Spring Break Safety Awareness hits FAMU campus

Like a scene from a movie, glass litter the ground, and a car metal frame crushed turned up side down. This “mock wreck” scene shows the brutal reality of what happens when some students travel for Spring Break. This whole situation can be avoided if students take the necessary precautions. Some student actually thought that the mock wreck was real.Wednesday, March 3, 2010 the annual Spring Break Safety and Awareness Day will be held FAMU’s campus. The activities included a “mock wreck” on the corner of Wahnish Way and Gamble Street at 10 a.m.Rashunda McMeans, 21, a senior nursing student from Pompano Beach said, “I had always seen the funeral on the Set. I had never seen the accident. This morning it made me late for class.” The “mock wreck” scene was staged on the intersection of Wahnish and Gamble to realistically display the threat of not paying adequate attention to the road while driving or driving under the influence.Starting at 10 a.m. there was several activities planned throughout the day on the Set. Table displays and demonstrations from the Tallahassee Fire Department , Florida Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol are just a few of the activities provided. At 11:30 a.m. a “mock funeral” for all those potentially lost will held at the Grand Ballroom where the “eulogy” will be presented of a departed Rattler with a stirring message for students.Brystal Burton,19, a sophomore elementary education student from Los Angeles said, “I was on my way from class and I was told they were having a mock funeral. It seemed very real. I liked it. It was a good way to inform students not to drink and drive.” The purpose for this event is to warn students to be safe while enjoying themselves for Spring Break. Jim Smith, a sophomore health care administration student from Sarasota, Fl. helps coordinate event. Smith acting as the President Assistant at Paddyfote said, “I have been doing the event for the last few years. Every year it has gotten bigger and bigger. I would like it to become a convocation for safety awareness. I found that every Spring Break we seem to lose students. So I wanted to inform students about not drinking and driving, and be safe throughout their vacation.” Now some students may think twice about their plans for Spring Break. Michael Woodward,19, a sophomore business administration student from Miami said, “I think it was very enlightening, it showed people the consequences.”“It was a heavier, than watching the info on video or reading about it in the newspaper.”All individuals who volunteered their time and participation to the events throughout the day caught the attention of all who encountered them. The mock wreck, mock funeral, and participation of individual the Safety organizations that were involved helped to pass the message to students to be careful while on Spring Break vacation.” Our goal is to reach as many students as possible to educate them on the adverse results of carelessness during Spring Break said, Henry L. Kirby, of Division of Student Affairs “The message to our students is to “Be safe, enjoy Spring Break and return safe and sound.”