Got dead students?

A school in California is taking some heat for a school program geared to "scare" kids to not drink and drive. What the school did was announce that several of the schools students had been killed in drunk driving accidents over the weekend. This was untrue. The students said to have died were alive and well and waiting for their cue to reappear, four hours later.

How did the students react?

One teacher reported some students were effected horribly which forced the teacher to reveal it was all a hoax, and that only enraged the falsely grief stricken students.

As more students learned that it was all a hoax they were outraged. Some students protesting with signs that read "Death is Real! Don't play with our emotions!" The school defends its program. One student was quoted as saying "They got the shock they wanted."

Question:

Do you think the school went a little to far, or do you feel that if it saves one life it was worth it?

Comments: 10

Randall C. Jun 12, 2008, 9:31pm UTC

I think that's going too far. We had a State trooper show some photos of real accidents, with the bodies still in them. that made a believer out of me

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Kathryn C. Jun 12, 2008, 9:50pm UTC

i've had this situation happen at my school - both true and untrue. we had one student die in a drunk driving accident over a weekend, and we also had a day when certain students were said to "have died." however, at my school, the "death day" was set up by our chapter of SADD - one member dressed as the grim reaper and took other members out of class ("killing them"). everyone knew that the students were still alive but the message was still felt. i think this California school went about it in completely the wrong way because - coming from a high school that had an abnormal number of student deaths - the emotions that accompany an accident to/death of any member student body should not be falsely aroused

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Adelaide M. Jun 12, 2008, 10:07pm UTC

That's a little harsh. I had 2 kids die in my grade when I was in high school. 2 doesn't sounds like very many compared to most high school, however, I went to private school and there were 75 kids in my class, so everyone knew them.
I don't think faking kids' deaths is correct, regardless of what the point was. There are ways to get the message across without lying to students.

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Rich Gomez Jun 12, 2008, 10:11pm UTC

It does seem extreme, but if it got the point across and not only saved a students life, but also the life of the family of 4 that the not scared, drunken student might plow into on prom night, wouldn't that make it worth it?

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Ryan M. Jun 12, 2008, 10:26pm UTC

I think that is a little too far. In the school here they did a thing called every 8 seconds. I am not sure how it worked but it was for a little lesson in drunk driving.

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Brenda (square peg in a round hole) H. Jun 13, 2008, 12:31am UTC

I was just reading about that. I was shocked. I don't think it was right for them to do that. I would rather they show them pictures of car accidents involving alcohol and what it does to a body. Thats shocking enough.

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Larry M. Jun 13, 2008, 7:43am UTC

First off it would be very difficult to establish that any lives were saved.

Second, a reputation for lying is not a good thing to acquire. Now all announcements will be suspect. The character of the administration of that school is now questionable.

Third, the damage that such announcements can do is a price that doesn't need to be paid to reduce the danger of drunk driving. Video's of drunken behavior (vomiting and such) that make being drunk embarassing are much more effective.

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Rich Gomez Jun 13, 2008, 8:02am UTC

Larry,
First, knowing what we know about teens and drunk driving it is very safe to speculate that lives were saved.

Second, well I agree with your second statement....

Third, Videos of drunken behavior will not detour any person from drinking, at least not now in the age of "YouTube", where you can find video on almost any subject and there are quite a few on there of people getting drunk or "embarrassing" themselves, even hurting themselves, badly. And yet with all of this available media kids are still not changing their behaviors.
I believe such videos and images worked in the past, but with the amount of violence on T.V. in a wide array of reality shows, such as "COPS", and "The Worlds Stupidest Criminals", we as a society are being dulled to the point of no reaction, and thats scary.

thanks for the comments

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Charles T. Dec 19, 2008, 6:19pm UTC

Schools have assumed the place of parents in trying to teach life...it shouldn't be their jobs.

This was definitely beyond the pale though...

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Got dead students?

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