Enjoy Homecoming!

By Chuck Kajer

Homecoming is a rite of fall. Schools large and small celebrate the event. It's a time for the community to gather and celebrate the new school year and to rally around the local football team.

Homecoming has many traditions. There is the parade, the coronation, powder puff football and, of course, the game.

But there are some traditions that aren't worth keeping. One of those is teenage drinking. For too many teens, and for too many generations, Homecoming celebrations have included alcohol.

Never mind the obvious - it is illegal for teens to consume alcohol - there are just so many other reasons to avoid falling into this tradition.

If you're involved in high school activities, you run the risk of being suspended from the team or activity. You not only lose out for yourself, but you let down your teammates who have been counting on your contributions.

There are too many examples of kids drinking and driving, or of drinking and making poor decisions. A new ad campaign in the Twin Cities focuses on the consequences of drinking to excess. Not the kind of consequences that cause legal problems, but the kind that cause a person to lose the respect of their peers or lose friendships altogether. That's an area that hasn't been emphasized much in the past, and one that may be far more effective than other ad campaigns.

So this weekend enjoy homecoming. Cheer on the Trojans at the game, enjoy the dance and other activities. We hope you can do this without drinking and possibly doing something you will regret later. That's the kind of news we don't like reporting in this newspaper.