Program offers chance to become a STAR

SWAMPSCOTT – When it comes to high school students, the U.S. Armed Services generally initiates the recruiting process.But not so in Swampscott, where a pair of freshmen have effectively recruited the Army, winning school officials’ support to start a U.S. Army Students Taking Active Roles (STAR) Club.”It’s the same concept as a Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) program, just not as large,” explained one of those students, Taylor Negron. “It appealed to me because it generally builds character in students.””It makes you a better person in general. You get more respect,” added Dan Enos, who said that he began thinking about starting a JROTC program while in eighth grade.”It was just a thought at the time, we were just joking about it, but then we kept talking about it,” he continued. “A little joke turned into a big program, we can be thankful for that.”The two 16 year olds originally organized a petition to start a JROTC program, collecting about 50-60 signatures from students before presenting the petition to high school principal Layne Millington, Enos and Nelson said.Millington told the School Committee at their April 27 meeting that in researching the program, however, he found that Swampscott was too small to have its own program. As JROTC includes a classroom component, Swampscott students could also not travel to participate in another district’s program.The STAR program, however, will be an after-school club, Millington said. The program is modeled after JROTC and is administrated by the U.S. Army to emphasize leadership through installing the Army’s Values-based Loyalty, Duty, Respect, Selfless Service, Honor, Integrity and Personal courage (LDRSHIP) doctrine. In addition to teaching civilian skills such as problem solving, team building and time management, the program also introduces participants to Army history and values, drill and ceremony, land navigation and orienteering, and more.Millington said that the program would provide “another opportunity for kids to get involved” and particularly praised the mentoring aspect – Army soldiers lead the club with a faculty advisor – as something that “we don’t have enough of at Swampscott High School.”He also noted that the program does not require a service obligation for participants, nor do they recruit for the Armed Forces, or conduct combat skills training. The Army covers the costs for students to participate, he added.The School Committee unanimously approved Millington’s request to allow the program.”I think it’s wonderful,” said newly elected School Committee member and middle school nurse Marianne Speranza Hartmann, who said that she had researched the issue when she was approached by the students after being impressed by a presentation at the middle school by members of the Lynn English ROTC program. “There is a population of kids who are really into this” who are not participating in other extracurricular offerings,” she said.Enos and Negron said that they hoped to make the club as prominent an activity as any sport or activity.”There does seem to be significant interest in the program,” said Negron. “I’d like to see it expand and build a reputation for the district.”