Taking the stage in a black T-shirt, jeans and combat boots, John Morello didn’t look all that removed from high school. Teasing the audience at Pilgrim High School about their mascot, he sounded like a stand-up comedian. By the time Morello wrapped up his one-man performance, “Dirt,” Warwick administrators weren’t laughing. “Anything that we do to help kids make better choices is a step in the right direction,” said Victor Mercurio, director of secondary education. The presentation marked the official kick-off of Protect Your Circle, a campaign run through the city of Warwick with the help of public relations firm Advocacy Solutions. Targeting underage drinking, the campaign pledge urges students to protect their circle in the sense that they help their friends and family make healthy choices. Once they sign the pledge, students are given a bracelet to serve as a reminder to look out for one another. “Protect Your Circle is all about students making sure they look out for themselves and their circle,” said Pilgrim Assistant Principal Don Miller. “There is no consequence; it’s more about them making a commitment to something.” So far, Vets has collected 121 pledges, Pilgrim has had 137 students sign and Toll Gate leads the pack with 142 pledges – a total of 400 Warwick students already. After Morello’s performance, it’s likely those numbers will rise. He traveled to all three of the public high schools, acting out the parts of different people – all affected by drugs and alcohol in different ways. Starting out as a teenage “stoner” who thinks marijuana is harmless and ending as an elderly man who turned to alcohol after witnessing the horrors of war, Morello weaves the characters’ lives together to highlight the far-reaching impact of destructive decisions. The impact is a personal one for the actor/comedian, having lost one brother to a drunk driving accident and the other to a drug overdose. He had already begun traveling to schools to spread the message when his brother’s drug addiction became too much. “I continue to do this show with a greater sense of urgency. I don’t preach, I don’t teach and I don’t lecture,” Morello said. “We sit here and we talk about your circle of influence and sometimes that circle can be broken.” Funding for his visit was provided through a three-year federal grant that was sought by city officials like Gloria Fairbanks, the former director of youth services for Warwick. The funding was awarded after statistics revealed that underage drinking is an issue in the city. “Warwick is no different than any other city with similar demographics – it’s something that all kids face,” Mercurio said. He believes that while the problem might not be getting worse, information on it is more readily available and the community seems more aware. “Now that we’re much more cognizant of what the issues are we’re able to respond a little bit better,” he said. The federal grant, at $200,000 a year, began with focus groups and student-based research about the prevalence of underage drinking and drug abuse. “We’ve designed a program that the kids have led us through,” said Mayor Scott Avedisian. Addressing students, he echoed the idea that by including youth in the entire process, they are not only better armed with information, but also are more likely to affect student behavior. “This needs to be your program. You’re all a part of everything we do.” The launch of Protect Your Circle is the centerpiece for the program’s second year, along with money being allotted for training and evaluation and also for the Warwick Police Department. Organizers have partnered with area businesses to provide discounts and incentives for students to sign the pledge. The registration fee for a gym membership at Planet Fitness is just $1 for students with PYC wristbands as opposed to the usual $28.99 fee. Showcase Cinemas is offering $7 discounted tickets as well as special prices at the concession stand, and the AMF lanes in Cranston is giving league rates that cut game prices in half. “We all have a stake in the choices you make and we want to provide healthy alternatives,” Avedisian said to students yesterday. Many of the characters in Morello’s performance did not make the healthy choice, and at times the consequences were severe. He delivers the message with comedy however, and kept students and teachers laughing. “I think he starts off with comedy more to connect with the audience. If the kids are listening to a presenter who’s interesting they’re more likely to pay attention,” Miller said. Morello said he uses humor not only to relate to younger audiences, but because it has always been a vehicle for him to handle his experiences with drug and alcohol abuse. “That was always my coping mechanism. I’ve been through some really gnarly crap and I figured if that’s what helps me I’m sure I’m not alone,” he said. While he kept most students laughing, the program – and the campaign – underscore a much more serious message. “I actually didn’t find it funny. I think humor is what kept everyone attentive,” said Pilgrim senior Dylan Teeter. He said he thinks many students will sign the pledge but questions how committed they will really be. “If we inspired one person then that’s a good start,” countered eleventh-grade classmate David Naam. He said following up with similar events on a regular basis would help drive home the message. Toll Gate Principal Stephen Chrabaszcz thinks taking a unique approach will make a big difference, and he had only positive things to say about Morello’s performance. “If you can help just one child it wasn’t a loss,” he said. The next step for Protect Your Circle is uncertain, though organizers will focus on getting students to sign and are continuing to solicit new businesses to entice kids to stay clean and sober. Vets Principal Gerry Habershaw also said that the schools would stay vigilant in organizing similar programming. “Until you get it down to zero we’ll continue to have programs to try and prevent kids from doing it,” he said. “Hopefully it will hit home for some kids. You hope you can change their course.” Whether the campaign will impact student behaviors remains to be seen, but Morello has traveled across the country and is confident his approach, as well as the individual empowerment in PYC, will be a positive step. “I’m coming in here and I’m doing something different. I think they’re very receptive,” he said.