“I’m at a loss … what am I going to have to do to get parents to listen?”

This was the frustrated voice of Robin Standridge, director of Caring Communities, during the Town Hall meeting Tuesday night. Carthage Caring Communities hosted a Town Hall meeting at the Carthage High School auditorium to discuss underage drinking, and what could be done to prevent it. Eight representatives of community leaders, and a CHS student gave their thoughts on the topic and the effect underage drinking has on them.

Though the number of those attending the meeting could have been counted on two hands, Catherine Hipdon, with Caring Communities, commented to the speakers how thankful she was of the meeting.

“I’m impressed,” she said. “The different aspects of concern you all have is impressive. It shows you care, otherwise you wouldn’t be here.

“It’s obvious tonight,” she said looking over the empty seats, “we need the parents.”
The speakers for the event were: Matt Huntley, vice principal for Carthage High School; Sgt. Mike Watson, Missouri Hwy. Patrol; Lonnie Lund, with the Carthage fire department; Betsy Gunlock, prosecuting attorney’s office for Jasper County; Larry Black, director of Scott Greening; Callee Houlihan, junior at the high school; Kerry Freeman, president of MADD for Jasper and Newton counties; and Sgt. Van Bennett, Carthage High School resource officer.

A topic brought to discussion was the local visibility of adults supplying alcohol to minors, and the school’s actions in punishing students for abusing alcohol. Junior Callee Houlihan said hearing party stories in the hallways of the high school on Monday is no big deal.

“I really think if parents got involved, that would help.” “I hear people blame it on Carthage not having anything to do. Well, it is kinda hard to find something to do, but that’s not a good excuse.”

Black, who has experience in counseling teens, said if teens are not reached soon enough, the problems they will and are facing will become unrepairable.

“It’s not behavior anymore, it’s dependencies,” Black said. “It’s a wonderful thing that the highway patrol and school to intervene. And parents say they don’t have a right, well I guess they care enough about these children and are trying to save them.”

Huntley, who was representing the Carthage High School, said resentment was felt between the school and local parents. He also said the biggest obstacle the school faces is the connection between the students’ homes and the school.

“Our job is to educate the whole student, mind and soul,” Huntly said. “These tragedies (in recent years) require us to try to do something. We never go hunting for these things, when it’s brought to us, we have a responsibility to the students.”

Not just alcohol, but exhalents, marijuana and pill popping were also problems discussed during the meeting.