DAPHNE, Ala. — Daphne Middle School seventh-graders learned about a Trojan’s life, courtesy of Daphne High School Principal Meredith Horton and student Russel Beason.

Beason and Horton on Monday joined DMS Principal Tripp Oliphant, John Kinard and Kinard’s life-sciences class to chat about high school life — and bullying.

Beason is the Alabama representative for the Drug Abuse Resistance Education Youth Advisory Board, and he is in the process of applying for the D.A.R.E. America $20,000 scholarship. Beason was nominated by a DHS counselor and was selected by local D.A.R.E. representatives to be on the board around two years ago. Beason’s platform is anti-bullying and combating peer pressure in middle schools and high schools, and he said he is writing an essay about bullying and peer pressure for the scholarship contest.

“In middle school there was some bullying, and when I got to high school there was more of a maturity to know it’s not the right thing to do,” Beason said. “I wrote an essay about what I learned on the Youth Advisory Board. You have to stand up for what you believe in and stand up for what is right.”

Though the topic of bullying and teen suicide receives national attention, D.A.R.E.’s Alabama coordinator, Daphne police Sgt. Robin Snider, said DMS and DHS do not have many bullying reports compared to other schools.

The middle-school students had a bunch of questions for Beason and Horton about what they should expect when they enter the Trojan halls for the first time come ninth grade.

Inquiries included: “Are we allowed to go wherever we want during lunch?”; “Are we allowed to drive our (sophomore) year?”; “What is the dress code like?”; “What type of detention things are there?”; “Is it required to take certain classes?”; “Are there field trips?”; “How many classes do you have?”; and “Are the lockers any bigger?”

Oliphant said he believed the presentation is beneficial for students about to make the jump to high school.

“We’re all about getting students ready for high school, not only academically but also socially,” Oliphant said. “It’s very important that they succeed as a freshman, so it’s good to prepare them in the classroom.”

Studying hard has its perks.

If a Daphne High student passes the graduation exam in reading and math and he or she does not have an average below a 68 in any class, the student may take a number of activities including hunting and fishing, game and video, abdominal workouts, pilates, yoga and science-fiction novels.

The Youth Advisory Board — started by D.A.R.E. in 2000 — comprises 50 members, with one person representing each state. The board gives students an opportunity to speak on national and worldwide issues and to advise local D.A.R.E. programs, government and community leaders on drug and violence prevention strategies.