Principal Alan Goodwin is taking special measures this spring to keep his students safe. In preparation for Prom this weekend, students watched a ten-minute video highlighting the severe consequences of drunk driving during second period Wednesday. Goodwin also visited freshman English classes April 13 and 14 to inform freshmen of the consequences of underage drinking, sexting and using derogatory names against the LGBT community.

This was the first time Goodwin has spoken directly to freshmen about these issues. However, after three freshmen parties were busted on the same weekend, Goodwin felt the need to speak up, he said.

Goodwin is concerned that freshmen don’t understand the consequences of their actions and thinks that they are too young to be experimenting with alcohol, he said.

New state policies have made punishments more lenient for first-time offenders, but repeated offenses can result in out-of-school suspensions, exclusions from clubs and athletics and expulsions.

Goodwin also talked about the dangers of sexting.

Explicit photos never really leave the cyber world, and could potentially come into the hands of unwanted recipients, he said.

Although there might be some gray area for sexting punishments in school, students can still face legal troubles, as it is a state crime if the photographed person is a minor, guidance counselor Kelly Singleton said.

Goodwin also urged students to stop using words like “gay” or “f****t” as defamatory terms.

“Unfortunately this year’s freshmen class has some members who have not been the most accepting or understanding when it comes to respecting other students,” junior Joseph Grunwald said.

Grunwald and many other students participated in a National Day of Silence April 17 to increase awareness of LGBT harassment in schools. Grunwald plans to speak to freshmen classes with Goodwin in the upcoming weeks to further address the subject.

Goodwin clarified that these concerns do not apply to the whole grade; they are simply warnings. During his speeches, many students were quiet while others hid smiling faces and suppressed uncomfortable laughter.

Some students felt that the talk was meaningless. Those who do participate in these risky activities would likely continue, and those who would not do not already knew the dangers, freshman Annie O’Connell said.

However, English teacher Ashley Houghton remains hopeful.

“I definitely think Dr. Goodwin’s speech impacted students,” she said. “He sent an important message in a delicate way [and] some took his warning to heart.”

Story updated at 5:45 April 23.