Bradwell Institute hosted its second annual Prom Promise event last Friday, an event that teaches juniors and seniors about how alcohol and driving are a deadly combination.
There was a roleplay on the campus to recreate what a drunk-driving scenario looks like, complete with two wrecked vehicles and one of the staff portraying the victim.
Hinesville’s police, fire department and EMTs were on the scene, playing their everyday roles. Eleven students portrayed teens who made the fatal choice to drink and drive. They played ghosts who agreed to be selected by the Grim Reaper. They were given the task of being a presence in their classrooms, but not having any kind of direct contact. They couldn’t talk or interact with their fellow classmates.
The faculty at Bradwell stressed the importance of how and why teens should not touch even a drop of alcohol before getting behind the wheel.
“Statistics show that during a typical school day, one student is killed every 30 minutes from either a drug- or an alcohol- related accident,” said Jerry Nelms, science instructor of forensic science and human anatomy. “Thirty-three percent of accidents are involving teenagers, and a third of those involve alcohol.”
Nelms further stressed that students going to prom simply shouldn’t drink — but if they do, they need to find somebody who has not been drinking to take them home.
He also pointed out that the state of Georgia looks at underage drinking differently; an underage drinker can be charged at a 0.2% blood alcohol level, whereas someone who is 21 or older requires .08%.
Daniel Brown, a senior at Bradwell Institute, participated and said this particular event hit pretty close to home, as he lost his godbrother to drunk driving. He wanted to get the message out that teens should not be involved with alcohol, and he supported the event.
“I’m open to it all,” Brown said. “I think drunk driving should be an awareness to be spread throughout the world. It should be something everybody should know about.”
The loss of his godbrother was incredibly painful, but he said he believes that the best thing for him is to keep moving forward.
“When it first happened, it was really hard, but time goes on,” he said. “You start to overcome it. You still think about it, but you still have to move on with your life.”
Brown hopes that this event will teach his fellow students to appreciate the importance of the life they have and how one crucial mistake can end it all.
Another student participant was Zaren Mulkey, also a senior. Like Brown, she wanted to emphasize how important it is for teens to get the message about drinking and driving.
“I figured it would have a great effect on the students here at Bradwell,” Mulkey said. “I see in the news all the time that there are people who have been killed related to alcohol or driving accidents, and it seemed like something that, if any little thing could try to prevent it, I would want it to.”
During the inaugural Prom Promise, Mulkey was selected by her science teacher to participate.
“I wasn’t sure what it was at first, but once I got a feel for it, I wanted to try and help save lives,” she said. “As small as this thing may be, it just seems really important.”
Many of the juniors and seniors were then taken out to the sight where the recreation took place and witnessed what a drunk-driving accident looks like.
Derak Smoke, math teacher and minister, was on hand to read fictional obituaries for each student, and a few other students read poems to symbolize the importance of not drinking and driving.
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