e15m
wow. the most amazing experience of my entire life, to date, happened yesterday and today.
i'm not sure if it's ever come to your school, but the every 15 minutes program came to my school yesterday and today. i've been on the planning committee and all that, so i knew alot more about what was going on than most, but it still blew me away.
i have never felt more emotions at once than i did yesterday when i died. and even before that i had to sit in class, waiting for death to come. seeing my friends removed from class before me, be killed, had tears streaming down my face, something that repeated itself many times over throughout the course of the event.
at lunch there was a mock accident in which 5 students were involved; 3 killed, 1 injured, 1 the drunk driver who caused the scene. watching my friend mateo have a sheet thrown over his head after they removed him from the windshield of the burgundy oldsmobile was one of the most horrible things i've ever witnessed. jenny's breakdown and sincere tears at having caused harm to her friends had the crowd in awe.
after school, all of the people who had died from either the grim reaper or in the accident met up to go on a retreat. we went to pumphreys funeral home to learn about what our parents would have to go through to bury us if we were killed. this alone was enough to disuade me from ever driving drunk. i had to leave that place, because after looking at the coffins for 20 minutes i thoguht i was going to be sick.
upon reaching the retreat, we met our guest speaker lisa bard, a survivor of a drunk driving accident that put her in a wheelchair at the age of 15, when she was struck while crossing the street. her amazing story of recovery, most physically and mentally, had all 30 students and 10 adults sobbing. we also had a group share about how alcohol and the days events had touched each of us.
at school today we had a culminating assembly, where the memorial video was shown and the students were given a chance to read our speeches. anyone who saw the video knows it was emotional, especially watching police chief treschuk breakdown when he was informed his daughter maddie had died. when it was time for speeches i knew i wouldnt be able to get through mine, because i had even cried reading it in rehersal, so i had susan lackey read mine for me while i stood next to her. susan, i love you and am forever grateful. many tears were shed at speeches, and lisa told an abbreviated version of her incredible story to all of the upperclassmen.
My name is Colleen Swim and yesterday I died.
Death came and took me from class, effectively ending my life. Sure, the accident at lunch was planned, and i am certainly standing here now. But my death and the deaths of my friends were very real.
My good friend Mateo was thrown through the windshield of a car and killed. My other friend Jenny was the cause, because she /chose/ to drive drunk. I watched as my friend Qais was claimed by the Grim Reaper.
While you may not have known each of the people who died yesterday, hopefully the fact that 30 of your classmates were killed effected you profoundly. It is my hope that the past 2 days events were enough to disuade you from every drving under the influence or alcohol, or allowing your friends to.
honestly, if your school doesnt have this program it should. because i say with solid assurance that the 30 of us made a difference in the lives of many people yesterday and today, certainly my own.
i'm not sure if it's ever come to your school, but the every 15 minutes program came to my school yesterday and today. i've been on the planning committee and all that, so i knew alot more about what was going on than most, but it still blew me away.
i have never felt more emotions at once than i did yesterday when i died. and even before that i had to sit in class, waiting for death to come. seeing my friends removed from class before me, be killed, had tears streaming down my face, something that repeated itself many times over throughout the course of the event.
at lunch there was a mock accident in which 5 students were involved; 3 killed, 1 injured, 1 the drunk driver who caused the scene. watching my friend mateo have a sheet thrown over his head after they removed him from the windshield of the burgundy oldsmobile was one of the most horrible things i've ever witnessed. jenny's breakdown and sincere tears at having caused harm to her friends had the crowd in awe.
after school, all of the people who had died from either the grim reaper or in the accident met up to go on a retreat. we went to pumphreys funeral home to learn about what our parents would have to go through to bury us if we were killed. this alone was enough to disuade me from ever driving drunk. i had to leave that place, because after looking at the coffins for 20 minutes i thoguht i was going to be sick.
upon reaching the retreat, we met our guest speaker lisa bard, a survivor of a drunk driving accident that put her in a wheelchair at the age of 15, when she was struck while crossing the street. her amazing story of recovery, most physically and mentally, had all 30 students and 10 adults sobbing. we also had a group share about how alcohol and the days events had touched each of us.
at school today we had a culminating assembly, where the memorial video was shown and the students were given a chance to read our speeches. anyone who saw the video knows it was emotional, especially watching police chief treschuk breakdown when he was informed his daughter maddie had died. when it was time for speeches i knew i wouldnt be able to get through mine, because i had even cried reading it in rehersal, so i had susan lackey read mine for me while i stood next to her. susan, i love you and am forever grateful. many tears were shed at speeches, and lisa told an abbreviated version of her incredible story to all of the upperclassmen.
My name is Colleen Swim and yesterday I died.
Death came and took me from class, effectively ending my life. Sure, the accident at lunch was planned, and i am certainly standing here now. But my death and the deaths of my friends were very real.
My good friend Mateo was thrown through the windshield of a car and killed. My other friend Jenny was the cause, because she /chose/ to drive drunk. I watched as my friend Qais was claimed by the Grim Reaper.
While you may not have known each of the people who died yesterday, hopefully the fact that 30 of your classmates were killed effected you profoundly. It is my hope that the past 2 days events were enough to disuade you from every drving under the influence or alcohol, or allowing your friends to.
honestly, if your school doesnt have this program it should. because i say with solid assurance that the 30 of us made a difference in the lives of many people yesterday and today, certainly my own.