Pinkgirl36
12-13-2002, 08:45 AM
Even Though I Knew It Was Fake ... (http://www.the-signal.com/News/ViewStory.asp?storyID=1454)
The dangers of drinking and driving were graphically displayed at Canyon High School on Thursday when the students participated in the Every 15 Minutes program.
Based on the statistic that a person is killed every 15 minutes in the United States by a drunk driver, the program re-creates an alcohol-related automobile crash using students and teachers as the “victims.”
Coordinated by Deputy Mike Shapiro of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, this is the second time the program has appeared at Canyon, and it comes on the heels of a death of an 18-year-old former Valencia High School student early Wednesday morning.
The climax of the program is the re-enactment of a fatal car crash on the football field. Senior Melissa Soltero volunteered to be the “drunk driver.” Fellow students Adam Glazier, and Sarah Owens were “DOAs” and Kristin Kelley and Charles Spann were taken to the hospital — Kelley by helicopter.
Shapiro tells the assembled juniors and seniors what each emergency personnel crew is doing as they take victims from the cars. Make-up artists have applied gruesome and realistic “injuries” to each student.
Soltero, the driver, was given a field sobriety test, deemed legally drunk and was transported to the Santa Clarita Station jail where she awaited trial for three counts of vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence.
Several volunteers were taken to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office where they watched an autopsy.
Announcements were made throughout the day beginning at 7:40 a.m. with the name of a student who was “killed” by a drunk driver. The Grim Reaper would appear in the classroom to take the student away. A deputy would read an obituary of the student written by his or her parents.
Those students would be taken to a room where white face paint would be applied, transforming them into the walking dead, unable to speak or interact with their friends throughout the day.
At the same time, deputies were dispatched to the parents’ home or place of work, letting them know of their child’s death. It was very emotional for many parents, the deputies said.
Associated Student Body director Jan Hayes volunteered to be one of the walking dead. Junior Myra Asmatey, 16, a member of the ASB, said the class was very emotional when Hayes was escorted from the room.
“All the girls started crying,” Asmatey said. “Even though I knew it was fake, I got very emotional.”
Counselors spoke to students in each room where the Grim Reaper appeared, telling them they wanted to give the students messages of choices and an increased awareness.
While several of the students said they didn’t drink anyway, another mentioned she was seeing quite a bit of drinking in her circle of friends and in the restaurant where she waits tables.
She said people need to make sure they are not judgmental of those who are drinking.
“If you just say ‘Call me — I’ll come get you’ or if parents say ‘You can always call me, you won’t be in trouble’ it will make a lot of difference,” the student said.
All the students involved in the program spent the night at the Valencia Hyatt where they talked about their experience and wrote letters to their parents.
The parents of the “victims” met at the high school where they heard from Tom and Alice Renolds, parents of two Canyon High students killed in 2000.
Canyon supervisor Juli Green said she thinks the program has an impact on the students.
“I’m making sure my daughter sees this,” Green said. “Kids think it can’t happen to them, but it can. They need to make smart choices.”
The reaction among the teenagers was mixed.
Chad Brown, 16, said he could easily put himself in that situation and thought the program made a difference. His friend, Marty Hillman, also 16, disagreed.
“I know it’s not real and everybody knows that. This won’t affect them,” he said.
Senior Minci Stenson was one of the first to be pulled out of the classroom by the Grim Reaper.
“It was hard not being able to talk to anyone and answer their questions,” she said. You have this lonely feeling all day. At the crash scene, I was so impacted just watching everything, that it brought tears to my eyes.”
Penny Upton, coordinator for Safe Rides, a nonprofit staffed by teenagers who offer free and confidential rides home to those teens who have been drinking, observed the crash scene from the top of the bleachers.
“Initially there were giggles and hoots (from the students), but eventually they were asking their friends to quiet down,” she said.
Today, students will meet in the gymnasium to read letters to their family, who they will be seeing for the first time since Thursday morning, about how they feel about being “killed.”
Shapiro said this is an emotional moment for the students and the families.
Every 15 Minutes will be at Hart High in the spring.
— Signal Staff Writer Liane Klein contributed to this article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know, I think it would be benefical, I graduated in 2000, they were going to do it that year, but decided against it. What do you think? Do you think it will help kids not to drink and drive or is just a waste of money?
The dangers of drinking and driving were graphically displayed at Canyon High School on Thursday when the students participated in the Every 15 Minutes program.
Based on the statistic that a person is killed every 15 minutes in the United States by a drunk driver, the program re-creates an alcohol-related automobile crash using students and teachers as the “victims.”
Coordinated by Deputy Mike Shapiro of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station, this is the second time the program has appeared at Canyon, and it comes on the heels of a death of an 18-year-old former Valencia High School student early Wednesday morning.
The climax of the program is the re-enactment of a fatal car crash on the football field. Senior Melissa Soltero volunteered to be the “drunk driver.” Fellow students Adam Glazier, and Sarah Owens were “DOAs” and Kristin Kelley and Charles Spann were taken to the hospital — Kelley by helicopter.
Shapiro tells the assembled juniors and seniors what each emergency personnel crew is doing as they take victims from the cars. Make-up artists have applied gruesome and realistic “injuries” to each student.
Soltero, the driver, was given a field sobriety test, deemed legally drunk and was transported to the Santa Clarita Station jail where she awaited trial for three counts of vehicular manslaughter and one count of driving under the influence.
Several volunteers were taken to the Los Angeles County Coroner’s office where they watched an autopsy.
Announcements were made throughout the day beginning at 7:40 a.m. with the name of a student who was “killed” by a drunk driver. The Grim Reaper would appear in the classroom to take the student away. A deputy would read an obituary of the student written by his or her parents.
Those students would be taken to a room where white face paint would be applied, transforming them into the walking dead, unable to speak or interact with their friends throughout the day.
At the same time, deputies were dispatched to the parents’ home or place of work, letting them know of their child’s death. It was very emotional for many parents, the deputies said.
Associated Student Body director Jan Hayes volunteered to be one of the walking dead. Junior Myra Asmatey, 16, a member of the ASB, said the class was very emotional when Hayes was escorted from the room.
“All the girls started crying,” Asmatey said. “Even though I knew it was fake, I got very emotional.”
Counselors spoke to students in each room where the Grim Reaper appeared, telling them they wanted to give the students messages of choices and an increased awareness.
While several of the students said they didn’t drink anyway, another mentioned she was seeing quite a bit of drinking in her circle of friends and in the restaurant where she waits tables.
She said people need to make sure they are not judgmental of those who are drinking.
“If you just say ‘Call me — I’ll come get you’ or if parents say ‘You can always call me, you won’t be in trouble’ it will make a lot of difference,” the student said.
All the students involved in the program spent the night at the Valencia Hyatt where they talked about their experience and wrote letters to their parents.
The parents of the “victims” met at the high school where they heard from Tom and Alice Renolds, parents of two Canyon High students killed in 2000.
Canyon supervisor Juli Green said she thinks the program has an impact on the students.
“I’m making sure my daughter sees this,” Green said. “Kids think it can’t happen to them, but it can. They need to make smart choices.”
The reaction among the teenagers was mixed.
Chad Brown, 16, said he could easily put himself in that situation and thought the program made a difference. His friend, Marty Hillman, also 16, disagreed.
“I know it’s not real and everybody knows that. This won’t affect them,” he said.
Senior Minci Stenson was one of the first to be pulled out of the classroom by the Grim Reaper.
“It was hard not being able to talk to anyone and answer their questions,” she said. You have this lonely feeling all day. At the crash scene, I was so impacted just watching everything, that it brought tears to my eyes.”
Penny Upton, coordinator for Safe Rides, a nonprofit staffed by teenagers who offer free and confidential rides home to those teens who have been drinking, observed the crash scene from the top of the bleachers.
“Initially there were giggles and hoots (from the students), but eventually they were asking their friends to quiet down,” she said.
Today, students will meet in the gymnasium to read letters to their family, who they will be seeing for the first time since Thursday morning, about how they feel about being “killed.”
Shapiro said this is an emotional moment for the students and the families.
Every 15 Minutes will be at Hart High in the spring.
— Signal Staff Writer Liane Klein contributed to this article.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I don't know, I think it would be benefical, I graduated in 2000, they were going to do it that year, but decided against it. What do you think? Do you think it will help kids not to drink and drive or is just a waste of money?