STUDENTS GO SILENT FOR A DAY; REPRESENT VICTIMS OF DRUNK OR IMPAIRED DRIVING

Dec. 23, 2011

We’ve all heard of Black Friday, but at Watervliet Jr.-Sr. High School the Friday before holiday recess was “Blackout Day.”

Many members of the Watervliet Chapter of SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) participated in Blackout Friday, during which the SADD members took turns being silent every 20 minutes throughout the school day. During the 20-minute vow of silence, students took notes and exams in class, but they could not participate in classroom discussions or answer questions.

The purpose of Blackout Day was to raise awareness of the disturbing statistic that every 20 minutes one teen is killed or seriously injured as a result of an impaired or "buzzed" driver. The students dressed in black and painted their faces to represent death, each symbolizing a victim who has lost his or her life at the hands of an impaired or drunk driver.

“Many times teens die or are seriously injured for life because of someone’s poor decision,” said health teacher Dennis Robinson. “The students who participated today want everyone to remember that we all have the ability to make healthy choices and decisions such as not to use drugs or drink and get behind the wheel of a car. No one deserves to be the target of drunk or impaired drivers.”