Red Ribbon is one of the most important weeks for the Dublin Unified School District, not to mention one of the most celebrated spirit weeks at DHS. Red Ribbon week was celebrated this year on the week of October 23 and the experience prompted many of DHS students’ memories of previous Red Ribbon Weeks, which made a real difference in their lives.

“Red Ribbon Week, throughout my “academic career” has been an occasion that I subtly look forward to every year. When I was at Nielsen for kindergarten and first grade, my idea of Red Ribbon Week was simply dressing up and getting free pencils, but I think that over the years, being drug free has become especially important in my life. Red Ribbon Week even inspired my, albeit amateur, interest in leadership during the fourth grade, and I’m glad it did. I’m so grateful that our schools participate in such a fun and interactive way of teaching kids what it means to be drug free.” –Arsya Sinha (10th grade)

“Red Ribbon Week has really opened my eyes up to the harmful effects that substance abuse can have on people and made me realize how important it is to maintain a healthy, drug free lifestyle.” –Tinni Mukherjee (9th Grade)

“Red Ribbon week reminds me of how my dad’s smoking took a huge toll on his life and got to the point where quitting became very difficult. But Red Ribbon week also reminds me of how hard he worked to put smoking behind him for the welfare of his health and his family.” –Raksha Nathawat (12th Grade)

“Red ribbon week symbolizes the community joining together to fight against an epidemic of drug abuse that our nation must unite to fight.” –Neil Bedi (11th Grade)

“Almost anyone at a school would know exactly what Red Ribbon Week represents: a joint effort within our country and the world to raise awareness against drug and alcohol abuse. That is how successful our efforts have been in the past few decades. Yet there have still been many cases, and some students have their own personal stories. I, myself, remember how my uncle was an avid smoker in his younger years. Although he made a strong effort to remove it from his life, it had already taken its toll on him, and he passed away last year. Red Ribbon Week lets me appreciate everyone who cares about such a problem, and I love that it encourages student participation in a more fun way than just an assembly in the middle of class” –Adi Menon (11th grade)

“Red Ribbon Week made me more aware and educated about drugs and the effect they have on your life.” –Kiana Meagher (11th Grade)

“Red ribbon week serves as a reminder that drug abuse is still alive and the consequences still real. Seeing uncles, grandparents, and other relatives abuse substances and face the repercussions of it, red ribbon week gives me the courage to pledge to be drug free all my life” –Keshav Dixit (12th Grade)

“Red ribbon week has shown me how cool it is to be drug free” –Moushmi Gazula (12th Grade)

“Red Ribbon Week has taught me a lot over the years about being “too cool for drugs,” which is the main goal of the effort itself. However, it has given me much more than that. It has given me the courage to speak up and apply that knowledge to help others in my life. As a child, I learned that my grandfather was a heavy drinker and tobacco user, and I was too afraid to face him because the way I learned that was when I saw his behavior towards the rest of my family. As I learned more and more with Red Ribbon week, I got the courage that I needed to use my voice and convince him to change to a healthier lifestyle. This experience has taught Red Ribbon week is not only about warning kids to stay away from drugs,  but also to encourage people to be leaders in the community and promote better decisions for a good life.” –Archita Padmanabhan (11th Grade)

“Red ribbon week really makes me think about how dangerous it is to take drugs, and realize how much a value a healthy life really has.” –Marriam Anjum (11th Grade)

“Red Ribbon week, to others, meant that they got an extra spirit week to dress up and be creative. I see that overall, the majority of students really don’t see the message that is trying to be conveyed which is preventing the use of drugs. To me, Red Ribbon week is important because we are spreading awareness for an extremely important cause. At this age, we must be aware of the dangers of drugs and see the full picture of how it can affect a person. We need to educate ourselves and spread awareness to help gain a healthy, drug-free environment.” –Jazmyn Carungay (11th Grade)