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Week Six
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Monday
April 18, 2005 - Benicia High School (Benicia,
California) Week 6 kicked off in Benicia California at Benicia High School. This school was hidden in a little neighborhood just off the 780 freeway. Our show setup was on the football field and the whole school came out for an hour-long assembly. We thought the kids were going to have to sit far away in the bleachers, so we were a little shocked when they were allowed to come down and crowd around the ramp.
They were a pretty loud crowd and seemed to be enjoying the show. At the end things got really interesting. We did our normal anti-smoking trivia for giveaways but one side of the crowd was way better than the other when it came to getting the answers. Normally its pretty even but today, one side got the bulk of the right answers. Either those kids were better listeners or for some strange reason, the speakers on the other side weren't working today. The teachers were very enthusiastic about the program. We even had a health teacher and a gym teacher come watch the show from inside the barricades.
-- Jimmy
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Tuesday April 19, 2005 - San Marin High School (Novato, California) We are still staying in the Vallejo area this week but our shows are a little spread out over the north bay area. Today we had a good 30 minute haul to get us over to Novato. It may have been a long one but it sure did have plenty of scenery. San Marin High is nestled in the hills just off the 101 freeway. They had a huge field for us to set-up on and we did an assembly show for the whole school.
Once again we thought we were going to have to use the bleachers but the teachers and principal were cool enough to let the kids onto the field to surround the ramp. It makes all the difference in our shows when the crowd is close. It's easier to interact with them, especially during the trivia giveaways, and you also get to meet some kids who are really jazzed about the anti-smoking messages.
The trivia session was a little tougher today. I asked the students to tell me a good smoking fact in order to get the GOT MILK? skateboard. Now whenever I do that, I always get the usual and obvious answers like, "it gives you cancer" or, "it makes your teeth yellow". It usually takes about 10 minutes or so before someone busts out with something really good, and like I said, I don't do this every day - but today I had a feeling. What little anti-smoking nugget earned that GOT MILK? skateboard today? One student informed me that by the time you smoke your 3rd cigarette, you are already well on your way to becoming addicted to nicotine.
-- Jimmy
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Wednesday April 20, 2005 - Novato High School (Novato, California) When doing a tour of this scope and duration, you always have to be prepared for a few bumps in the road. Novato High school today was our bump. Due to schedule changes at the school, our show today was at 12:30, which was also the time school let out - so needless to say, our crowds were less than what we're used to seeing. Event though the crowd was small, they got into it and loved why we were there.
Today I also had the opportunity to help someone out. One of the student's mothers came to watch the show. This girl's mom has smoked for most of her life and was planning on quitting in the future. After the show I chatted with her for awhile about tobacco and I feel I actually made a difference. I pretty much convinced her to quit immediately and to find excuses to stay away from cigarettes as opposed to making excuses as to why to quit at a later date. That's about it for today's update. Tomorrow we are in Napa and then it's off to Stockton to the Asparagus Festival.
-- Jimmy
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Thursday April 21, 2005 - Napa High School (Napa, California) Last day of school shows for week 6 of the GOT MILK GRAVITY TOUR found us at Napa High. It's an older campus with an old restored building at the front that is now the district office. We had a great set-up area between two buildings on the basketball courts. The show was one big assembly with the whole student body. Everywhere you looked around the ramp, there were 15 rows deep of kids. We did a 35 minute show and then did our trivia for GOT MILK? giveaways.
Most kids get the better part of my anti-smoking trivia questions but every now and then I get a school were someone teaches me something new about smoking. When that happens, its usually one kid. Today's show, I had a pack of kids who stuck around for a solid hour after the show and busted out tons of smoking facts. We even had a teacher stick around and throw a few facts out as well. We are now heading off to the Stockton Asparagus Festival. Next stop on the high school is Los Angeles.
-- Jimmy
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