Call it a case of positive peer pressure.  Student council members at Hixson Middle wants to see their classmates reach their goals, and they don't want poor health to an obstacle.

8th grader Jessica Wolf says "we tried to just make everything pretty clear and say participate this will help you in the end and achieve more." :08

With help from the school system's Coordinated School Health department, student leaders organized a series of "health competitions" to target things like cardio, coordination, and respiration.   8th grader Michael Shrouder says "like blowing q-tips through straws and hula hooping and jump roping and keeping up with volleyball and balancing."

Nearly 100 students ventured into school early to compete, hoping to master an activity and earn a prize.

This marks the first of four healthy living activities students hope to put on this school year. Another one being planned, deals with cancer.  Deana James, Student Council Advisor, says "we know we want to do something in May, because we have a lot of our students and their families that have been affected by cancer. So we want to do something at that point in time."

These health competitions come as a student enhancement to the county's existing STAR's program, which asks students to pledge not to use drugs or tobacco.  Organizers welcome the addition.  "That's the way they're going to be productive citizens in the future, is to make those good choices now," says Kathy Fraley.

"And that's the message we're always trying to send out to our students, we want this school to be the best school, we want our kids to be the best kids, we want them to be the healthiest kids," says James.