SADD Presents "Chain of Life" Assembly

Middle and Upper School students participated in a powerful assembly entitled “The Chain of Life” on Friday, September 30th, sponsored and organized by the Country Day Chapter of SADD, Students Against Destructive Decisions. SADD is a national organization committed to empowering young people to lead education and prevention initiatives in their schools and communities. As explained by a Country Day senior at the opening of the assembly, “it endorses a firm “No Use” message related to the use of alcohol and other drugs as well as prevention of all destructive behaviors and attitudes that are harmful to young people including impaired driving, violence and suicide. The Country Day chapter was organized in the year 2000, in response to the death of a Country Day student, Andrew Ross, and has this year been reactivated to aid students in making positive decisions.”

Guest speaker, long-time St. Croix resident Jackie Holt, spoke in firm tones to a hushed audience of the events leading up to and following the death of her son, Andrew, in the early hours of November 7, 2000, during his senior year. “I don’t tell Andrew’s story to tell you about grief. I tell you about what happened to remind you that consequences of your actions not only affect you, but the people around you, who love you, who want to share in the long life you are suppose to have. What a huge responsibility to die unnecessarily because of a destructive decision - you are gone and you leave the rest of us behind to live without you.” Ms. Holt concluded with a powerful photo presentation which included photographs of Andrew’s severely damaged car and which moved the entire group as evidenced by the many tearful faces as well as the utter silence of the students.

Prior to the assembly each student, faculty member and administrator had written their names and a message they wanted to share with the school community on a paper strip which would be linked together as “The Chain of Life.” While various SADD members described the symbolism of the chain, reminding everyone about the interconnectedness of each person and each person’s obligation to help and protect each other, student representatives from each advisory joined the strips into one long chain which was later hung from the rafters in the school library. As the students left the assembly, each placed in a jar a secret promise written on a slip of paper as a commitment to help in upholding the positive choices encouraged by SADD. The collective promises of the group will sit in the school’s administrative office for the remainder of the school year.

The SADD Chapter at Country Day intends to hold further assemblies during the school year to keep teens reminded of their responsibilities to themselves and each other so that they may lead safe, long and meaningful lives.