Rixon Lane Rixon Lane, an 11th grade student at Woodruff High School, was the guest presenter for National Red Ribbon Week.

Lane has been telling stories since he was three years old. He developed his storytelling skills by listening to CDs of other tellers and by practicing on his family and friends. He has presented at festivals around the country and also been a workshop leader at storytelling festivals.

"I use a real event as the basis for my own stories, so they are a jumping off point for me to create a fun and entertaining story," Rixon explains.

For his presentations at Bridge Creek, he used a combination of stories told by adult professional storytellers and a few that were originals of his own, as he has now developed the ability to create his own tall tales.

"I look for ways to use patterns and repetition in my stories, especially for younger children," he adds. Indeed, the Bridge Creek students got so caught up in one story that they began to chant, right along with Rixon, as the story was told to them.

Teachers said students could see a person fairly close to their age who had made a conscious decision to avoid drugs and alcohol by becoming involved in a more positive, educational, and entertaining activity.