stormchaser06's Blog

Hundreds of lives were shattered at Willis High School last week. The entire student body went through the program (Shattered Lives) either directly or indirectly. This is how the program describes itself on its website:

• *Every 15 minutes a designated student is removed from class by the Grim Reaper. *These students will be put into costumes and make up to represent the “Living Dead” *A law enforcement officer will read a mock obituary to the class when the student is temporarily removed from class.
• *During a special outside assembly, a staged fatal DWI traffic collision will occur on campus. Law enforcement, Fire, and EMS units will be involved.
• *The “Living Dead” students will be returned to class in full make up but will not be allowed to speak or take part in any school activity for the remainder of the day.
• *If desired, the parents of the “Living Dead” students will receive a pre-arranged mock verbal death notice by law enforcement.
• *At the end of the day, the “Living Dead” students will be taken to a retreat with overnight lodging to effectively simulate that the student is “gone.” The students will be under the direct supervision of members of Law Enforcement, Probation, and the “Shattered Lives” committee.

Day Two

•  *After a light breakfast at the retreat area, the students will be transported back to school for the assembly.
• *The “Living Dead” students will NOT be able to have contact with friends or family prior to the assembly.
• *The video made of the previous day will be shown.
• *Various Guest Speakers will give presentations to entire student body about their views and personal experiences.
• *The “Living Dead” will present their scenario to the assembly.
• *The last, and most important visual focus of the program will be when everyone who has been touched by and alcohol-related traffic collision comes forward and stands on the stage indicating the many innocent people who stand as victims— those who pulled bodies from wreckage, who provided emergency trauma care to victims, who counseled survivors, who dealt with the grief and pain of relatives and friends."

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Every 15 minutes during Day 1, a heartbeat and flatline is played throughout the entire school using the PA system, illustrating the statistic that someone is killed in a DWI accident every 15 minutes. A student is taken from class as soon as the flatline stops.

My brother took part in the program this year. He was selected to be one of the "Living Dead" and was taken from his class by the Grim Reaper at about 11:30 am. My mum and I were waiting for another brother of mine to finish his orthodontist appointment when the notification came in a phone call about 20 minutes later.

All the students that take part in the program have an obituary written for them by the parents. Two copies are made, and once the student "dies" and is taken from class, one copy is hung in the classroom that they were taken from. The other is placed on "The Death Wall." This is usually along a main corridor in the school.

Shattered Lives is completely self-supportive. It relies on awareness of the program and donations from the community. Lots of volunteer hours go into this as well. If you can help in any way, please visit the website, www.shatteredlivesmc.com, and use the blue "Contact" link at the bottom of the page.

The first video is the one that I put together. All the photos and video in it I took. It is the longer of the two and may take some time to watch, (about 36 minutes). It features raw and uncut footage from "the accident scene," and you see it all basically from start to finish. The second video is the one that is shot and done by a professional crew with professional equipment and shown in the assembly on the second day. It is approximately 10 minutes long.

Please take the time to watch these and let me know what your thoughts are about the Shattered Lives Program. Also feel free to share any of your stories and experiences relating to something like this.

  Video 1:    

Willis High School Shattered Lives 2008

Video 2: