Shattered Dreams: The Aftermath

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Shattered Dreams The Aftermath

• 2005-2006
• Publicity

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Hill Country News Ad November 2005
In November of 2005 in conjunction with Project
Ignition, led by the NYLC and funded by State
Farm Insurance, STAND took out an ad in the Hill
Country News. The Hill Country News is delivered
weekly to households in Northwest Austin. The ad
was a half page ad which encouraged the community
to be safe by not drinking and driving over the
holidays. The ad included a picture of the
2005-2006 officers, and a picture taken from last
years presentation of Shattered Dreams.
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(No Transcript)
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Students Take STAND Against Alcohol
By Charles Wood, Hill Country News
When someone dies in an alcohol-related
accident, the pain it inflicts on family and
friends doesnt end with the funeral. The
aftermath can last for many years, perhaps even a
lifetime. For several years, members of the
Cedar Park High Schools STAND (Student
Timberwolves Against Negative Decisions) program
have worked hard to see that their classmates
friends and families dont have to lost them to
drunk driving accidents. During the 2004-05
school year, STAND took part in CPHSs
presentation of Shattered Dreams, a program
that included a reenactment of a fatal traffic
accident, followed by a funeral. In the fall of
2005, the organization continued where Shattered
Dreams left off. CPHSs STAND presented a program
they called Shattered Dreams the Aftermath
with the help of a grant from the National Youth
Leadership Council and State Farm
Insurance. Shattered Dreams and The Aftermath
are both very important exercises, said Megan
Steinhardt, vice president for middle school
education. It helps people realize that this
doesnt just happen on the news. It happens to
real people.
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Students Take a STAND Against Alcohol (cont)
The purpose of The Aftermath is to remind
students of the long-term impact of
alcohol-related accidents. We try to show the
impact that a drinking-and-driving accident has,
even years later, CPHS STAND President Emilyn
Feeley said. It doesnt just end when someone
dies. The pain goes on and people still
suffer. Drinking and driving is totally
preventable, said Farrar. You should know what
your choices are before you get into a car. This
is not about telling people that they are wrong.
Its about making the right decisions. STAND
tires to keep a positive focus says Feeley. We
dont just tell people drinking and driving is
wrong and leave it at that, she said. We also
talk about situations. If you choose to drink you
dont have to drive. There are people you can
call, including friends, and even your
parents. The Aftermath program recreated the
accident scene from the previous year, and
crosses were placed on the lawn with the names of
real drunk driving victims from Central Texas.
STAND received the list of names from MADD
(Mothers Against Drunk Driving). Thirty-six STAND
members represented the victims and told their
stories to the school at an assembly on November
18.
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Students Take a STAND Against Alcohol (cont)
Students at the assembly had the opportunity to
sign pledge cards promising not to drink and
drive. The assembly featured speaker Mike Avila,
whose mother was killed by a drunk driver. The
incident turned his life around, getting him to
quit abusing drugs and alcohol. Usually, during
any assembly, you hear a certain amount of
talking, said Cindy Farrar, Vice President for
High School Education. This time there was
complete silence. It really had an impact. I
think the students got a lot out of it. It gave
them some things to think about during the
Thanksgiving Holiday. I had to tell the
students three times that it was time to leave
the PAC and go back to class, they were so
moved, said faculty sponsor Beth Glassman. In
16 years, Ive never seen that kind of response
to an assembly. STANDs Red Ribbon Week
Coordinator Kyle Michaels said the fact that
Avila was a graduate of McNeil High School gave
his message a greater impact. I think he was
able to relate to the students, because his high
school was pretty close to ours, she
said. STAND performs skits at LISD elementary
schools and middle schools. We teach them to say
no, not to make bad choices like drinking and
doing drugs, said Feeley. And more importantly
for their age, we talk to them about not getting
into a car with someone who they think is
intoxicated. Weve had a lot of good response.
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The Wolfpack

• The Wolfpack is Cedar Park High Schools Student
  newspaper. STAND has been featured in the
  newspaper several times over many years, and
  STAND appeared in the newspaper 3 times this year.

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October 2005
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February 2006