Page 18 - mcdanielfreepress2009-10

--~ Damages of drunk-driving ONE STUDENT REFLECTS ON THE CONSEQUENCES OF A NIGHT SHE WILL NEVER FORGET SARAH CHAVIS StoHR.porler [ never thought it would happen to me. It was another typical summer ntghe. My two best friends and I went out [0 [he bar and drove home. We didn't even think twice about it since we've always drove home after a long night of binge drinking OUT mOHO: "Drink. Drive. Stay alive." Ir was 2:04 a.m. when 911 received the phone call. I woke up lying on my side in the trunk of Rob's Trail Blazer. Josh was passed our in the driver's seat where Rob was sup- posed to be. but where was Rob? Lying in the middle of Pa- tapsco Avenue, lifeless. Apparendy he had rolled out of an 0'pcn window during one of the several flips the truck expe- rienced. None of us wore searbelrs. The paramedics rushed the three of us to R Adams Cow- !ey Shock Tt'auma Center at the University of Maryland Med- ical Center. I was released that day with JUSta few bums, stiff body, and an emergency room bill. Josh walked out later rhac night wearing a neck brace for the next ten weeks. However, Shock Trauma was Rob's home for the following three weeks. He lay there uncon- scious for the first week while a large needle drained fluid OUt of his brain. By the second week, the doctors switched their focus to his lungs. His left one had collapsed, and rhey had to remove the infection in the right lung before the orher could start rebuilding itself. During his third week, he start- ed breathing on his own but there were still "minor" compli- cations: infection in his left eye, nerve damage, a fractured skull, and a limp wrist. I sat in the waiting room every day with the rest of his family and friends. So many thoughts ran through my head during those waits: Why did I let him drive that night? We should have JUStstayed in. What if he doesn't wake up as the same per- Forweehafter the ocoda"I, son? What if he'll never speak again? Who was I going to Rob, healed in go to with all my boy problems? Will he even remember Shoc. fn;lumo. who I am? Now enduring Shock Trauma finally released him to Kernan Orthope- physicollherapy dics and Rehabilitation Hospital, where he endured physical and living at therapy for a week and a half. He srarted walking and talk- ~~~~: ing again. And 10 my relief, he W,"" s.ill the same person. He ,,,,,111\1:,, a Imll moved back In with his mom when he left Kernan's because ::::~C;::;oMY he still couldn't see or feed himself. "I fed like a little kid again," he raid me. «My mom has 10~~v:.r~:~nl to do everything for me. Feed me. Bathe me. Make my drinks. Even rake me to che baehroorn." me. Bathe me. According to rhe Center for Disease Control and Pre- Mokemydrinb. vention, Rob and I aren't the only victims: "Every day, 36 Even loke meto people in the United States die, and approximately 700 more the bothroom,N are injured in motorvehide crashes rhar involve an alcohol impaired driver." Every time I visit Rob now, he leaves me with, "Be safe swee,heart Please don't drink and drive. Look at me, ir's notwonhit.' · h L19 ter S·d Safety Bloller QUICK VIEW 1 e of the Campus Blotter by the numbers Welcome back, McDaniel--guard your golf carts and propane tanks RESIDENCE HALLS CAMPUS FACILITIES ANW ACADEMIC KATELYNN MCGINLEY Health- 3 larceny- 1 Alcohol- 1 Possession- 1 Web Manager BLANCHE WARD BAIR STADIUM The Ravensrown their A-game on when it comes rc been away from our dear campus for Alcohol- 1 Health- 1 Alcohol- 1 Health- 1 rraining camp is causing trouble. Not only are rhey quite some time, so let's clear up a FORLINES always a pretty covering all the normal bases- a fe- few rhings that srudenrs seem to be a BIG BAKER good rime on male srudenr puking in one of the bit vague on. Firsr of all, to the stu- Alcohol- 1 Lcrceny- 1 campus ~ un- bathrooms, alcohol citations, etc - dents rhae gor caught drinking and get- GARDEN APTS less, of course, but they're also getting creative, and ting high in Hoover Library? That is DECKER CENTER you're the dude we love creaclviry. On August 24, something rhar is, generally, as a rule, Alcohol- 1 Health- 1 Alcohol- 1 Harassment- 2 who was sneak- Campus Safery picked up three stu- frowned upon. Also, if you're attending larceny- 2 Trespcssinq- 1 ing unaurhor- dents joy-riding in the Rouzer park- a party in Gardens (or any other place, GOLF COURSE iaed pictures at a practice and Campus ing lor on ... agolfcarr. reaHy}rhemermostatsarenmpartyfa_ MCDANiEl HALL Indecency. 1 Health-l Safery picked you up for trespassing. Yeah, we'd really liked ro have vcrs, as some people apparenrly seem to Thar ... yeah, that was probably less of heard rhar phone call home. think. You don'[ ger to take [hem with PA AVE/NORTH VILLAGE HOOVER LIBRARY a good rime. Belng a feesbman bcy can be srress- you when you leave. On rhar same note Paraphernalia_ 1 School has officially been back ful, though, (uh, we guess), and maybe - people, think about who you're invit- Alcohol- 1 Assault- 1 Possession_ 1 in session for a few weeks now, and it was a little of that stress that contrib- ing to your parties, ok? Seriously. Drugs- 1 Fire- .4 while it's always a lirrle sad to let sum- uted to another Rouser-escapade one: But rhe real treasure in rhis is- Health- 1 larceny- 1 PHYSICAL PLANT mer go, it appears that some students that involved a student threatening his sue's Lighter Side has to go to what- Health-1 haven't had anyprobJl"m lenlng, urn, roommate with a knife. Boys, boys - ever brave soul (or souls) thoughr it ROUZER orher things go. like rheir bladders. can't we all JUStget along? More im- would be a good idea to steal a pro- Alcohol- 6 Assault-1 SPORTS FiElDS In public. portantly, where were you when those pane tank off of a student's porch Destruction of property, 1 Health- 1 Indecency_ 1 We're guessing that it was not the three guys were stealing golf cans? on PA Avenue. To be hcnesc, we're Indecency- 2 Health- 2 goal of the rwo students busted for tak- A faculty member reported that just curious about what was going larceny- 1 Weapons-l ing a whiz on the golf course and sPOrtS her parking pass had been stolen through their heads. fields (twO separate incidents on tWO from her vehidejust days after astu- WHITEFORD differenr nights, mind you) to end up dent was labeled with ~fraudulentuse (Ediror'; N()fe: 7his coillmn by Kau- Alcohol. 2 Harassment_ 2 in rhe Lighter Side, and we understand of a faculry parking pas5~ on Penn- Iyn McGinllJ is dtdicatrd to romr of the Health- 2 thai nature does cal! occasionally, but sylvania Avenue. Ifrhere were ever a mOSI infllu calls fO which Camplls Saftty really? Next time, be less conspicuous dearer sign that students don't like offiun rtspond - or should mpond. In- paying for their parking passes, we're ridtIWflcfllallyorcm7'td. bill t/)tlIanus aboutic,ok? oftht miprirs 110/ inrludtd {(l prottcr Jr's nice ro see that the newest not surewhar it would be. 11~ batch of Rouzer boys seem to have It was a long summer and we've tht "ol-:ro~in"l(!Cmt).