Hot Springs students get 'ghosted'
From left, Jenny Scrivner, Rubin Samson, Justin Salmi and Tyler Carr sit in the background as loved ones take turns reading their eulogies to the assembly at the Ghost Out event at Hot Springs High School. (Photos supplied)
Christopher Rosler participates in the Ghost Out.
All the Ghosts and the Reaper were present as the mock funeral was played out in front of the school as the finale of the days events (photo supplied)
The “Grim Reaper” claims a student at the Ghost Out event at Hot Springs High School.
Sometimes the best way to learn good judgment when faced with peer pressure is using the shock factor. This is what the JMG students of Hot Springs High School have done for their “Ghost Out” event.
“We want our students to use and learn good judgment when faced with peer pressure to drink or do drugs. Most importantly, we want them to realize that getting behind the wheel impaired is dangerous and most often deadly,” said president of the JMG class Mikayla Mueller.
The Ghost Out compromised of 10 students being randomly selected to dress as ghosts and act dead throughout the day.
A designated “Grim Reaper” was selected to approach those chosen ghosts as the day progressed to effectively represent being a victim of either a drug- or alcohol-related death.
During the afternoon assembly the obituaries of the ghosted students were read out to the student body.
Not even teachers of Hot Springs High School were given a heads up. The JMG class wanted to ensure a real shock factor of what could happen and what it would be like to encounter such a tragedy by ensuring it’s as close to a real-life situation as possible.
“We do not have any teachers involved because it’s a surprise to the whole student body,” said Mueller.
Mueller also said that it had been a couple of years since the school had held a ghost out day.
“None of the students in the high school knew what was going on,” she said
“Everyone was pretty young when it happened the last time and very few remember what it even is. It is very emotional and heartbreaking at the assembly, when we read how 10 students were, in theory, killed. It’s basically just a huge reality check for everyone,” she continued to explain.
Each student was given a unique background to their fake death.
Six of the students “die” while coming home from a basketball game. The story line is that the bus was hit by a student who was intoxicated while driving his group of friends home from a party.
Ensuring that they are looking at real world situations, the JMG class have implemented accidents that are relatable to not only high school seniors but students of all ages.
When asked of the overall goal she and her class were aiming to achieve, Mueller said ”Our goal of having drug/alcohol prevention and awareness week, is to spread the word about the dangers of drug and alcohol usage.”
“If something devastating happens to an entire school, it gets talked about. We want to leave an impression with each and every student here,” she continued to say.
The Hot Springs class also looked beyond the accident or the ghost to truly ensure they were doing their part to be effective.
“We decided to just ask four ghosts to write their eulogies, but we chose those four students for a reason,” said Mueller.
“We asked the selected students if their parents or siblings would be OK with reading their eulogy at the assembly at the end of the day. Traci Salmi read her son’s eulogy, Carmen Jackson read her two daughters’, and Josh Scrivner read his sister’s eulogy,” she continued to say.
Understanding the importance of peer support, the JMG class hope they left an impression on their fellow peers to consider the consequences of poor decisions should they be faced with them.