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Ashlyn Rice, (photo left)  a fourth-grade student at McCurdy Elementary School in the Hazelwood School District, won first place at the local level and first place at the regional level in Florissant Elks Lodge #2316’s annual anti-drug poster contest. Her winning design, which was made into T-shirts, advanced to the state contest. Fifth-grade student Shaun Martin (right_ won second place and third-grader Landon Johnson (center)  won third place.
(Posted April 5, 2011)
“I drew my poster with feet stomping on drugs – cigarettes, pills and alcohol,” Rice said. “It said at the top, ‘Crush drugs, don’t let them crush you, not now, not ever.”
This year, the Elks’ theme, “Not now – not ever!” had to be incorporated into the posters’ designs. Colored mainly in red and blue on white fabric, Rice incorporated a popular brand of pain capsules and used beer bottles in her poster design.
“I felt pretty excited about winning,” she continued. “Normally, I’m not the arty type. Mrs. Crull inspired me because she did one last year. It was a very happy day because normally I don’t win very many things.” Linda Crull is the school’s art teacher. Rice won a $100 U.S. Savings Bond while the boys each won $50 savings bonds.
“Ashlyn’s work is very strong,” Crull said. “Her family threw a big party for her. Her father wanted to buy the T-shirts for family and friends and that was before they found out she went to state.”
Combining communication skills with art, Crull said she asked the students to take verbs like crush and depict the action they describe. She outlined the poster design process.
“They started with the slogan first, then the drawing. They don’t draw first; they use lots and lots of words. When I began this project, it’s a two-fold – language arts plus illustration.”
Martin’s poster read, “There’s no need for weed, not now, not ever,” and shows an older woman standing holding a garden hoe as she stands over a row in a vegetable garden.
“Shaun is really shy,” Crull said. “It really surprised me when he continued with this project but he really wants to win. His biggest decision was the illustration.”
Johnson’s poster shows a large clown face and the words, “Not now, not ever will I clown around with drugs.” Johnson said drawing a clown sounded like a good idea after discussing it with Crull.

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