Eye on Ruapehu College

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 12, Issue 581, 11 April 1995, Page 4

Eye on Ruapehu College

By Ruapehu College Pupils C Bishop and L Hiscox Numerous activities in the past fortnight have kept pupils and teachers on their toes. The first club cycle began on 29 March, offering students a wide variety of options including a mechanics course for girls, the Smokefree Stage Challenge, help with Ohakune Primary School sport and in the making of resources for the Maori Department. Drugs Talk The cultural group, Te Roopu Waiata-a-Ringa, gave yet another welcoming powhiri, this time to North Auckland drug counsellors, Mr and Mrs Epiha, when they visited the college to speak about drug and alcohol awareness. The need for awareness among pupils is exceptionally important as they are at a stage where vulnerability and curiosity lead to experimentation, they said. Mr and Mrs Epiha expressed their deepest concerns about the effects of drugs including alcohol on everyone concerned. "Marijuana affects you physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually," warned Mr Epiha. North Island Athletic Championships. The North Island Secondary School Athletic Championships were held on the weekend 1-2 April. Ruapehu pupils Charmian Oh, John Hays, and Tania Clark from the college represented the Wanganui Region. John came seventh in the intermediate boys highjump. Tania finished

fifth in her 100 metre sprints heat and in the top six for triple jump. Charmian gained fifth placings in both the 1 00 and 200 metre sprints. Charmian and Tania competed in the senior girls 4 x 100m relay coming sixth. Charmian also ran in the 4 x 400 relay team, placed seventh. Victorious Show Jumpers Thirty schools from around the lower North Island competed in the Wanganui Show Jumping Competition held on 29 March. The Ruapehu College team, outriding the other 29 hopefuls, gained an outstanding first place. Hastings came second and Horowhenua third. Debating The college team had its first debate against Hato Paora on 3 April, on the moot, "The pen is mightier than the sword" - Ruapehu affirming. Captain Lyndsay Amner from the Officer Cadet School adjudicated. The team consisting of students Sandra Smith, Amy Smith (np relation), and Joanne Barclay were victorious over Hato Poara 495 - 449.