Photo Credit: Kate Ter Haar on Flickr[/caption]September 17-18, the annual “It Can Wait” campaign swept through Orange High School once again. This year, it placed more of an importance on the effects that texting and driving can cause to others and oneself.
Wednesday, during advisory, students focused their attention on the T.V. screen, where the school administrators broadcasted a video by the “It Can Wait” foundation. This video compiled of five individual videos, in which personal stories were told about loved ones that have died because they were texting and driving or someone else was. The video even showed the point of view of someone who accidently killed people because they were texting and driving.
In hopes that the video would influence the students, on the next day the school set up a booth outside of the cafeteria and a link on the school website where students could sign up to take the pledge. Senior Jonah Neville said, “I’m pledging because it will make the road that much safer with one more person choosing not to text and drive.” While Neville has that point of view, junior, Colby Scott states, “I’m pledging so I won’t die!” Junior, Mitzy Ibarra said “I think this pledge will make a difference because the students saw what might happen if they do, so [not texting and driving] will cause less accidents.”
The outcome number of pledges were no where near the goal by only receiving 324. “Hopefully next year the number will increase” says Mrs. Deloach, head of the event at Orange. With high hopes and encouraging students, Orange High School may reach the goal of 1000 pledges next year.
April 18, the Orange High School baseball team went head to head with rivaling Cedar Ridge High School. Besides the victory for OHS on the field, both teams were able to join together to have a combined victory off the field by raising money for children’s cancer.
With the Saint Baldrick’s Foundation, a foundation for the fight against children’s cancer, baseball teams took advantage of the “BaseBald” program that SBF offers. Baseball teams can participate, and the team agrees that if a set amount of money is earned by a specific date, the team will shave their heads.
The OHS and Cedar Ridge baseball teams joined forces and planned to raise their goal of $1,700 by April 18, and succeeded with soaring colors by collecting a total of $8,952. The OHS varsity team raised $1,509 with their leading contributor being junior Joe Piscitelli with his personal total of $281. The OHS Junior Varsity team raised $5,118.50 with their leading contributor being junior Quinlan Blackmon with a personal total of $1,000. Cedar Ridge raised a total of $2,015.
Both teams followed through by shaving their heads, starting with Piscitelli. Not only did the players contribute in shaving their heads, but the coaches joined in as well. This included the OHS head coach, Dean Dease, who raised a total of $135.