Commentatorthe Vol. 62, No. 3 December 2014 Douglas S. Freeman High School Page 1 Henrico, Virginia 23229 Drive Smart Program Teaches Students That Impaired Driving is No Accident the state of Virginia. Most of the Emma Dixon time you just have to pre-pay the Staff Writer ticket before your court date,” Officer Proffitt said. Students then rode bicycles Students that drove to school while wearing goggles that on Oct. 27th and 28th noticed simulated what it was like to ride the main parking lot was more a bike and walk in a straight line crowded than usual, while the after having two beers. teacher lot was completely “Driving the bikes were really empty. In the teacher parking hard because the goggles made lot, instructors from Drive you really dizzy,” said junior Smart Virginia and Ashland Lizzie Cozens. Police Department were “With the goggles on everything informing students about driving seemed like it was moved to the intoxicated and texting while side even though it really wasn’t,” driving. said Yani. Two officers from the Ashland Drive Smart also provided Police Department helped short videos telling the story operate the SIDNE vehicle. of those who were affected by SIDNE stands for Simulated either drunk driving or texting Impaired DriviNg Experience. while driving. This vehicle showed what it “The videos they showed us would be like to drive under the of the people who had real-life influence. experiences with texting and “By actually getting into and driving and drunk driving was really sad. It made me realize driving ‘SIDNE’, the ‘intoxicated PHOTO: TEDDY SCHERER go-cart’, students could actually Sargeant Scott Menzies of the Ashland Police Department and his partner, Officer Chip Watts, how dangerous texting while feel how slow their reaction time speak to an Enlish 12 class about how the brain reacts under the influence of alcohol. driving is,” said Lizzie. and decision-making abilities Drive Smart provided a safe would be if they had a BAC home. Now their oldest child, under the influence are serious. to stay on the road while texting, environment for students to greater than 0.08,” said Cheryl who is 9 years old, cries himself “If you are caught drinking and how important it is to realize learn about the effects of driving Pacious, member of the PTSA. to sleep every night. and driving your license will how quickly something bad and under the influence and texting Before getting into the vehicle, The students and teachers who be suspended, and you can be irreversible can happen,” said while driving. one of the police officers, Sargent heard this story were touched, locked up and taken to jail,” said Mrs. Pacious. “We try and make sure to drive Scott Menzies, shared with the and moved to be more aware of Donald Proffitt, school resource “Driving the simulated car the point home with experiencing students about how his family’s the dangers of drunk driving. officer. and having to text was upsetting. what it is like and not just talking life was affected by someone “When I heard about the police Students then participated in a Kids would run out into the about drunk driving and texting who was allegedly driving under man whose wife died that was texting while driving simulation. street and you would hit them while driving,” said Drive Smart the influence. really scary. It showed me that The driver would put on a head or you would run into a house... instructor Kristin Smolensk. On the morning of Jan. 13, driving under the influence is set and start driving. Then, the this was really eye opening,” said “This taught me that I am not 2014, Sargent Menzies and his dangerous and has real world Drive Smart instructor handed senior Yani Orpiano. the only person on the road, and wife Meg went on a training run consequences,” Junior Will the driver a phone and asked Each year, texting while driving I plan to be more cautious,” said for the Boston Marathon. Meg Riggs said. students to text while driving. causes over 330,000 injuries and Lizzie. was hit by a car. Sargent Menzies Every day, about 30 people Almost every student crashed 3,000 deaths. 360 of these deaths watched his wife die right in front die in car accidents that involve while texting and driving. are of children from the ages of of him that morning. Later that drunk driving. This comes “The PTSA wanted to help 15 to 19. day he had to tell his children to about one death every 51 students understand through the “Texting while driving is a their mother was not coming minutes. Penalties for driving simulator how difficult it can be criminal offense for anyone in Page 3 Page 9 Freeman Cross-Country Team Opinion: Dress Code Sports: Winter Athlete In Controversy Spotlights Wins the State Championship Pages 6-7 Page 12 On November 15, The XC team won First Place this at the VHSL 5A State Championship Meet in Special Features: Movie Review -- Warrenton, VA. Hobbies of Faculty and Interstellar Issue: Students Coverage Page 8 2014 Can Food Over 200 Books Missing Drive in Full Swing from Library guilt, fear, extraordinarily high expectations, and I assume that is a fine to pay. The student is Sam Anderson the students will rise to them,” not obligated to pay upfront, Staff Writer Mr. Peck said. but the fine follows a student Rachel Keller, science teacher, to graduation. Lost hard back uses a different strategy to get books are $16 and lost soft cover Every year, Freeman supports students to bring in cans. books are $5. Fines must be paid the Henrico Christmas Mother “We set a class goal and by before graduation. by donating cans to help local figuring out an average number “We use this money to purchase families around the Richmond of cans each person should bring requests made by students and area. in. If the class goal is met the faculty so all the money that is This year the can food drive is entire class earns extra credit.” taken in goes right back into taking place from Nov. 6 through Mrs. Keller said purchasing materials for the Dec. 3. Students have been The main goal of the can food library,” librarian Rosemary advised to bring cans to their first drive, is not about winning but Wheeler said. period teacher. helping the community. “There are two parts of keeping “The Christmas Mother needs “I think it is important for a book: it denies access to that nonperishable food, but more people that are able to help, book for the rest of the student specifically they need: canned should help, not everyone is able body, and there is a logistically soup, canned meat, stew, cookies, to help, and so those that can side to overdues and county crackers, cereal, and peanut should.” Mrs. Keller said. Last policy requires us to send out butter,” said Carter Smiley, year her class donated about 800 PHOTO: ALISON EDDINS regular notices,” Miss Wheeler SCA Sponsor. cans and they reached their class Carolyn Schmid, librabrian, stands near any empty bookshelf that explained. Freeman has been known to goal. was previously filled with some of Freeman’s library books. For other students who are donate a significant amount of Ms. Smiley said that “just frequent library visitors, the cans to the Christmas mother, knowing that the donations library is proud to welcome donating 15,590 cans last year, make a difference for [people's] students’ hands; we want them you to their new Library Club. and about 39,000 cans two years holidays and make a difference Maddy Waldron to read,” library assistant Kathy Senior Caroline Forrest, who ago, which was a record setting in their lives,” is what the can Staff Writer Lawrence said. is a participant in the library year. food drive is about. In order to obtain that goal, the club, said, “We volunteer at the “Our goal is to beat last year’s This year the SCA is going to the library has recently changed a book fairs and we sit around total of 15,590 cans,” said SCA Christmas Mother warehouse to Imagine your friend borrowing few policies. The check-out term and have a nice conversation president, Jordi Lee. help organize the food. your clothes every week and used to be 2 weeks but is now about books we’ve read and their Unlike past years, extra credit “When we go to the warehouse, never returning them. That’s extended to a month. Books accompanying movies.” is not part of the can food drive, we are going to pack boxes of how the library feels about their still remain renewable after that Returning a book to the library but teachers may offer it if they food to send to the families,” 200 overdue books. month. late is better than not turning it in wish to motivate their students. Jordi said. Whether students forget to “If a student wishes to renew at all because the most important Robert Peck, director of the The school tries to bring in turn them in or lose them is not a book they have to bring it to part of returning the books is leadership center, has never used cans to help the community, but determined, but it is guaranteed the counter in order to renew granting other students access to extra credit to make students there is always an underlying that turning in an overdue is not it or else we are renewing a the books they want.