March Awareness Week at Massapequa High School is a week in which students, along with their parents and teachers, are able to witness the surreal and overwhelming aspect of emotional health through various techniques and presentations.

March 21 to the 23 will be considered Awareness Week. During the three day event, there will be multiple seminars that are based around anger management, mindfulness, alcohol and drug abuse, relational aggression, and the effects of drunk driving.

Regardless of age, these seminars have an impact.

Student Sydney Cassano had the ability to take part in the yoga activity last year as a sophomore. “It was enjoyable way to relax and get in touch with my inner self during the stressful school day,” she said.  

These group activities left students with a better perception and knowledge of themselves and of the choices that they will have to make in the mere future.

For most, the Fatal Vision activity was more than surreal.  From the direction and observation from YES Community Counseling, students were able to safely feel the effects of drunk driving due to wearing goggles that varied from a small amount of alcohol to being dangerously intoxicated. These goggles obstructed students’ sense of coordination.

The workshop was “a creative way to understand the effects that alcohol can have on the body” according to junior Brianna DeLuna.

After the goggle activity was finished, YES Community Counseling provided a short video on drunk driving and the possible outcomes for either the person driving or for innocent bystanders.  The video has an immediate impact to those who witness it. For others, it is life changing.

The video was traumatizing; it made you realize that accidents from drunk driving can happen to you or to a loved one.” DeLuna said.  

Awareness Week is a beneficial event that allows students to become in touch with their personalities,  relieve stress, gain a better understanding of the world, and simply become aware.