Glenbard West High School students waited in line Wednesday for sobriety tests from Glen Ellyn police officers. Thanks to some new goggles purchased by the police department, students could try “walking the line” with the effects of an intoxication level of .16.
“It’s pretty cool, but it’s hard,” said Jessica Fischer, 17, about her tipsy attempt to walk straight.
The goggles were among the more popular hands-on activities at the school’s Health and Wellness Fair.
More than 50 organizations were represented, from hospitals, to health-food vendors to massage therapists. The event was organized for 1,800 Glenbard West students and community people as part of Live Life Well Week.
“It’s about making healthy choices,” said Gilda Ross, an event organizer from Glenbard West’s guidance office. “Only a small percentage of teens exercise and make it part of their lives. It’s important for kids to have an awareness about their choices so they can make changes.”
The folks performing cardiovascular step endurance tests agreed that some teens need to exercise more. “A lot of them are ranking in the very poor category,” said Kim DeCroix, an exercise physiologist from HealthTrack Sports Wellness in Glen Ellyn.
Once their hearts were beating fast, the students could relax at one of two massage therapy stations, which also attracted long lines. If they were still stressed, representatives from Elmhurst Hospital were conducting relaxation exercises using guided imagery. Other tables provided cholesterol screenings, blood pressure checks, vision tests and fat analysis.
After checking out the offerings, most students had discovered something they didn’t know before. For Rachel Waters, 14, the health fair brought an eye-opening revelation about potato chips.
“I learned how much fat is in one of those small sandwich bags,” she said. “I’m not going to eat those any more.”
Laura Brown, 14, had been most impressed by the Fatal Vision goggles. Her observation for the day: “You can’t walk straight when you’re drunk.”
