By: Jennifer Cook - (3/17/00)
I interviewed Mrs. Christa Myers, a teacher here at Forbush, about her work with FIRE (Focus on Internal Restoration and Education) and Fluid, of which she is the director. For those of our readers who do not know what these two groups are, they are meetings that take place every other Thursday here at Forbush, where participants discuss issues like suicide, mental and physical abuse, etc. FIRE meets immediately after school, from 3:00 pm until 3:45 pm, while Fluid meets from 7:00 pm until 8:30 pm.
Jennifer: What are Fire and Fluid?
Mrs. Myers: FIRE is an after school organization where students can go and discuss serious issues such as abuse, eating disorders, suicide, etc.
Fluid is a spinoff of FIRE. It is a series of four seminars whose focus is more on facts that help educate, rather than on discussion.
Jennifer: What are some topics that are going to be dealt with at FIRE and Fluid, and why do you feel that they are important?
Mrs. Myers: Physical and mental abuse, addictions, eating disorders, depression, and suicide are just some of the topics that we will be dealing with. The reason I feel that these issues are important is because people need to learn how to deal with them so that they can help others and themselves. The only way to stop the abuse and other problems are to make the community aware of them.
Jennifer: Do have any more plans for either of these clubs in the future?
Mrs. Myers: Yes, I plan on finishing the year out with Fluid. We have had such great success this year, I hope to have a longer series of Fluid meetings next year and I also want to bring more attention to FIRE; the kids have a lot of great ideas that I'd like to see carried out.
Jennifer: Is there anything else that you wish to add?
Mrs. Myers: There is one thing, I want to encourage people to come, I am afraid that FIRE has been stereotyped as a place where only people with problems can come to.
