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Lyons Police Chief Wesley Walker to community members and parents. Following the crash scene, students were led through eight different stations. Nikki Waters, 9-10 grade Counselor at the Toombs County High School, was on hand in the “Counselor Station” for any student who might need her assistance. Ambi Bess led the station on “Sexually Transmitted Diseases.” “We’re going to talk about abstaining from negative behavior in every station,” she said to those gathered the night before the event for a preview. “But we also follow that with the facts about the consequences…. Should they choose to be sexually active, they need to know the consequences, and that there are good reasons to want to wait.” With 20 years of experience with children and teens, Dr. Rennie Baily from the Vidalia Children’s Center managed the “Pregnancy Clinic Station.” “These are real issues kids face,” said Dr. Baily during the preview. “My main goal is discussing abstinence, of course. But I also want to give them a feel for the different stages your body will go through, and the costs you will incur with pregnancy. Everything is not available on WIC or for free.” These statements may sound obvious to an educated public, but these mistaken ideas are not as uncommon as we’d like to think. Chief Walker led the “Jail and Courtroom Station” where kids learned what will happen if they are put through the legal process. Judge McDonald, Toombs County Juvenile Judge, explained that the young driver of the car who was drinking would have been charged with a DUI and vehicular homicide. Tina Maddox, a local attorney, was on hand, “Trying to persuade the Judge not to put them in jail,” said Chief Walker. “I don’t think she’ll win this case.” Chief Walker also shared with parents and advocates some of the legal challenges they face with today’s technology. “We get complaints from parents where Mom and Dad find out that a young boy has an inappropriate picture of their daughter. They come to us and want us to do something to the boy. Well, that’s fine. Yes. Something needs to happen to him. What they don’t understand is that the same thing can happen to their daughter because she’s the one that generated it.” Rashida Taylor from the Sunshine House Regional Children’s Advocacy Center led the “Social Behavior Station.” Posting inappropriate pictures on social media 120 Toombs County Magazine such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Snapchat were some of the issues she addressed. Tracy Adams, a mother of four, one a teenager, provided an informative flyer for the night of the preview to help educate parents on popular social media apps. In the “Life and Loss Station,” students filed by a casket with a mirror inside. Shane Smith, Director of Advancement at the Paul Anderson Youth Home (PAYH), showed students a video of scenes from real car crashes. Cheryl Williams, a former school teacher and high school counselor, presented resources in the “Mental Health Station.” “Our young people are so bombarded with so many life stressors…. Suicide is the second leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old.” Students watched a video in this station to confront and break down the stigma that often keeps kids silent who are struggling with mental health issues. Another young woman shared her personal journey to freedom from addiction in a “Drug Use and Substance Abuse Station,” which was managed by Daphne Boone from Pineland Behavioral Health / Developmental Disabilities. Susan Wortman from The Refuge Domestic Violence Shelter was assisted by Jackson Sharpe (Site Coordinator at Sally D. Meadows for 21st Century), Joannie Morris, and Maggie Hoffman (both counselors at Leigh Ann White and Company, a professional counseling service in Vidalia) in the “Teen Dating Violence Station” with a skit written by Jackson. “The skit highlighted the signs to look for in abusive relationships,” he said. “At the end, students engaged in a time of discussion with practical questions and answers.” The Teen Maze ended with “Time is the coin of your life. It is the only coin you have, and only you can determine how it will be spent. Be careful lest you let other people spend it for you.” —Carl Sandburg a mock graduation. Both Superintendent Richard Smith and Superintendent Garrett Wilcox were on hand to hand diplomas to the future class of 2021. For the graduation address, Hunter Adams, a young man from Opelika, Alabama, who has been at the PAYH for the past nine months, shared his story to illustrate both the personal cost of bad choices and the opportunity to choose redemption that PAYH has given him. Following Hunter, a slide show commenced with pictures of a young girl. The girl’s mother, Cheryl Seagal, followed the presentation with a heartbreaking story. “On May 31st,” she said, “my daughter was life-flighted to Savannah.” The story was not shared easily. Her voice shook. “Our 21-year-old daughter was at a party in Vidalia that night, and they decided to shoot up with ‘Roxy’ the


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