Every 15 Minutes

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Staff and students at Clay Central-Everly High School spent Wednesday considering the repercussions of drinking and driving. Beginning at 8:45 a.m., the Grim Reaper made random appearances around the campus, removing students every 15 minutes from a class. His last stop of the day, claimed Nitasha Desirae Howe, a CC-E junior. [Order this photo]

The removals were part of a larger effort to educate the children and community on the danger's of drinking and driving. This collaborative effort between students, parents, the school district and the Clay County Sheriff's Office.

The nationally-known program "Every 15 Minutes," reminds that in the United States, every 15 minutes, someone dies from an alcohol related traffic crash. This program has been presented to high school students across the United States for about the last 10 years. This program is also known as the car crash scenario done at high schools around prom time.

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) Nitasha Desirae Howe, a junior at Clay Central-Everly is escorted from her classroom by the Grim Reaper - the final life claimed in the drunk driving scenario that played out before the CC-E students Wednesday. [Order this photo]

During each student's absence, Deputy Dennis Linn read their obituary to the remaining classmates and somberly left the room. The student who was removed had their face painted white, were dressed in a black cloak and "Every 15 Minutes" T-shirt, and were sent back to class - not allowed to speak the remainder of the day.

After school, they did not return to the comforts of their home, but were instead taken from their families and placed in Hap Ketelsen Center for the night - leaving the families to deal with absence of loss that drunk driving can facilitate.

(Photo by Randy M. Cauthron) CC-E students, some among the Grim Reaper's early victims, listen as Clay County Sheriff Deputy Denny Linn reads a classmates' obituary. [Order this photo]

The students involved worked on homework until 6 p.m., and then traveled to Spencer for a meal together. While in Spencer, they toured the Clay County Jail where they experienced the fatal vision goggles as well as observing booking and jailing in process. The students also heard from Mary Sloan of Compass Point (Alcohol Drug Treatment Unit) who spoke about high risk choices.

After enjoying some snacks, pop and some games, the students were asked to write a letter to their parents that started out: "Dear Mom and Dad, In the United States someone is killed every 15 minutes in an alcohol related crash. Today I was killed. I wish that I had told you..."

More activities will take place today, including an assembly for the students and the public beginning at 1 p.m. in the old gymnasium in Everly.

Additional coverage of Every 15 Minutes programming at CC-E will appear in Friday's Daily Reporter.