of the Panther Press Team, we’d like to
thank you for reading this issue! Be sure to come
back for more of Port Byron’s best newspaper!
PANTHER PRESS PRINT EDITION: PART OF PORT BYRON’S STUDENT MEDIA GROUP
Generating opportunities for students to create media; broadening perspective, increasing marketability upon
graduation, and reaching out to the local and global community.
Port Byron High School’s Newspaper
Sophie Redmond
Columnist
Only the Best From the Panther Press
March 2016
Established 2011
Volume 6, Issue 14
Fuller House
Since 1987, the beloved TV show, Full House, has been watched by thousands of families
in the United States and is so popular that it even still runs today. The show conveys how families
have their ups and downs, but can always count on each other. Because of the wide popularity of
the show, producers decided to take something old and create something new.
The new Netflix original series, Fuller House, features several actors from the original series reprising their roles, including Candace Cameron-Bure as D.J. Tanner, Jodie Sweetin as Stephanie Tanner, and Andrea Barber as Kimmy Gibbler. On the original show, these actresses played
children, but now they each have a family of their own. D.J. is now a widow (like her father Danny
was during Full House), so Stephanie and Kimmy offer to move in to help her raise her children.
Fuller House aired on February 26th, 2016. That morning the show was premiered at 3 a.m., leaving many die-hard
fans skipping sleep so they could get the first bite at this new
series. The first episode was practically a family reunion, only
lacking the adored Michelle Tanner, played by twins MaryKate and Ashley Olsen. However, Bob Saget, John Stamos,
and David Coulier made appearances as Danny, Jesse, and
Joey, respectively.
With the entire season being aired on Netflix, many fans already finished season one, and
they’re craving more. Luckily, on March 2nd, less than a week after the initial airing of season one,
the cast announced that due to the popularity, Fuller House season two is officially happening.
There’s still one question that keeps popping up. Many are wondering what Mary-Kate and
Ashley Olsen are thinking about not joining the cast.
According to romper.com, Mary-Kate said, “It would have to be me because Ash doesn’t
want to do it. But the timing is so bad for us.”
Many of the fans, and cast members, are still holding out hope.
Hopefully, Fuller House will continue on with more seasons on Netflix. Fans are also
hoping that either Mary-Kate or Ashley Olsen will at least make a guest appearance within the
next season. Although everybody thought the house was full in 1987, the house is now a whole lot
fuller.
Tyler Guarnieri
Senior Columnist
A Note on Notes
It is minutes away from midnight, and a student sits in his bedroom hopelessly trying to study for a unit
exam the next morning at eight o’clock; his only means of “studying” is sitting there with a textbook on his lap,
flipping through page after page. Suddenly he wonders, “How come my teacher never gave my class a sufficient
amount of notes needed for the test?” What would a sufficient amount of notes be considered? Normally this would
consist of notes that have all the information that would be on an exam, and maybe even a little more “miscellaneous” information.
The sad thing is, there are countless students in today’s society that have gone through a similar situation.
The reason is that some teachers just prefer to talk about the subject that they are teaching instead of making notes
to give to the students. This is called “lecturing,” and it is typically done in college settings, which is acceptable,
since students in college settings are obviously more advanced than those of high schools when it comes to learning
and teaching.
In 1970, a study was done by British cognitive psychologist, Michael Howe, which concluded that students
were seven times more likely to retain information one week after it was presented, so long as the information
was given in any form of notes (learn2study.org). In fact, there are multiple forms of notes that one can take! For
example, there are Cloze notes, which are more commonly known as “fill-in the blank” notes. There is the Cornell
Method, which is more beneficial in a “lecture” classroom setting. Then there is the Outlining Method; this method
closely resembles an actual outline that one would use in an English class before starting a rough draft of an essay assignment (using bullets and dashes and placing the most important information on the left side of the paper
and more specific points on the right). There is the Mapping Method, which is where there is the main idea of the
subject/lecture being taught, and then one would draw lines off of that main idea with the different points about the
idea. So for example, the main idea could be Communism, then one could draw a few lines off of that and write
down a few characteristics of Communism. These are just a few of the many different styles that are out there.
Despite this Howe’s findings, some teachers prefer to simply lecture about the subject that they are teaching and have the students base their notes off of the lecture. This is an acquired skill that more and more high school
aged students find they still need significant guidance with, instead of being cut loose to fend for themselves. Sometimes that independence can be difficult to navigate.
Supporting Howe’s 1970 study, students in our very own school think they would benefit from more
guided note-taking practices as well. When asked, “Do you think you benefit more academically when teachers type
out notes on the Smartboard for you to copy and/or print out pre-printed notes, instead of teachers giving lectures?”
most students had similar responses.
Junior Charlene Canale responded, “On one hand, yes I do! However, I like when teachers hand out the
‘fill in the blank’ (Cloze) notes.”
Senior Amanda Wilczek weighed in, saying, “I feel that I benefit more when teachers type out notes on the
Smartboard because it is easier for them to elaborate on the topic so the students can grasp the concept easier.”
Collin McLoughlin, an eighth grader at Port Byron, said “Yes, I think
I do better with the printed-out notes because I can study more effectively
with them and they aren’t in my own words, they are in the teacher’s.”
It is interesting to see how ready and willing students are to take and
study notes that are given to them, but are they willing to take notes based off
of a teacher’s lecture? If not, could this be a form of laziness on the student’s
part?
Sources:
http://www.learn2study.org/teachers/notes.htm
http://www.sas.calpoly.edu/asc/ssl/notetakingsystems.html
Marissa Recckio
Columnist
Where Are They Now?:
Panther Alumni, Zach Recckio
Many students may know my brother, Zach Recckio, a 2015 Port Byron graduate.
He is presently attending Niagara University, pursuing a degree in Hospitality and Tourism
Management. Recckio is involved in a lot of activites and clubs on campus, so he seemed like
the perfect person to answer a few questions to get the inside scoop about the life of an active
college student.
What are you involved in at Niagara?
“I am involved in Student Government, I am also a member of the Club Managers
Association of America (CMAA), which advances the profession of
club management by fulfilling the educational and related needs of
its members. We recently visited San Diego, California for a CMAA
World Conference, which is a networking event for students and club
managers where we also attend education sessions about the club
industry. I am also the Secretary of the Class of 2019. I am involved
in different committees throughout our Student Government Association. I also participate in a club volleyball team.”
What is the best part about your major?
“All the opportunities for different jobs, traveling, and internships.’’
What are your plans for internships?
“This summer, I will be interning at Chevy Chase Club in Chevy Chase Maryland. I will be a
rotational food and beverage intern. A rotational internship is when you get to rotate through
all the different aspects of the club, like banquets, fine dining, casual dining, and grounds
work. I applied for the Disney College Program for the fall of 2016 semester, and hope to get
accepted and intern at Walt Disney
World in Florida.”
Where do you see yourself in the
future?
“I will graduate college, and I eventually hope to be a general manager
at a platinum rated country club or
work at a five star resort.”
Molly Ryan
Senior Columnist
The Return of Wellness Day
There are many teachers and faculty working hard
to pull together the first Wellness Day Port Byron will have in
years. Wellness Day will be held on March 23rd for the entire
day. Come dressed and ready to move and learn ways to be
healthy and active both physically and mentally!
Wellness Day used to be an annual event at Port Byron, but hasn’t occurred in over five years. Planning this year’s
Wellness Day has been a group effort, sparked by our principal
Mr. Vaughan.
The much-wanted return of Wellness Day was addressed by Mrs. Danyluk, who is a part of the Wellness Day
planning team. “It is an important thing to have,” she said.
Mrs. Garofano, also part of the Wellness Day planning
team, said, “I was here for the first one. It was way back - back
when there was still a middle school, and I believe it was K-12.
I’m glad it’s being brought back this year!”
The student body is very excited for Wellness Day
also. Seniors are especially excited, since they almost missed out
on the day completely, with their 7-11th grade years all taking
place during the Wellness Day hiatus.
Seniors Shannon Sikora and Dante Benson are most
excited for the “college stressors” presentation.
“The college stressors presentation could be really
helpful to you older kids. Former students will be coming back
and sharing ways to stick with [college]” said Mrs. Garofano.
“I’m excited to see what past graduates know now that
they can tell us, that they didn’t know when they were in high
school” said Shannon. She is also excited to see how the full day
will come together and how it will all work. When asked what
she does now to stay active, Shannon replied with a short and
sweet “sports and squats.” She added, “I try to eat healthy, but
pizza sometimes gets in the way.” Shannon, along with many
other students at Port Byron, are excited to learn new, fun ways
to be active and healthy.
Wellness Day will offer a great deal of variety and
therefore will be different for each student. The morning will
start out with guest speakers in the auditorium for everyone
in grades 7-12. The guest speakers include a panel of parents
(some with children who are either struggling with or have succumbed to a heroin addiction), Cayuga County Sheriff Gould,
the District Attorney, Jon Budelmann, Kevin Hares, and the
director of CHAD (Confidential Help for Alcohol and Drugs).
“I am really excited about the keynote speaker. It is
recognizing the serious heroin epidemic,” said Mrs. Garofano.
(See “Ithaca Mayor Providing a Safe and Supervised Spot to
Shoot Up” by Kaitlyn Sevilla for a closer look into this issue).
After the keynote, students will branch off into five
consecutive sessions, each 40 minutes long. Each student will
attend four guest speaker sessions and one activity. These are
chosen based on the students’ ranked choices chosen in P.E.
classes prior to Wellness Day.
“It’ll be a full day with guest speakers to kick off
with sessions about health and wellness,” said Mrs. Danyluk.
Some of these information sessions include college
stressors, healthy eating, LGBT awareness, coping with mental illness, alcohol and drugs awareness, and teen pregnancy.
Those listed are only a few of the diverse options the students
chose from.
“The teen pregnancy session is new this year. Former and current students will be honest about the challenges
that come along with being a teen parent. I admire them for
sharing their journey,” said Mrs. Garofano.
During one of these 40 minute time slots, the students will attend an activity session. These include new age
of fitness, pilates, taekwondo, Y-cuts, and cardio kick-cut.
All of these short classes will be helpful in showing students
ways to workout and be active, and have fun while doing it!
After this, at one o’clock, there is a dodgeball tournament. This is always a popular event in the high school.
Teams of ten will compete, and all for a good cause. The
money raised from the dodgeball tournament will go toward
The American Heart Association.
In the past, students have not taken advantage
of planned days like Wellness Day. Historically, special
days have resulted in low attendance with large amounts of
students leaving early; this includes days with pep rallies,
planned days before school breaks, and the last day of school
(“Yearbook Day”). The hope of everyone involved is that students come and stay the entire time and can leave with some
new and valuable information.
“I came up with prizes for the students who stay
through the whole day. In the last sessions, names of students
will be put into a drawing to win gift cards. I believe we have
nine or ten that were donated,” Mrs. Danyluk said.
Be supportive of the great things Port Byron has
to offer, and take advantage of this day that is sure to benefit
you in more ways than one!
A huge thank you goes out to Mr. Vaughan, Mrs.
Hargreaves, Coach Ford, Mr. Barber, Mrs. Pirozzolo, Mrs.
Danyluk, and Mrs. Garofano for their efforts to bring back
this event. Remember to thank them on March 23rd, which is
the much anticipated Wellness Day!
Emily Ryan
Columnist
Playing it Safe
Last year, Port Byron started a new safety patrol system, where well-behaved fifth
and sixth grade students can patrol the hallways to keep students safe. The safety patrol
gives out “Caughtya Cards” to classmates who are following the rules, as positive reinforcement for a job well done.
As said by sixth grade student Taylor Cuddeback, “I think it is very effective because it helps kids stay safe.”
Safety is the number one priority for Pamela Rice and Alexandra Stafford, also
sixth graders, who sounded happy about the opportunity to help make the hallways a
secure place.
The safety patrol enforces the rules to everyone in the hallways between 3:00 and
3:20 every day. There are around ten to fifteen workers between the fifth and sixth grades.
There are forms that these students fill out (similar to a general application form) to apply. The safety patrol students give up a study hall each day to keep the halls safe. These
students are good role models to their peers; they are very generous and determined to
help the school community.
Haleigh Reese
Columnist
Odyssey of the Mind in Our School
As I walked by Mrs. Wells’ room a couple weeks ago, I noticed papers surrounding her door and immediately grabbed one once I noticed what it was. It was a volunteer form to work the Odyssey of the Mind
(OOTM) competition on March 12th and it reminded me of the great memories from my favorite extracurricular activity we no longer have at Port Byron.
For years, OOTM was a very popular extra curricular at Port Byron, with teams ranging from 4th
grade to 12th grade. The OOTM program, cliché as it sounds, shaped me into the person I am today; it challenged me to think outside the box, problem solve, and work with people I never thought of working alongside.
OOTM is all about the team members, where no assistance from an adult or anyone outside the team is
allowed. The team members are given an outline they have to follow in order to answer a proposed “problem.”
From there, they have to make a skit with props and a set to compete with at the regional competition.
In years past, Port Byron’s students have brought home regional and state titles many times. This is
a very big accomplishment, especially while competing against anywhere from 10-30 teams regionally and
statewide. So why is it that we don’t have this program in our school anymore?
In my opinion, the problem is that OOTM takes a lot of time and effort to be ready for competition,
and that is a lot of work for both students and coaches. There has been a huge decline in interest and coaches
since the program started at the school. It is such a shame that not many people want anything to do with the
program, but it is possible for the student body to change that.
If OOTM seems like the club for you, then at the beginning of the upcoming school year (fall 2016),
find a teacher willing to coach, get some friends together to make a team, then contact Mrs. Wells, who is head
of the Gifted and Talented Program (the program through which OOTM is run) at our school. Together we can
get the OOTM program back at our school and keep the extra-curricular going for many years to come.
Kristen Sevilla
Columnist
Kate Winslet, nominated for Best Actress
in a Supporting Role,
shocked fans as she
appeared in a black silk
dress by Ralph Lauren.
She paired the dress
with diamond earrings,
a ring, and a diamond
bracelet by Nirav Modi.
Kaleigh McLoughlin
Columnist
Oscars Fashion
Lady Gaga turned
heads in a custom white
jumpsuit and strapless
neckline by Brandon
Maxwell, her stylist.
$8 million Lorraine
Schwartz jewelry
finished her red carpet
look.
Kerry Washington,
the Scandal star, looked
stunning in a black and
white leather bodice
gown. She paired the
gown with a matching
Atelier Versace clutch,
black pumps, and
vintage Harry Winston
jewelry.
Abbey Vincent
Columnist
Rachel Mcadams, Best
Actress in a Supporting Role
nominee, chose a backless
jade-colored August Getty
Atelier halterneck dress
which she wore with Stuart
Weitzman heels. She completed the look with numerous rings, diamond earrings,
bracelets, and a Salvatore
Ferragamo clutch.
Young Life
There are many organizations that revolve around religions; they help to inform others and spread their
beliefs in a calm and kind manner. One close to home is called “Young Life.” Many of our own Port Byron peers
are involved in this, one being Jamarah Owens.
Owens explains Young Life as an organization that is “constantly giving me opportunities to grow as a
person and experience new things! I’ve made friendships with so many people that I’m sure will last a lifetime! I
get to look up to some pretty awesome leaders that help me through a lot of situations, whether it be a small problem or exceedingly big one!”
Not only does Young Life have a religious association, but it provides a positive environment for adolescents to come together and enjoy themselves.
One part of the Young Life organization is the early morning breakfasts that take place every Thursday.
“Young Life Syracuse West is made up of schools like Skaneateles, Marcellus, Weedsport, Port Byron,
and Tully. On Mondays, all the schools meet for Club and every other day of the
week, each school has a morning where anyone can meet up, eat breakfast, play
games, and listen to a leader read some scripture from the Bible,” says Owens.
Kids from all over the area come before school just to hang out, eat
a
good breakfast, and start their day off in a positive way. Anyone is able to join,
no matter their belief system or background. For information about joining Young
Life, you can contact Jamarah Owens, her email is [email protected].
Global Warming Warning
Almost everyone can agree that we have had some particularly odd weather patterns this winter. This could be a sign of climate
change not only in New York, but around the world.
While a milder winter might sound nice to some, there are
many harmful side effects of global warming in New York, specifically in the areas of agriculture and economy.
First, there are the ever-present rising sea
levels, which will likely affect as much as 15 feet
of shoreline property by 2080, costing billions of
dollars in lost property and land. The rising sea
levels will also increase the saltwater intrusion on
freshwater systems, which will in turn affect our drinking water
levels dramatically.
The problems don’t stop there; when freshwater sources are
affected, so are the fish living in those bodies of water. Many tree
species, such as Maple and Paper Birch, will only grow in areas
north of New York if temperatures continue to rise as they are now.
Along with this, New York will likely see a 10-20% increase
in risk for forest fires due to unusually dry weather. Lastly, the air
quality of New York will degrade dramatically due to increased
temperatures and ground-level ozone. All of these might lead to
higher heat related deaths, increased asthma rates, and related other heat related fatalities.
All in all, don’t celebrate global warming just to get a tan in
February, it is definitely not worth it.
Katie Locastro
Senior Columnist
What Does The Easter Bunny
Have To Do With Easter?
For years, kids have known Easter to be the time for the Easter Bunny
and coloring eggs. However, many people don’t realize that bunnies and
eggs have nothing to do with the real meaning of Easter.
Easter originally has roots in religion, and to many practicers of Christianity, it marks the date when Christians believe Jesus arose from death,
three days after his crucifixion (a slow and painful death upon a cross) on
what is called “Good Friday.” So, where does the Easter bunny myth come
from?
In the seventeenth century, the idea arose in Europe. Rabbits are a sign
of rebirth, a symbol associated with the religious origins of Easter. Close to
a century after the idea came about in Europe, the immigrants brought the
idea over to America. However, the bunny isn’t the only animal that is associated with Easter.
In Switzerland, children wait for the Easter Cuckoo to deliver Easter eggs, and in Germany, children wait for the Easter Fox, Chick, Rooster,
or Stork. As for the Easter egg, in Europe, it used to be a tradition during
Lent that religious practicers were not permitted to eat eggs. On Easter, also
marking the end of Lent, it was a privilege to be able to eat them again. This
is where the hard boiling of eggs came into play.
When it came to decorating these eggs, the wealthy used to give each
other beautifully encrusted eggs as gifts for Easter. The idea originated in
19th century Russia when Czar Alexander III ordered a well-known artist to
make him jewel-encrusted eggs for his wife, therefore
inspiring the modern coloring of eggs.
Even though these ideas have nothing to do with
the real meaning of Easter, they are still fun and are
entertaining for kids. Next time you think of Easter,
try to remember its real origins instead of just the bunnies and colored eggs.
Emma Redmond
Columnist
Saving Port Byron’s Old High School
On June 23rd, 1991, Port Byron students cleared the halls of 27 Church
Street (now the site of the Church Street Apartments) one final time, saying
goodbye to a building full of memories that was their former high school.
Over twenty years later, Port Byron historian, Mike Riley, is starting
talk of the old high school being restored. Most locals know the high school
now as “the apartments” or just another old building among so many others.
But Mr. Riley and those who attended school there, see it as it was before it
was repurposed and are pushing for the school to be returned to its former
glory.
Although the old high school has held up all these years, it was created
to be a make-work project during the Great Depression. Make-work projects
were opportunities, created by the government, to make jobs for unemployed
at the time. They were created to make work, hence the name “make-work”
project. Port Byron didn’t have a centralized school, since the former school
was destroyed in a fire. When the school was constructed, it wasn’t uncommon for these make-work projects to happen; in fact, Cato and Union Springs
did the same thing. After the project was over, what was left was remarkable
architecture and a new school for Port Byron.
For 54 years, this school suited the needs of the community, until the
threat of asbestos became a serious problem. Tim Wisniewski, Port Byron
Schools Superintendent at the time, pushed for yet another school change. It
was at this point, the Church Street school was changed into what we know
today, apartments and storage.
Recently, alumni have been trying to
recreate the old school. But as the result of no
one wanting to do the job, the school remains a
memory. Mr. Riley is reaching out for others to
join the effort and writes frequently about this
and many other problems on the Port Byron
Facebook page.
Kaitlyn Sevilla
Senior Columnist
Ithaca Mayor Providing a
Heroin is an opioid painkiller that can
sometimes take away more than just pain. According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse,
in 2014, the number of heroin related deaths was
over 10,500; that is a six-fold increase from 2001
(drugabuse.gov). It is important to remember that
these deaths are 100% preventable.
The mayor of
Ithaca, New York,
Svante Myrick, is
proposing a plan to
build the nation’s
first Supervised
Injection Facility
(SIF). A SIF is a
legally sanctioned
and medically superSvante Myrick, Mayor of Ithaca vised facility in
which illegal drug users can actively use drugs.
The goal of SIFs is to reduce the burden of public
drug use and provide a clean, stress-free environment that can foster a desire for treatment and
sobriety.
Around the world, only 68 SIF are in
existence, with just one of those being in North
America: Vancouver, Canada.
Ithaca is a college town, with two major
institutions; Cornell University and Ithaca College. The city of 30,000 is described as having a
“hippy, alternative ambiance.” Myrick said he does
not believe that the heroin problem in Ithaca is any
worse than that of a city anywhere else, but stands
firmly behind the belief that even one overdose is
too many.
Chris Arnade, of The Guardian, writes,
“Ithaca is politically liberal, offering an array of
programs focused on drug prevention, as well
as treatment and harm reduction. This includes
rehabs, health clinics, a well-maintained homeless
shelter, daily free meals, and a clean needle program.”
While the city of Ithaca has taken a considerable amount of action in fighting the heroin
epidemic, there is still a growing need for the
prevention of overdoses. Myrick’s plan, known
as “The Ithaca Plan,” views the drug problem
as more of a public health concern rather than a
crime, and focuses on treatment rather than jail
time (rawstory.com).
“[SIFs have the ability to] save lives, reduce illnesses and help people kick heroin,” says
Myrick.
Harm reduction organizations seek to
meet an addict where they are, find out their
background and their needs, and tries to identify various strategies that can be employed to
promote health and reduce the risk of the harmful
consequences that result from drug use.
“Harm reduction is a really traumainformed approach to giving… the individual
who’s suffering, who’s had… so much hope,
so much freedom, so much safety taken from
them… the control over choosing when they feel
comfortable and safe enough to try something
different, to try to find themselves again. When
we try to force people into abstinence… we’re
robbing them of their freedom and their safety,”
says former addict, Cortney Lovell, the program
officer for Young People in Recovery, an organization that supports all pathways of recovery.
Unfortunately, it isn’t uncommon for
heroin users to “shoot up” (inject heroin) in public areas. Street corners, hidden alleyways, parks,
playgrounds where children play, even moving
cars, are among the most common of locations
for drug injection.
Many heroin users often share needles,
increasing the potential of users contracting various conditions such as the hepatitis C virus and
human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).
A goal of SIFs is to provide a safe location for heroin addicts to inject the drug under
Safe and Supervised Spot to Shoot Up
the supervision of a nurse. SIFs also provide
safe, clean needles for users in an area where
they don’t have to feel stressed or pressured. This
ideally prevents a variety of physically harmful
conditions, such as an abscess (a confined pocket
of pus that collects in tissues, organs, or spaces
inside the body, often occurring after an drug
injection when a person is tense or stressed).
Along with supervised injection facilities,
Myrick’s plan includes heroin-assisted treatment,
24-hour crisis center, an Office of Drug Policy,
and a youth apprenticeship program aimed to
keep kids away from drug use (huffingtonpost.
com).
Many people believe that opening a
SIF will only increase the heroin usage. Dr.
Brian Johnson, an addiction psychiatrist at Upstate Medical University, has his doubts about
Myrick’s plan.
“The horrible thing about addicted people
is they don’t do what you tell them to do,” said
Dr. Brian Johnson (syracuse.com).
While the United States struggles to adapt
a plan that will decrease the number of heroinrelated deaths, the SIF in Vancouver, “Insite,”
has seen great success since its opening in 2003
(supervisedinjection.vch.ca). It has administered
over one million injections, and yet not a single
overdose has occurred. The opening of Insite did
not lead to increased crime or an increase in drug
users moving to the area. It has been shown that
those who use Insite’s services are more likely to
try detoxification services, the first step to sobriety from heroin.
The city of Vancouver has saved six million dollars from preventing HIV since opening
Insite, while New York City continues to spend
ten million dollars a year on prevention and treatment of such conditions (everywherebutsafe.org).
“Everywhere But Safe” is a documentary
that explores public drug injection in areas such
as New York City, Albany, Schenectady, and more.
The film is roughly a half-hour in duration and
features users of heroin, public health experts, and
government officials. Scan the QR code to watch
the documentary.
While at first it may seem strange to have
a building where its sole purpose is to provide a
location for illegal drug use, the motives behind
SIFs are much more logical and compassionate.
Introducing SIFs and harm reduction methods allows the individuals to make the choice to become
a healthier, cleaner, better version of themselves.
“That’s what all this work is for… to provide people with just a little taste of dignity. Because that taste of dignity can grow into an entire
appetite for self-care,” says Lovell.
Pictures courtesy of: ithacavoice.
com and hereandnow.wbur.org
Resources:
https://www.drugabuse.gov/
related-topics/trends-statistics/
overdose-death-rates
http://www.rawstory.com/2016/03/
fighting-the-war-against-harmithacas-mayor-svante-myrick-isleading-the-charge-against-theheroin-epidemic/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/ithaca-heroin-injectionfacility_us_56cb58ace4b0928f5a6ca2c8
http://www.syracuse.com/health/index.ssf/2016/02/ithaca_proposal_to_let_heroin_users_shoot_up_under_supervision.html
http://supervisedinjection.vch.ca/
http://everywherebutsafe.org/stayconnected/