Local communities came together to enact the mock car crash on Wednesday May 6th. The event took place at RB’s football stadium. After a day of shortened class periods, students were escorted to the stadium at 2:00 P.M. for the event.
The event began with Assistant Principal John Passarella reminding students of an alcohol related car accident from the school’s recent history. |
Senior Clare Walsh and Fire Department in the crash. Brian Wilson |
Local fire and police departments participated by sending squads for the event. The squads worked with student actors to create a dramatization of a car crash. RB worked with Tom Bensfield of the Riverside Fire Department, the North Riverside Fire Department, the Brookfield Fire Department, and the Riverside and Brookfield Police Departments to make this possible. One of the fire departments had to leave at the beginning of the event to respond to a real emergency call.
Six RB students volunteered to participate in the event. The scene created by the students and the participating municipal parties depicted a car accident between two cars carrying high school students traveling to their senior prom. In the fictious scene, four students were taken to a hospital, one was arrested for driving under the influence, and one was deceased. |
The fire departments used equipment to tear the doors off of the cars and stretchers to mobilize the injured students. After the event concluded, Bensfield and Passarella spoke about the significance of the event and urged students to make wise choices and refrain from driving drunk or drinking in the first place.
Special Education teacher and Snowball sponsor Dawn Soprych was in charge of the assembly. Soprych has been running mock car crashes at RB since 1995, and has scheduled one nearly every three years. “I think that if one person thinks before drinking and driving, then it worked,” said Soprych when reflecting on the event. Soprych stated that the purpose of the event was to “realistically and graphically illustrate what can happen when someone chooses to get behind the wheel after drinking. It is an emotional and powerful assembly.”
Senior Karl Buczakowski, who acted in the scene, discussed his motivation for participating. “Seeing a mock car crash really hit home when I was a freshman. It is an important message that everyone needs to get, and being a Senior I feel responsible to be a role model for younger kids”.
Seniors Corie Suzuki, Becca Black, Clare Walsh, Mark Landess, and Junior Nathan Smith, also participated in the assembly.
Soprych hired a DJ from Twilight Party Rentals and professional movie make-up artist Kristen Lamar for the assembly. Student Services representatives were on call in case a student needed support during the emotionally powerful assembly. Student organizations such as RBTV and Photo Club documented the event.
Junior Amanda Healy shared her feelings about the assembly. “It scared me, I was driving around the rest of the day like I was in an egg carton,” she said.
--Submitted by Brian Wilson, Staff Reporter |
