The Class of 2024 turns their attention to the screen as an emotional video dedicated to Matthew Malkowski, a victim of driving under the influence (DUI), plays, bringing many to tears over the harsh reality of DUIs. The Class of 2024 has waited all year since the start of senior privilege for this event. On Wednesday, March 6, these students had the opportunity to learn and understand the dangers of driving under the influence with the help of MADD (Mothers Against Drunk Driving) and the Pembroke Pines Police Department.
The morning started off with the seniors being split into two groups and entering the River of Grass. After PPCHS’s SRO Officer Bucknam said a few words, all the seniors watched a video showing the dangers of drunk driving and listened to the Program Manager of MADD, Ms. Stephanie Murphy.
Ms. Murphy highlighted important topics on drunk driving such as peer pressure and actual consequences like jail time, survivors guilt and ultimately, in the worst case scenario, death. Getting your license revoked and ruining your social, economic, and academic career is just the tip of the iceberg she stated. In the state of a crash, the external and internal toll it takes on the person can impact the person for the rest of their lives.
After the emotional and eye-opening presentation from MADD, Group A of the seniors left to the football field to meet up with the police officers to perform real DUI tests.
Four stations were prepared for the seniors, courtesy of the Military Leadership Club (MLC). Station one consisted of two driving courses set up for the seniors to drive the golf carts through. After the seniors drove through the course, they would take a U-turn at the end, and the police officer sitting beside them would give them the drunk goggles, simulating what it would be like under the influence of alcohol. Then the senior would have to drive back through that same course with the goggles, with the goal to hit as little cones as possible.
“I couldn’t really see anything [when I was driving], just the sky. It was terrifying,” expressed senior Lady Zuriel Ayebah.
The second station had the seniors walk forward in a straight line with no goggles, then come back with the drunk goggles on. What proved to be the challenge was having to walk heel to toe back, causing many seniors to stumble and lose balance with the disorienting view of the goggles.
“I couldn’t make out anything. It was very disorienting and everything looked to the right,” voiced Krystal Johnson, a senior who attempted station two.
The third station had seniors lift one leg up with the goggles on and hold it there for 30 seconds. A once simple task turned into quite a struggle for most seniors as many could not hold it up for more than 10 seconds without starting to lose balance.
The fourth and last station had two cops and one MLC member each throwing a dodgeball to a senior with the drunk goggles on. The cops would then move onto throwing a tennis ball for the seniors to catch, which proved to be quite the challenge. If the senior was able to catch the ball, they had to throw it back, making the cops run around to retrieve the tennis balls.
While renewing senior privilege was part of this event, the lasting effect was learning and understanding the dangers of drinking and driving.
Captain Viola Judon, the Youth Affairs Division Captain and the officer in charge of all SROs in Pembroke Pines, explained that, “One of the reasons this is an important event is because it gives the students the ability, when they put the goggles on, to feel what it’s like to be off balance and see what they will experience when drinking alcohol… Hopefully this all deters them from making the decision to get behind the wheel and drive.”
Captain Judon added that this also creates a bond between law enforcement and the youth in today’s day and age.
“It’s very important to have those partnerships and collaborations with law enforcement and youth because it gives the youth the opportunity to ask questions that you normally would not be able to ask,” she affirms.
