By Robyn Roe, Glenville-Emmons High School

GLENVILLE — At a small town school like Glenville-Emmons High, prom is a huge part of the student body’s school year.

After a near-fatal crash involving G-E students three years ago, many lives have been changed. It has inspired everyone to think twice before they make important decisions this time of year.

Ever since that accident, G-E has had many speakers, assemblies and even a mock car crash. This year the school had an assembly put on by a group called Students Against Destructive Decisions. The assembly featured Freeborn County sheriff’s deputy Corey Farris, with guest speaker Cole Heilig, local resident Emmy Stilley and Miss Teen Minnesota Jenny Monson. Each individual talked about how destructive decisions affected his or her life.

Alayna Hall, a senior at G-E, helped arrange this presentation. She enjoyed each of their stories.

“It is important for students to know just how quickly an accident can happen, how an addiction can start or how suddenly a life can be lost,” she said. One of the speakers, Heilig, discussed how his life was profoundly affected by the use of drugs and alcohol

“I wanted to talk to these individuals because I wanted to give back as much as I can,” he said.

Heilig became addicted to a variety of drugs and made decisions that negatively impacted both himself and those around him. He lives with his grandmother and has been sober for 20 months. Another speaker, Emmy Stilley, a resident of Glenville, discussed how another individual’s bad decision changed her life forever.

“You only have one life, and it is what you make it. You better make it a good one,” she said.

After another driver, intoxicated with different traces of drugs, blew through a stop sign and collided with Stilley’s vehicle. Stilley is still recovering after over 4 1/2 years of rehabilitation and therapy.

The third speaker, Jenny Monson, discussed her platform as Miss Teen Minnesota: smoking, especially teen smoking.

“The smoke from cigarettes is not only harmful to the smokers’ lives, but to everyone around them,” she said.

Monson’s grandmother died of lung cancer at the young age of 54. Monson wanted to inform the student body how harmful cigarettes can be.

All of the speakers had a great impact n the students.

“After seeing the affects from making bad decisions, I will definitely think twice before every action,” said David Knudson, a junior at G-E.

Organizer Hall agreed.

“Prom is supposed to be fun; always remember the consequences of an action,” Hall said.