BY GARY LEE
STAFF WRITER
Wilson conducted a simulated car crash enactment as part of the Every 15-minutes program from Mar. 5-6.
Every 15-minutes dedicates its purpose to juniors and seniors in high school, targeting those who are learning how to drive. The event consists of a simulated car crash and a memorial the day after, with students acting out the scenario.
The state created Every 15-minutes and the sheriff department offers it to the schools. For each simulation, the industry sheriff works in coordination with a team of emergency responders, ambulance and the coroner to reenact the tragedies of drunk driving.
According to principal Danielle Kenfield, the success of the event came largely from the actors.
“The students who are involved wrote the script and helped out with the preparation and filming of this event,” Kenfield said. “I believe the student actors were able to express their full raw emotions. A lot of people, myself included, were caught up in those emotions.”
Despite the negativity surrounding these types of incidents, Kenfield believes students should try to understand and learn from the experience.
“Some students were really impacted as the actors were their friends, and others might have [related to experiences] from their own lives. For me, even if [lesson] only saves one life, it is worth it,” Kenfield said.
According to teacher Monica Yep, the collaboration between teachers and students contributed to the overall achievement of the event.
“Hopefully [through this event], students will think twice about getting behind the wheel and being the voice that deters their friends from getting behind the wheel, which is why teachers worked closely with students that were selected to be a part of the program,” Yep said.
Overall, junior Kevin Xie perceives the event as an intriguing experience.
“It was interesting to see how a car crash played out [in real time], but some parts of the performance were prolonged and seemed unrealistic,” Xie said.