The Students
Against Destructive Decisions (SADD) organization has a strong
chapter at St. Rita of Cascia High School. As prom season rolls
around, the many students who are SADD members take the time to
remind us to be safe and to make smart decisions. Two recent
events on campus tried to send that message home to the St. Rita
student body.
The first event
organized by SADD moderator Mr. Jay Standring and the Rita chapter
was in coordination with the Cook County Sheriff’s Department,
bringing the Teen DUI Prevention Program to campus. This program
(formerly referred to as 3D) aims at educating juniors and seniors
in high school about the dangers of drunk and drugged driving.
The day includes various exercises that place students in the
situation of a sobriety check, while the effects of alcohol are
simulated by special “beer goggles.” The students walk a straight
line, balance on one foot, and drive a golf cart through cone
obstacles both with and without the goggles, and then compare how
difficult it was to complete the tasks in either state. While
these tests get a few giggles, it provides a realistic feeling of
impairment, and the students learn to think twice about what it
means to be in control. An educational video is shown, and
Chicago police officers also answer questions about how to act
during a traffic stop.
A second event
that Rita’s SADD chapter arranged this spring was the “Dead for a
Day” campaign. This exercise is promoted annually throughout the
nation, as SADD members commit to a day of silence to symbolize
their absence as if they had been killed in a drunk driving
accident. They wear all black, paint their faces white, and vow
not to talk to anyone throughout the school day. The community is
encouraged to think about what it would be like if these students
truly were lost. 10 students participated in this year’s Dead for
a Day.
Each of these
events was successful in promoting the message about making safe
and smart decisions. With spring proms, athletic events, and
graduation parties, drunk driving is a mistake our students cannot
afford to make. Thanks to the SADD organization, students are
more aware of the dangers, and can make informed decisions.
Photo: Chicago
Police Officer Theresa Smith offers course corrections to Ryan
Khani ‘08 as he tries to navigate an obstacle course while wearing
goggles that simulate intoxication.
Photo: Coach Dan
Carroll and his Junior P.E. class participated in the Cook County
Sheriff’s Department Teen DUI Prevention Program, which helps
raise awareness about the dangers of drunk driving.
Homepage Photo:
10 members of the St. Rita Chapter of Students Against Destructive
Decisions (SADD) committed to be “Dead for a Day”. They dressed
in black and could not speak all day, in order to symbolize what
it would be like if they were lost to a drunk driving accident.
Standing (left to right): Moderator Jay Standring, Brad Widdel ‘11
(Lakeview Junior H.S.), Mike Rimkus ‘08, Matt Goosherst ‘10 (St.
John Fisher), Sean Gill ‘09 (St. Ethelreda), Jordan Matthews ‘10
(St. Dorothy), Kyel White ‘09 (St. Thomas More), and T. J. Kennedy
‘08. Kneeling (left to right): Joe Carey ‘08 (Christ the King),
Dan Murphy ‘11 (Central Junior H.S.), Juan Barrios ‘08 (Saucedo
Academy).
