The Every 15 Minutes event was put on by the Los Banos ASB class and was supported by the Los Banos Police department, fire department, and Memorial Hospital, etc. The Every 15 minutes event is a two day event that focuses on juniors and seniors and the importance of thinking before you act, be considerate of your actions and how they can not only effect yourself but the people around you, and to never drink and drive.

The concept of the Every 15 Minute program is based on around every 15 minutes someone is severely injured or killed in an alcohol related car accident. The program is put on in most high schools to show students a re-enactment of a car accident based on students leaving a party drunk. High schools do this and target the junior and senior audiences because they are more likely to attend events like these and possibly make these poor decisions which can ultimately hurt someone, end someone’s life, or alter their future forever.

Personally for me, the program really opened my eyes and made me realize the importance to think before you act. This experience has made me look around at those closest to me and really made me see the importance of keeping these people I care about safe and aware of their surroundings as well as my own.

I’ve always known how important it is to not drink and drive but watching the re-enactment and seeing other students who I have known, even though it is not real, go through what they did, watching the death of some kids who I have grown up with, and the impact events like that can have on their families, friends, and essentially the community around them, has really opened my eyes to how I hope to never have to experience that and  I hope for no one else around me to experience that as well.

This program was overall sad and at times emotional and hard to watch but it really did make me realize even more the importance to not drink and drive and understand no party or celebration is worth putting my family or friends and their lives in danger. This experience is truly and eye opener and I hope I am not the only student who took this experience to a serious level and really considered the importance to think before you act.

We have so much life to live and great futures ahead of us and it is not fair for one person’s poor decision making to cut someone’s life short or seriously change someone’s future forever just because of a party or a “good time.” We all deserve to live out our lives to the fullest and I hope every junior and senior at LBHS used this experience to their advantage by appreciating life and those closest to them.