September 24, 2003
Sobering reminder
Fast and Furious event focuses on fun without drugs or alcohol
By Carol South
Special to the Herald
Focusing on the positive, the inaugural Fast and Furious Too Much Challenge decided to show young people how to have fun without using drugs or alcohol.
From wall climbing to an obstacle course, teambuilding exercises to hot dogs, nearly 150 teens and young adults gathered Saturday on the campus of Northwestern Michigan College.
"I'm hanging out with some friends," said Chad Carpenter before completing a drunk driving simulator video program.
Northwestern Michigan College and Traverse City Central High coordinated the event, drawing on a variety of community resources. The Army brought a portable climbing wall, the Marine Corps brought a portable obstacle course and the Michigan National Guard brought some team-building games. Members of Traverse City VFW post were on hand to grill hot dogs and dispense root beer while bikers from the local Harley Davidson chapter showed up to give rides.
"We wanted to show the kids what they can do to have fun," said Pat Bowen, a secretary at Traverse City Central High School who helped organize the event. "I'm just really impressed with everyone who came out for the kids."
While kids are bombarded with anti-drug and alcohol messages, Bowen noted that giving kids incentives to stay clean is important. They need to learn that choices made as teens or young adults can affect the rest of their lives.
"You've got to help them make those good choices now," she said. "Show them they can do all this stuff if they stay clean."
The event was also meant to fight the peer pressure that drugs and alcohol are cool.
"We just really wanted to send a message that there are alternatives, that you're not boring if you don't drink and that you can lose your life and end other people's lives if you do," said Cathy Muma, coordinator of student life and campus security for Northwestern Michigan College.
The Drunk Driving simulator is a four-minute program provided by Edu-Tainment, a company based in Grand Rapids. Using a video monitor hooked to a steering wheel and pedals, 'drivers' complete a course with the computer providing impairments that mimic being drunk.
"The computer gets drunk for you," said Chris Geysbeek of Edu-Tainment. "The reactions get delayed, the motor skills become impaired and there are visual effects."
Geysbeek, who travels to college and high school campuses around the country with the display, said this realistic depiction brings home the message of not drinking and driving.
"A lot of people get out and say, 'Wow, I feel drunk,'" he said of the simulator's realism.
The Fast and Furious Too Much Challenge also featured a sobering event: a mock-up drunk driving accident where one young teen died and two were seriously injured. Muma recruited three resident assistants to act the parts, covered them with fake blood and arranged two in a wrecked car. The third student played dead, sprawling on the pavement, covered in blood and knocked out of his shoe.
As the Traverse City Fire Department roared up, a crowd gathered around the tableau. The Fire Department and its paramedics swung into action, slowly and methodically treating the victims - first pulling the 'dead' person out of the way - and cutting them out of the wrecked car.
The grim scene ended with the victims smiling and reflecting on their experience.
"It was really, really wild," said David Graves, the 'dead' person. "Most people can't get up and walk away after something like that."
For Lieutenant Jim Tuller of the Traverse City Fire Department the hour-long scenario provided his staff with some training and, he hoped, sent a critical message to the onlookers.
"A lot of accidents have the same two factors: alcohol and speed," he said. "They are very preventable. People need to learn when to stay out of that 3,000-pound bullet."