Devin Boulanger, Reporter
Featured photo from herrentalks.com
On March 27, students of all grades will pour into the auditorium to listen to speaker Chris Herren. At this assembly, Herren will discuss the dangers of drug and substance abuse, emphasizing the importance of avoiding the slippery slope that drug use can be.
Chris Herren was a professional basketball player who played for the Denver Nuggets and later the Boston Celtics. Herren was a top prospect coming out of high school and went to study and play at Boston College. After failing multiple drug tests and being kicked out of Boston College, Herren transferred to Fresno State. Throughout his time playing, Herren used drugs to cope with the stress of playing, and this affected his career immensely. “He had such great expectations coming out of high school and going into college,” Health teacher Michael Tiscia said. “Unfortunately, [he]experimented with drugs and then went down a path that he really couldn’t get off of.”
After becoming sober, Herren decided to begin speaking to students through his program Herren Talks, and he has since spoken to over two million students and community members. Chris Herren had previously come to the high school nine years ago, and this year New Canaan Cares suggested that the school bring Herren back for another assembly. Student Support Coordinator Susan Bliss reflected on the process of bringing Herren in. “New Canaan Cares is a wonderful organization with which we work very closely. It was their suggestion, and Mr. Egan and I loved the idea. It was a perfect opportunity,” Dr. Bliss said.
Photo from herrentalks.com
During the assembly, sophomores, juniors and seniors will be in the auditorium; freshmen will be watching in the Wagner room over a broadcast. The assembly will start at 1:00 and end at 2:30. After Chris Herren is finished speaking, there will be a Q&A for students. “We sent out an email to sophomores about generating questions they have, so the Q&A should go smoothly,” Mr. Tiscia said.
Dr. Bliss stressed that students should keep an open mind going into the assembly. She said students might feel like this assembly doesn’t matter to them or that they won’t take away anything from it. “Another person over 30 talking to [them]doesn’t always feel as relevant,” she said. “Sometimes it can feel like, oh, that’s not me. I hope one thing people will take away is that everybody has the potential to have these kinds of difficulties, if not in their lives, in their families or friends.”
This assembly will also connect to the curriculum taught in health classes. In sophomore health class, students watch a documentary called Unguarded, which profiles Chris Herren’s story. During the lessons, students learn about the teenage brain and the effects of alcohol and drugs on it.
Mr. Tiscia spoke about how this assembly will also help connect back to the health class standard of advocacy. “It’s something that ties into the entire health curriculum because it goes into reaching out for help and finding people in your life that will help you,” he said. “I think his story shows that if you can surround yourself with really positive people, you can find the help that you need.”
Dr. Bliss also stressed that students should keep in mind that the importance of this assembly is to share a message that the first night of heavy drinking or drug use can happen to anyone. “It can happen to anyone, even the most talented person in the world who had so much promise and so many opportunities,” she said.
