Maddie Scullion, Kate Salvo, and Marissia Potamianos

Editors

“Very eye opening” and “moving” are words used by senior Emily O’Connor and sophomore Willa Shiomos to describe Jacy Good’s destructive driving presentation. Good came to Jamesville-DeWitt High School to tell her story on Nov. 21. It all started the day of her college graduation. She was with her mom and dad on their way home from the ceremony when they were hit by an 18-year-old distracted driver. Both of her parents were killed and she was left with many injuries, including a brain injury.

The Student Against Destructive Decisions Club, along with English teacher Joseph Goldberg helped to bring this very influential speaker to J-DHS. Mr. Goldberg is also a drivers-ed teacher, and he heard Ms. Good speak at a conference. He was moved by her stories and believed that it would be a good experience for the students to hear such an enlightening speaker. After hearing her story, Mr. Goldberg turned to health teacher and adviser of the SADD club, Melissa Moore, to help get Ms. Good here.

Junior Chloe Hayward is the president of SADD. “I think people really liked it because it was a personal account, which made it more real,” said Hayward. She thinks that because the presentation was serious, Ms. Good’s message stayed with people. “After hearing Jacy speak, I realized that you have to start with yourself to make the roads a safer place,” said sophomore Giovanni Antonucci. Similar to Antonucci, O’Connor thinks twice about using her phone in the car. “I am much more cautious about making sure my phone is on silent and away while driving,” she said. Mr. Goldberg said that he received lots of positive feedback from students after Ms. Good’s presentation. “Even walking down the hallway with her after, she was mobbed by students wanting pictures with her,” he said.

SADD wanted to keep Jacy’s campaign, “Hang Up and Drive”, alive at J-DHS. They heard about AT&T’s no texting campaign called #X. “Whenever you’re texting someone and you’re about to get in a car, you’re supposed to text them #X so they know you’re about to get behind the wheel and that you won’t be able to respond,” said Mrs. Moore. They printed AT&T’s campaign on little sheets of paper and tried to get as many students as possible to sign them.