Page 4 THE VILLADOM TIMES I • December 12, 2012 FLOW Area Over 1,000 Ramapo High School students recently gathered to hear former NBA star Chris Herren tell his story. Herren spoke of a life of destruction, disaster, and failure, all brought on by an unmatched athletic talent, a dream, and unbearable pressure. His goal is simple: to save one kid from going down the path of alcohol, drug addiction, and suicidal thoughts that took him 14 years to overcome. Herren began by predicting that some of the students in the crowd would shrug off his message because they believe this kind of thing won’t happen to them. He admitted that he was that kid in high school who disputed anyone with an anti-drug message. As Herren walked up and down the court, he stopped on the basketball inlayed on the floor. He stomped on it and told the students that this was supposed to be fun. The pressure for him, he said, was so great that his passion for basketball turned to hatred. Herren’s story began with his high school career in Fall River, Massachusetts. A 6’2” guard, he posted a high school record of 2,073 career points. Among his many accolades, he was named a McDonald’s All American. Recruited by top Division I programs, he played for Boston College until an injury and several failed drug tests forced him out. Herren got a second shot at Fresno State, which earned him the second round draft pick for the Denver Nuggets. He Chris Herren shares his story at Ramapo High School was traded to the Boston Celtics in 2000, earning him his dream job in his home state. Unfortunately, Herren’s drug addiction became his sole focus, and his dream slipped through his hands. Sober since 2008, Herren currently speaks around the country to high school students, college athletes, and major league players. His foundation, The Herren Project, provides assistance to families affected by addiction. Herren also launched Project Purple, anti-substance abuse campaign. Ramapo High School will be participating in Project Purple in January. After the assembly, Herren tweeted, “Totally touched by the students and faculty at Ramapo HS in NJ...Truly grateful for having the faith in me to share it...THANK YOU!!” The idea have Herren appear at Ramapo came from lacrosse player Nate Chung, who heard Herren speak at Rutgers University last spring. Chung reached out to advisers Courtney Zizzo and Melissa Ferro for help. “Herren is a guy like us, and dealing with the same issues many Ramapo students face,” Chung said. “He could really make a difference.” With the support of Ramapo High School Principal Dr. Louis Moore and Ramapo’s parent organization, APTS, Ramapo was able to seal the deal. (Photo credit: Louis Walker III) Chris Herren