Drunken driving presentation hits close to home for Larkin students

Graphic images of twisted metal vaguely resembling a car, a photograph of a severely disfigured teenage girl and the real-life stories of two students who were killed - all results of drunken driving - were enough to scare Wendy Guadarrama straight.

The Larkin High School senior said the sobering presentation by Kane County judges Susan Boles and Clint Hull Wednesday added to her list of reasons to avoid activities like drinking or drug use when the Class of 2012 celebrates its prom on May 11.

"The examples they gave us really opened our eyes to what the consequences of our actions can be," Guadarrama, an 18-year-old Larkin High School senior said. "You know the consequences but you always think what are the odds that will happen to you? The odds are high."

The presentation, "7 Reasons to Leave the Party," is a program developed by the Illinois Judges Association to inform high school students of the many ramifications drinking and driving, as well as drug use, underage sex and other illegal activities, can have on their lives. The outcomes range from costly fines to prison sentences or death.

Boles, a Kane County juvenile judge, said the program is an attempt at preventive law.

"If we can convince one of you to get out of the situation and take a friend or two with you, then as far as we are concerned it's a success," Boles told the 200 seniors in Larkin's auditorium.

For Sylvester Smith, 18, the two real-life stories of Caitlin Weese and Brett Petschow, Larkin High School students who were killed by drunk drivers, underlined the importance of making the right decisions.

"It has happened to students at our school before and it can happen to anybody, anytime," Smith said. "It's just not worth it to put your own life at risk, and you're putting other people's lives at risk."

Hull said prom season in May is the time of year judges, police officers, teachers and parents dread.

"We understand that you are excited and we are excited for you to go to prom and graduate," Hull said. "We want you to have good time. But when you look back at pictures we want you to say, 'It's a night I'll never forget.' We don't want you to say, 'I'll never forget that night.'"