Life Decisions, No Drama Here
More stories from Alison Norwood
Shattered Lives is a program which shows the consequences and possibilities of making the choice to drink and drive.
Students volunteer their time to show other students what could happen to any one of them if they make the choice to drive intoxicated.
The students play their roles to the best of their ability in hope to touch others and warn them of the costly dangers of driving while intoxicated.
The students play their roles to the best of their ability in hope to touch others and warn them of the costly dangers of driving while intoxicated.
The program is a serious portrayal of a five car fatal accident scene involving students; the students are either dead on scene, the drunk driver, or are life flighted.
“ It didn’t even seem real,” said junior Merritt Coleman.
Shattered Lives touches many people’s lives in a very real and emotional way.
“ I will never drink, text, or drive distracted ever again after experiencing Shattered Lives,” said Coleman.
Students saw a horrific enactment of the wreckage and what could happen to them if they make the choice to put their lives and others in danger.
“The entire time I was just thinking no, this isn’t happening, this isn’t happening,” said Coleman.
Friends and families who see their child or a friend on the scene covered in the fake blood often can not handle it.
“It was tough. Hearing my mom cry and not being able to do something about it; not being able to comfort her sucked,” said junior Juan Rubio.
Other kids do not feel affected by the scene and sometimes laugh or do not show any emotion.
“ I did not cry because I do not like to cry in front of others, but when I saw people laugh or joke about Shattered Lives I became really upset. Shattered Lives is not a joke,” said junior Amber Hicks.
The students who participate in the “living dead” portion of the program are required to walk around with their face painted white and are not allowed to talk to anyone.
“I felt disconnected from everybody and everything,” said Coleman.
The students who participated in the car crash scene are not seen in the school for the day and the next, to simulate the real feeling of “they’re gone.”
“ It was weird not talking to them all day,” said senior Maren Wicker.
Freshman and sophomores are not given the privilege of seeing or participating in the program but are able to look up the video on youtube.
“ Yes, everyone should have got to experience it,” said Wicker.
The effect the program has on teenagers lives is surreal. The students encounter life changing experiences with the Shattered Lives program.
Everyone involved in making the program possible wants to keep our generation from making these poor decisions in order to save our young lives.