In the annual texting and driving month of April, FC leadership created a series of consequences stemming from texting and driving. Included was an anti-texting and driving pledge, a video by Jared Franz, an obstacle course, and a texting and driving death simulation.

Leadership entered in the competition, Teen to Teen Safe Driving Campaign hosted by the Safety Center promoted by Allstate Insurance.

The purpose of the competition was to raise awareness about texting and driving, and to engage youth in a competition by sending positive messages discouraging teens from distractions behind the wheel. Safety Center sent checks to each of the winning schools with Safe Driving Campaigns. Three first-place winning schools received $500, three second-place winners received $250 and three third-place winners received $125.

Leadership adviser Robert Foshee expresses his joy with FC success.

“This was a great opportunity for the Leadership students to get involved. Not only did they get to promote safe driving amongst their peers, but they came up with the activities and ideas on their own,” Foshee said. “They implemented activities that could impact peoples lives. I am proud of their work and am excited that they were recognized by the Safety Center for their hard work! We placed third and tied with Clovis West.”

Junior Johnathon Brushwood was in charge of the death simulation and explains his reasoning behind the decision to take large measures.

“When we were told about the texting and driving experiment I immediately had a few ideas on what we could do,” Brushwood said. “After some collaboration in the leadership class we decided to make a “death” of a student. I made some lanyard signs that went around four students necks. The lanyards idea came from the AT&T commercial about texting and driving.”

Brushwood went on to explain how students participated in making the project realistic.

“A few selected students wore these around their necks and were ‘dead’ until chapel right before lunch,” Brushwood said. “This was to simulate what it would be like if the students weren’t actually there due to a texting and driving accident.The students went about their classes like normal but could not be spoken to or speak because they were ‘dead.’ For some students this was harder than you would think.”

For more news articles, read the May 16 article, The year’s a wrap

These writers can be reached via Twitter: @_sarapeterson @gaby_siqueiros. Follow The Feather via Twitter: @thefeather.