When: Tuesday, March 17th, St. Patrick's Day, 7PM - 9PM
Where: At the Depot
Who: Beach and CHS students
What: Party - music, food, games, prizes, fun.
Why: Good excuse to hang out with your friends until 9pm on a school night.
How much: Free entry for everyone who wears something green, $5 for everyone else.
Come and join the fun! It will be a blast!
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Boredom and Entertainment
On the subject of small towns like Chelsea, where there is nothing to do...
"People young or old who complain about the boredom "out there" in their town should look inside, where they'll find that their boredom really comes from within. Boring people get bored. Some local kid complaining about how there's nothing to do in Chelsea mostly just needs to, as they say, get a life: find the wisdom or backbone to engage with other people and get a larger purpose than filling his or her hours scanning for a new amusement. Entertainment is itself like a drug: you develop tolerance, and, eventually, you need bigger and bigger hits, until, eventually, you just sit there on the couch thinking there's nothing much to do. There are plenty of bored people in Manhattan: it's not the place, it's the person. Outfits like SRSLY can help not by providing more amusements to soak up teen ennui, but by hosting opportunities for people to discover what joy and purpose can be found in engagement with and service to others, even if most people are a pain in the butt in one way or other. You're never really going to be happy until you stop trying to stay entertained, and Chelsea's as good a place as any, and probably better than most, to figure that out. Wherever you are, you're going to find your happiness in the people around you, if you find it at all. So seeing as how we're here, let's have another party, y' know?" - Jeff Prenevost, SRSLY Coalition Member, currently working with Ellen and Katie Christie to plan the entertainment for our St. Patrick's Day Party.
Still think Chelsea kids drink and do drugs because they're "bored?"
"People young or old who complain about the boredom "out there" in their town should look inside, where they'll find that their boredom really comes from within. Boring people get bored. Some local kid complaining about how there's nothing to do in Chelsea mostly just needs to, as they say, get a life: find the wisdom or backbone to engage with other people and get a larger purpose than filling his or her hours scanning for a new amusement. Entertainment is itself like a drug: you develop tolerance, and, eventually, you need bigger and bigger hits, until, eventually, you just sit there on the couch thinking there's nothing much to do. There are plenty of bored people in Manhattan: it's not the place, it's the person. Outfits like SRSLY can help not by providing more amusements to soak up teen ennui, but by hosting opportunities for people to discover what joy and purpose can be found in engagement with and service to others, even if most people are a pain in the butt in one way or other. You're never really going to be happy until you stop trying to stay entertained, and Chelsea's as good a place as any, and probably better than most, to figure that out. Wherever you are, you're going to find your happiness in the people around you, if you find it at all. So seeing as how we're here, let's have another party, y' know?" - Jeff Prenevost, SRSLY Coalition Member, currently working with Ellen and Katie Christie to plan the entertainment for our St. Patrick's Day Party.
Still think Chelsea kids drink and do drugs because they're "bored?"
Friday, February 13, 2009
SRSLY Survey Sensation Sweeping Chelsea!
By: Allie Reynolds, 7th grade
Attention everyone in Chelsea: SRSLY needs your opinion! The Chair of the Marketing and Evaluation sub-committee of SRSLY, Angela O’Neill, has created a survey designed to get the public’s opinion on SRSLY. It is brand new and posted visibly at www.SRSLYchelsea.org. It was designed to give SRSLY the push they need, and to let SRSLY know what people think. It takes less than five minutes to complete and is a great way to get your thoughts and opinions into SRSLY.
The results will be used to tell SRSLY what the community wants, and where to really focus their efforts. Anyone who has internet access should take this survey because the members of SRSLY need to know everyone’s opinion. So log on to www.SRSLYchelsea.org and give us your ideas.
This survey is very important to SRSLY because it tells us what people think, and it lets SRSLY know what our next step should be.
Madisen Powell, Secretary of the Marketing and Evaluation sub-committee says, “A survey is important because it helps SRSLY know what they need to work on, and what the community and SRSLY don’t agree on.”
SRSLY needs the people of Chelsea to tell us what they want us to do about destructive behavior in Chelsea youth.
“A survey is important because it’s always helpful to get other kids’ and parents’ opinions on SRSLY,” says Julia Porter, 7th grade student and member of SRSLY.
This survey is a great way to get the community’s voice to the leaders of SRSLY.
“This survey is important because we need to know where we’re starting before we can know where we’re going,” said Reiley Lewis, the Director of SRSLY. “This information will help us see if SRSLY is making a difference in the community.”
The results of the survey are going to be presented on March 12th, so hurry and take the survey before it’s too late. We want as many people as possible to take the survey. The more opinions the better, so spread the word! If you’re a parent, tell your kids and the people you work with. If you’re a kid, tell your friends. The students at Beach Middle School have already started taking the survey. Please help SRSLY by giving them your ideas. If you have access to the internet, be sure not to miss this opportunity to get your ideas into a local organization! So give us your thoughts, beliefs, and ideas on SRSLY, and take the survey. Give SRSLY a piece of your mind!
Attention everyone in Chelsea: SRSLY needs your opinion! The Chair of the Marketing and Evaluation sub-committee of SRSLY, Angela O’Neill, has created a survey designed to get the public’s opinion on SRSLY. It is brand new and posted visibly at www.SRSLYchelsea.org. It was designed to give SRSLY the push they need, and to let SRSLY know what people think. It takes less than five minutes to complete and is a great way to get your thoughts and opinions into SRSLY.
The results will be used to tell SRSLY what the community wants, and where to really focus their efforts. Anyone who has internet access should take this survey because the members of SRSLY need to know everyone’s opinion. So log on to www.SRSLYchelsea.org and give us your ideas.
This survey is very important to SRSLY because it tells us what people think, and it lets SRSLY know what our next step should be.
Madisen Powell, Secretary of the Marketing and Evaluation sub-committee says, “A survey is important because it helps SRSLY know what they need to work on, and what the community and SRSLY don’t agree on.”
SRSLY needs the people of Chelsea to tell us what they want us to do about destructive behavior in Chelsea youth.
“A survey is important because it’s always helpful to get other kids’ and parents’ opinions on SRSLY,” says Julia Porter, 7th grade student and member of SRSLY.
This survey is a great way to get the community’s voice to the leaders of SRSLY.
“This survey is important because we need to know where we’re starting before we can know where we’re going,” said Reiley Lewis, the Director of SRSLY. “This information will help us see if SRSLY is making a difference in the community.”
The results of the survey are going to be presented on March 12th, so hurry and take the survey before it’s too late. We want as many people as possible to take the survey. The more opinions the better, so spread the word! If you’re a parent, tell your kids and the people you work with. If you’re a kid, tell your friends. The students at Beach Middle School have already started taking the survey. Please help SRSLY by giving them your ideas. If you have access to the internet, be sure not to miss this opportunity to get your ideas into a local organization! So give us your thoughts, beliefs, and ideas on SRSLY, and take the survey. Give SRSLY a piece of your mind!
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
SRSLY Fun New Year's Eve Party
What a great party! I hope the rest of the 200 people at the Seriously Fun, SRSLY New Year's Eve Party had as much fun as I did.
Hard to say what my favorite part was... I LOVED the music! I had never seen the Chelsea House Orchestra play before, and I was definitely impressed. Very cool. Of course I also enjoyed seeing so many kids having fun - playing Guitar Hero, getting their faces painted, decorating cookies (suppiles donated by Cole Funeral Chapel), and playing soccer and basketball. But I think best of all was watching friends and families work together to eat half a pie (donated from Meijer and Polly's) during the final event in the SRSLY Olympics. I know everyone was already full of pizza (donated by Jet's and Thompson's), donuts (donated by Pierce's), sandwiches (donated by Zou Zou's), popcorn, and pop... oh, and six different kids of chili, all washed down with cornbread! But even with those busting bellies, every team dug deep and ate their share of pie.
Hard to say what my favorite part was... I LOVED the music! I had never seen the Chelsea House Orchestra play before, and I was definitely impressed. Very cool. Of course I also enjoyed seeing so many kids having fun - playing Guitar Hero, getting their faces painted, decorating cookies (suppiles donated by Cole Funeral Chapel), and playing soccer and basketball. But I think best of all was watching friends and families work together to eat half a pie (donated from Meijer and Polly's) during the final event in the SRSLY Olympics. I know everyone was already full of pizza (donated by Jet's and Thompson's), donuts (donated by Pierce's), sandwiches (donated by Zou Zou's), popcorn, and pop... oh, and six different kids of chili, all washed down with cornbread! But even with those busting bellies, every team dug deep and ate their share of pie.
Best of all, the whole thing was the idea of kids. You guys came up with this concept at our SRSLY youth meeting way back in November. You said that there need to be more good options for fun things to do on evenings and weekends in Chelsea - and look what happened! The great thing about this community is that adults really do care about kids, and they want to help them be happy, and support them in their decision to stay drug and alcohol free. So when you guys said you wanted a party, adults made it happen. Of course, we couldn't have done it without your help at the brainstorming session (as a non-gamer, I never would have thought to have Guitar Hero there, but that was definitely a highlight for lots of people at the party!) So keep those ideas coming, and if we continue to work together, we can make lots more good stuff happen.
Obviously this type of fun doesn't just happen - it takes time and energy to plan and coordinate all the moving parts, and it takes warm bodies to make it happen when the time comes. Everyone who came owes a HUGE thank you to the following volunteers, who helped plan, organize, and pull off the srsly fun party:
Andy Ingall
Abby Ingall
Pat Conlin
Beth Morris
Jason Boyer
John Knox
Cyndi Jabara
Samantha Jabara
Nancy Fritzmeier
Thuy Bui
Sara Wild
Chris Stehlik
Patty Sweeney
Tim Sweeney
Tracy McCormic
Emma Argiroff
Hope Morrow
Jim O'Neill
Angie O'Neill
Nancy Siegrist
Gary Siegrist
The Rotary and Kiwanis Clubs of Chelsea also deserve a big thank you for their donations of funding for supplies and refreshments, as does the Chelsea School District for the donation of space and equipment. (Pat Little suggested we use the smartboards for video games - genius!) And thanks to the McCormic Family for donating all the black balloons. They looked great with our green ones. :)
So in closing, thanks to everyone who made this possible, and I can't wait for the SECOND annual SRSLY Fun New Year's Eve Party!
Monday, November 17, 2008
SRSLY Youth
On Thursday, November 13, nearly 60 kids filled the Beach Middle School library to answer one question: What can we do to prevent kids in Chelsea from drinking and doing drugs?
The SRSLY Youth Meeting brought together local 10 to 18-year-olds who shared their ideas about the SRSLY Program and ways to connect with Chelsea’s youth about high-risk behavior. Working in groups of six or seven, the attendees came up with over 50 different ways to prevent underage drinking and drug use. Facilitators included teachers and Link Leaders from Chelsea High School and Beach Middle School, youth pastors, a librarian, and parents.
This is what we are all about. This is the whole point of SRSLY. We are a team, made up of very different people, who all want the same thing. We want kids in Chelsea to be happy and healthy, and make good decisions about drugs and alcohol. And the best way to achieve that is to let the kids take the lead. That's exactly what happened last week, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Thanks to all those who came and shared their great ideas.
The SRSLY Youth Meeting brought together local 10 to 18-year-olds who shared their ideas about the SRSLY Program and ways to connect with Chelsea’s youth about high-risk behavior. Working in groups of six or seven, the attendees came up with over 50 different ways to prevent underage drinking and drug use. Facilitators included teachers and Link Leaders from Chelsea High School and Beach Middle School, youth pastors, a librarian, and parents.
This is what we are all about. This is the whole point of SRSLY. We are a team, made up of very different people, who all want the same thing. We want kids in Chelsea to be happy and healthy, and make good decisions about drugs and alcohol. And the best way to achieve that is to let the kids take the lead. That's exactly what happened last week, and I couldn't be more excited about it. Thanks to all those who came and shared their great ideas.
If you want a chance to speak your mind and share your ideas, your chance is coming up tomorrow (Tuesday, 11/18, 6:30 - 8pm at the Washington St. Education Center cafeteria). Can't make it tomorrow? Keep checking the calendar at www.srslychelsea.org/calendar. We'll have another big meeting in early December.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Why We're Here
Last weekend, something terrible happened. Two Chelsea teens, Ian Hughes and Anna Herter, were killed in a dirt bike crash on Friday evening, November 7th, 2008.
What we know is that they were on a dirt bike, it was after dark, and they weren’t wearing helmets. There is some speculation that alcohol was involved, but that has not been confirmed. Whether or not alcohol was involved, riding a dirt bike in the dark with no helmet on is very dangerous. If alcohol was involved, then it made an already dangerous situation even worse. Now Anna and Ian are gone, and everyone who knew them will miss them very much. Our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and families.
But it didn’t have to happen this way. SRSLY is here because we want to make sure this stuff doesn’t happen anymore. But if we’re going to do that, we have to work together. We are lucky to be part of a community of people that care about each other. Now we have to work together, as a community, to try and prevent tragedies such as this one from happening again.
What we know is that they were on a dirt bike, it was after dark, and they weren’t wearing helmets. There is some speculation that alcohol was involved, but that has not been confirmed. Whether or not alcohol was involved, riding a dirt bike in the dark with no helmet on is very dangerous. If alcohol was involved, then it made an already dangerous situation even worse. Now Anna and Ian are gone, and everyone who knew them will miss them very much. Our deepest sympathies go out to their friends and families.
But it didn’t have to happen this way. SRSLY is here because we want to make sure this stuff doesn’t happen anymore. But if we’re going to do that, we have to work together. We are lucky to be part of a community of people that care about each other. Now we have to work together, as a community, to try and prevent tragedies such as this one from happening again.
Friday, November 7, 2008
SRSLY Youth
October was a fun time to be part of SRSLY. Between Project Sticker Shock, the Link Crew Homecoming Tailgate Party, Anti-Drug posters and lessons with 5th and 6th graders, and having kids sign up to join SRSLY left and right... the past month was totally awesome!
With Project Sticker Shock we COVERED Chelsea businesses with bright green stickers and posters, reminding adults that buying alcohol for minors is in fact, illegal. Seems simple enough, but what really got everyone's attention (including the Ann Arbor News and Chelsea Standard) was the fact that kids were the ones sending the message! 40 CHS students joined together with Chelsea PD and 19 local businesses to raise awareness about the penalties for buying for minors, and send the message that it is srsly not ok.
Over 300 South Meadows students worked on posters to promote a drug-free lifestly in Chelsea as part of the "What's your anti-drug?" poster contest. Kids drew themselves running, horseback riding, skateboarding, reading, climbing trees, and hanging out with their friends and family, because these are all healthy things that help them stay drug-free. For their community service project, Girls on the Run participants brought completed posters to businesses on Chelsea's Main St. and asked them to display the posters in their stores. Once again, the message that kids want to live above the influence is heard that much more clearly when it is coming directly from kids.
So here's what we need now: more youth involvement. Adults can only do so much with SRSLY. I need every kid in Chelsea, between the ages of 10 and 18, to come to a meeting on Thursday night, November 13th, at Beach Middle School library from 6:30 - 8pm, and share your ideas about what we can do to prevent destructive behavior in Chelsea youth. I want to hear why you think kids in this town drink or do drugs, and I want to hear how you think we can keep that from happening in the future. No, scratch that... I don't WANT to hear your ideas. I NEED to hear them! Because let's face it, you guys are the ones on the front lines. You know what's really going on. So you know better than any adult what should be done about it.
Plus, I'll have lots of pizza at the meeting. So even if you don't have any ideas right now, you should come anyways. You'll get to eat some food, see your friends, and hear their ideas. And I'm sure after talking about this stuff for a little bit, you'll come up with some of your own.
Then after you come to the youth-only meeting on the 13th, make sure you join your parents at the community-wide meeting on the 18th, at the Washington St. Education Center cafeteria. That's where we'll tell adults in Chelsea all the great ideas youth had, and get to work on implementing the chnages you asked for.
With Project Sticker Shock we COVERED Chelsea businesses with bright green stickers and posters, reminding adults that buying alcohol for minors is in fact, illegal. Seems simple enough, but what really got everyone's attention (including the Ann Arbor News and Chelsea Standard) was the fact that kids were the ones sending the message! 40 CHS students joined together with Chelsea PD and 19 local businesses to raise awareness about the penalties for buying for minors, and send the message that it is srsly not ok.
Over 300 South Meadows students worked on posters to promote a drug-free lifestly in Chelsea as part of the "What's your anti-drug?" poster contest. Kids drew themselves running, horseback riding, skateboarding, reading, climbing trees, and hanging out with their friends and family, because these are all healthy things that help them stay drug-free. For their community service project, Girls on the Run participants brought completed posters to businesses on Chelsea's Main St. and asked them to display the posters in their stores. Once again, the message that kids want to live above the influence is heard that much more clearly when it is coming directly from kids.
So here's what we need now: more youth involvement. Adults can only do so much with SRSLY. I need every kid in Chelsea, between the ages of 10 and 18, to come to a meeting on Thursday night, November 13th, at Beach Middle School library from 6:30 - 8pm, and share your ideas about what we can do to prevent destructive behavior in Chelsea youth. I want to hear why you think kids in this town drink or do drugs, and I want to hear how you think we can keep that from happening in the future. No, scratch that... I don't WANT to hear your ideas. I NEED to hear them! Because let's face it, you guys are the ones on the front lines. You know what's really going on. So you know better than any adult what should be done about it.
Plus, I'll have lots of pizza at the meeting. So even if you don't have any ideas right now, you should come anyways. You'll get to eat some food, see your friends, and hear their ideas. And I'm sure after talking about this stuff for a little bit, you'll come up with some of your own.
Then after you come to the youth-only meeting on the 13th, make sure you join your parents at the community-wide meeting on the 18th, at the Washington St. Education Center cafeteria. That's where we'll tell adults in Chelsea all the great ideas youth had, and get to work on implementing the chnages you asked for.
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