The recent death of a participant in the Young Senators mentoring program led an incumbent California State Senator to gather support for campaign to encourage high school graduates to commit to having sober and safe graduation festivities this year.
22nd District California State Senator Gilbert Cedillo — who represents Downtown Los Angeles and adjacent areas — recently joined with representatives of State Farm Insurance, the Southern California Automobile Club, the California Highway Patrol, Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and the El Centro Del Pueblo social service organization to launch Sober 2010: Commit To Your Future/2010 Sobrio: Asegura Tú Futuro.
Cedillo sponsors a Young Senators program that offers approximately 60 high school students from around the 22nd District the chance to gather for monthly workshops as part of a program that culminates with an annual visit to Sacramento. The program lost one of its members approximately four months ago, when Young Senator Aydin Salek, a student at South Pasadena High School, died of what appears to have been alcohol poisoning after attending a party at a house in a residential neighborhood. An 18-year-old whose parents were not at home hosted the party, according to authorities, and used the Facebook website to promote the event. The party drew a large crowd but apparently did not prompt any objections from neighbors.
Salek's colleagues in the Young Senators program soon decided to take up the cause of informing their fellow high school students about the dangers of alcohol use and abuse, and their efforts formed the basis for the Sober 2010 campaign. The Young Senators say they hope to educate students on the "do's and don'ts when confronted with someone who has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol" and remind "parents of the need to have family conversations about alcohol use and abuse and to maintain open communication with their neighbors."
Cedillo threw himself into the campaign's launch on April 16, which included assemblies at three campuses in the 22nd District — Roosevelt High School in Boyle Heights, Franklin High School in Highland Park, and South Pasadena High School. Joining Cedillo on the day-long swing were Eddie Martinez of State Farm; Ener Palma of El Centro Del Pueblo; Anita Lorz and Steve Finnegan of the Southern California Automobile Club; California Highway Patrol Officer John Harris; Jennifer Robi of Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), and a number of Young Senators from each of the three campuses.
Organizers said that 300 to 400 students participated at Roosevelt and South Pasadena, while more than 700 turned out at the Franklin campus. Young Senators in attendance distributed "Dos and Don'ts pocket cards" to their fellow students. The cards included tips on steps to take when they observe someone who has consumed an excessive amount of alcohol. The Young Senators also distributed several hundred refrigerator magnets that list tips on "How to be a Good Neighbor" with an eye on reaching parents.
"All of us need to have family conversations about alcohol use and abuse, maintain open communications with our neighbors, promote positive activities for youth in our neighborhood, communicate closely and work with local law enforcement, be a responsible adult on matters of youth and alcohol abuse and call 911 in case of emergency," Cedillo said.
Jerry Sullivan is editor of the L.A. Garment & Citizen.
Photos by L.A. Garment & Citizen.
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