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Every 15 minutes…

May 2, 2008
By Natalie Everett





		The 'Every 15 Minutes' program takes place at Sobrato High School, where 20-25 students act as the living dead and are removed from their classes every 15 minutes. All students then assembled at a simulated crash site.
		Photo by: Lora Schraft








		A 'dead' driver is removed from a car.
		Photo by: Lora Schraft

One by one, every 15 minutes, 17 Sobrato High School students disappeared from their classes, helping students visualize the morbid fact that "every 15 minutes" one person dies in the United States as a result of an alcohol-related collision.

The "Every 15 Minutes" program, a popular drunk driving awareness exercise, took place at Sobrato High School on Wednesday and Thursday.

The event began with the students, representing the "living dead," being removed from their classrooms.

Alejandra Cervantes, a senior and one of those selected as the "living dead," was plucked from class after the Grim Reaper swept in, pointed at her and then pointed at the door.

Cervantes said even though she was preselected to play this part in the program, actually acting it out was "creepy."

"Obviously, I know I'm not dead, but just being hit with it, with our fate," she said. "I lost my breath when (he pointed at me). I was like, 'Now I have to go...' "

After these 17 students were removed from class, the student body attended an assembly at a simulated drunk-driving collision site, with emergency medical responders, police officers, the coroner and other county and city officials on hand to add realism and seriousness to the event.

"Every 15 Minutes" project chair Marla Carroll said just by looking at the 17 students, now in white face paint to distinguish them from the "still living" students standing stoically over the crash scene involving another five student participants, she could tell the student body was taking it seriously.

"I'm proud of them," Carroll said. "Hopefully they're looking at it as something that will save lives."

Student Body President Isela Banuelos said that the project might open wounds for students who have already known people affected by drunk driving, but that it fits the purpose of the exercise.

"Sometimes, you need a stronger shock to know how your actions can affect others," Banuelos said.

Senior Nicole Brewer was the student representative of Every 15 Minutes, and worked for two years to get the program running at Sobrato.

"I feel very strongly that drinking and driving is a very big mistake," she said. "A lot of people don't understand that, so this program shows the students the effects of it."

Cervantes said that worse than being removed from class was recently coming home to her upset mother, busy writing Cervantes's obituary, which is part of the exercise.

On Thursday, the day following the "collision," a "funeral" assembly was scheduled, where the "living dead" students attended with their parents and the student body viewed videotape of the previous day's events. Students and parents also shared letters and thoughts about how they felt about dying without having a chance to say good-bye, and some parents read the obituaries they prepared.

Sobrato Principal Debbie Padilla said that if the exercise helped even one community member realize the consequences of their actions, then it was worth it.

Morgan Hill Police Chief Bruce Cumming said projects like this are especially important this time of year, with high school students looking forward to prom.

"Hopefully, this gets young people's attention," he said. "It's a cold, dramatic way, but that's what (drunk driving fatalities) are."

Santa Clara County Fire, the Department of Corrections, Valley Medical Center and other agencies were involved in making Sobrato's first "Every 15 Minutes" program happen.

Brewer said she was sure that with the funeral assembly Thursday morning, the whole program will have a strong effect.

Natalie Everett
Natalie Everett covers education and city issues for The Times. Reach her at (408) 779-4106, ext. 201, or neverett@morganhilltimes.com.