May 2009 The Pharcyde
Student Life
Page 7
Analysis
School’s efforts to deter drunk driving in vain without variety Katie Schepps Features Editor
A recent student survey revealed that despite the school’s good intentions, the administration’s delivery of drunk driving educational programs is not sufficiently varied. As a result, the repetitiveness of the presentation leaves students feeling indifferent to the importance of the message. During the week of March 23, freshmen and sophomores witnessed another drunk driving program. Its purpose was to send the simple but pressing message: do not drink and drive. The Palm Beach Gardens Police Department spoke to the students, emphasizing how frequently young drivers make poor choices. A mother of the victim of an alcohol-related car accident also spoke to the students, bringing the program to a more personal level.
Shortly after the assembly began, students were hunched over on the bleachers, not focusing on the presentation, blocking out the information that they have heard so many times before. The students’ body language and behavior during the assembly suggested that the students were unmoved by the message. A survey that The Pharcyde sent to the underclassmen reaffirmed the students’ unhappiness with the program. The survey’s purpose was to analyze the success of this recent assembly in comparison to previous ones. Most of the respondents (60 percent) felt that this assembly was no better than the rest. Expressing her indifference to the recent assembly, sophomore Crystal Rosatti said, “This program was effective on the same scale as the other ones.” Agreeing that the given as-
Jenna Bernick / THE PHARCYDE
A totaled car was displayed on campus in March as a visual demonstration to deter student drunk driving.
Senior Wills I, Sarah Lazow, leave all of my Stacys, hummus and video of Elizabeth in Vegas to Kate Schwed.
semblies are all extremely similar, sophomore Scottie Gordon said, “I dread going to drunk driving assemblies because I’ve heard it so many times.” According to the student reaction, they have heard the message too many times to be significantly affected by yet another program. However, the school continually reinforces the message, which raises the question of whether capturing the students’ attention is a lost cause. The administration has acknowledged this possibility and is concerned that delivering too many similar programs may diminish the importance of the message. Director of Student Services Dr. Amy Taylor said, “I don’t want to get to the point where the kids are immune to what we say because they’ve heard it so many times.” To address this concern, administrators should consider the other aspects of the survey as suggestions to improve the effectiveness of future presentations. The results highlight different methods of presentation that may allow the drinking and driving education to make a stronger impact. 54 percent of the students agreed that a personal story is one of the surest ways to make an impact. Students also consider visual and participatory demonstrations to be relatively effective in comparison to the use of statistics, which students agreed do not send a strong message. Tell students that they have to attend a drunk driving edu-
SNAPSHOT:
Student Opinion Poll
Poll: 102 freshmen and sophomores responded to an online poll after they viewed a March 23rd drunk driving education program. 52 students said a personal story was most effective; 21 said visual demonstration (i.e. crashed car); 9 students said statistics; 20 students said participatory demonstration (i.e. go-carts that simulate impairment).
cational assembly, and they will complain of the repetitiveness but will not deny the importance of the subject. The school continues to deliver these programs but worries that the message will go in one ear and out the other. The administration’s tendency to deliver such repetitive programs has developed in the student body an unwillingness to listen. Sophomore Talia Brody-Barre said, “The students appreci-
ate the efforts on the part of the administration to warn us against drinking and driving, but, some students won’t listen anymore because the warning against drinking and driving has been redundant.” The survey suggests that the school should work greater variety into the demonstrations. This approach will hopefully provide new perspectives and angles on the issue of driving under the influence.
PE Under the Sun
I, Santiago Zindel, leave my sister, Mariana Zindel, my guidance and the courage to go through high school and succeed in whatever she may set her mind to. I, Jen Kochman, leave behind to my sister, best friend, and Bob my seat in Dr. Taylor’s office and all the baggage that comes with it. I, Lyndsay Daubert, leave behind my ghetto racing flats to Katie Schepps and Cade Young. I, Tanner Matevia, leave behind my green and blue school uniform that I wore everyday to Taylor Whitt. I, Andrew Ackerman, leave behind the protection of my sister to Ryan “Steroid Man” Zeisloft. I, Kirby Kempe, leave the leadership, captain-only wheelbarrows, and baby sitting duties of the Girls Varsity Basketball TEAM to Jamie Burke and Jennifer Wallshein. I, Steven Perlberg, leave behind table tennis to Will Sabayrac, FIFA uploads to Sam Paone, and the roflz to Cory Weinberg. I, Coleman Romfh, give SJ Cruiser to Philip W. Siragusa and Chase Q. Diwik. I, Kim Lynch, leave behind my panda rolls to Christie Nicklaus and my love of the game to my brother Tim. I, Kendall Glazer, leave behind all the of my free cities, the lovely boys of Honor Society, my city knowledge, and K&K’s to Cali Cramer. I, Jason Malone, leave behind the Dungeon to Cory Weinberg, Jenna Bernick, Garrett Bruno, and Matt Murray, and my apathy to my brother, Corey Malone.
Matt Murray / THE PHARCYDE
Sophomore Scottie Gordon serves during a PE class tennis match. Freshmen and sophomores are required to take PE class when they are not involved with a sports season. According to teachers Coach Suzanne Ball and Coach Christopher Nordland, as much as students may prefer a study hall during the class period, “there is a direct correlation between physical exercise and superior academic performance.” The school maintains that a PE program is vital to the overall physical health of the students, in order to ensure that they get enough exercise during the day. Ball and Nordland also plan to incorporate further variety into the class curriculum, including using Nintendo Wii. “We would like to offer machines such as treadmills, ellipticals, and bicycles,” said Nordland.