NewsAcademicsCounseling
Students stand for saving lives
Apr 26, 2007 12:00 AM
By Tannika King - Faculty
Written by Andrea Freygang, Rome News-Tribune Staff Writer, published 4/26/07
Twenty-three Darlington students “died” Wednesday in a mock drunken driving wreck on campus. Throughout the day, a grim reaper visited classes and selected students to be “killed” by a drunken driver. While the accidents weren’t real, the intended impact of getting students talking about drunken driving in advance of the prom this weekend was.
Victims with white face paint carrying signs bearing statistics like “71 people a day die because of drunk driving” visited classes.
They didn’t speak with other students, and all had a cross with their name on it placed next to a wrecked car on the school lawn.
“All week we’ve been doing activities to remind students to be safe for the prom,” said Jill Pate, director of personal counseling. “We wanted to do this because traffic fatalities tend to increase this time of year in the 15 to 25 age group, and ... we want them thinking about this.”
When the wrecked car showed up Tuesday night, students immediately began wondering what was going on and talking about it. “People have been talking about it all day because it’s really strange to see all these people not talking, laughing or smiling,” Kate Waters, a junior, said Wednesday.
Norman Bonnyman, a senior who was visited by the reaper, said people tried to joke about it until they noticed he wasn’t responding to them. “At first they tried to poke me and make me laugh as they laughed about it, but eventually the laughter tapered off and they spent 20 minutes talking about what it would be like to lose a family member,” said Bonnyman. “As I walk down the halls, people have been talking about it.”
Tiffany Dempsey, a senior, said one friend cried when he saw her death-like face. “Regardless of how they respond, by laughing, crying or talking, at least they are thinking about it, and it is forcing them to react,” said Pate.
The victims left class early to gather by the wrecked car and crosses in their names, which some of the “ghosts” said were creepy. When students got out of class, they saw 23 drunken driving victims.
“I hope this gets them talking about it because it’s easier to make a good choice if they think about the consequences,” Pate said. “They’re uncomfortable with death, and we want them to be uncomfortable with drunk driving.”
Twenty-three Darlington students “died” Wednesday in a mock drunken driving wreck on campus. Throughout the day, a grim reaper visited classes and selected students to be “killed” by a drunken driver. While the accidents weren’t real, the intended impact of getting students talking about drunken driving in advance of the prom this weekend was.
Victims with white face paint carrying signs bearing statistics like “71 people a day die because of drunk driving” visited classes.
They didn’t speak with other students, and all had a cross with their name on it placed next to a wrecked car on the school lawn.
“All week we’ve been doing activities to remind students to be safe for the prom,” said Jill Pate, director of personal counseling. “We wanted to do this because traffic fatalities tend to increase this time of year in the 15 to 25 age group, and ... we want them thinking about this.”
When the wrecked car showed up Tuesday night, students immediately began wondering what was going on and talking about it. “People have been talking about it all day because it’s really strange to see all these people not talking, laughing or smiling,” Kate Waters, a junior, said Wednesday.
Norman Bonnyman, a senior who was visited by the reaper, said people tried to joke about it until they noticed he wasn’t responding to them. “At first they tried to poke me and make me laugh as they laughed about it, but eventually the laughter tapered off and they spent 20 minutes talking about what it would be like to lose a family member,” said Bonnyman. “As I walk down the halls, people have been talking about it.”
Tiffany Dempsey, a senior, said one friend cried when he saw her death-like face. “Regardless of how they respond, by laughing, crying or talking, at least they are thinking about it, and it is forcing them to react,” said Pate.
The victims left class early to gather by the wrecked car and crosses in their names, which some of the “ghosts” said were creepy. When students got out of class, they saw 23 drunken driving victims.
“I hope this gets them talking about it because it’s easier to make a good choice if they think about the consequences,” Pate said. “They’re uncomfortable with death, and we want them to be uncomfortable with drunk driving.”
