The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

The Student News Site of Walt Whitman High School

The Black and White

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May 1, 2024

14 students cited at bRAVE, event’s future in jeopardy

14+students+cited+at+bRAVE%2C+events+future+in+jeopardy

This year, underage drinking at bRAVE escalated, with police citing 14 students. This leaves the prospect of next year’s event up in the air.

“The future of bRAVE is yet to be determined,” principal Alan Goodwin said in an email. “We need to step back from this event for a while and then brainstorm with the SGA about the future.”

After six students were caught drinking at bRAVE last year, there was an increased effort to prevent drinking this year through more security, a stricter check-in system and many appeals by Leadership students on Facebook. Goodwin even warned students during announcements at school and sent several emails to parents, imploring bRAVE-goers to make good decisions. Still, this year marks by far the highest number of students cited for being under the influence at the dance.

The 14 students, a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors, were pulled into the main office and given citations by police. Some students were stopped as they entered bRAVE and some were pulled out of the dance throughout the night.

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Each student will receive three days of in-school suspension, 10 hours of community service and limits on extracurricular activities, including being banned from participating in Talent Show and possibly Prom, as a consequence of the zero tolerance policy, Goodwin said. Penalties resulting from citations are determined by courts.

Goodwin faces a tough decision on how to respond to the growing number of students drinking at bRAVE.

“It’s hard because underage drinking at bRAVE is a huge problem and it’s really hard to control, but it’s also such a big fundraiser and such a big part of LLS month,” bRAVE committee chair Katie Meyer said.

Although the exact amount of money raised at bRAVE for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society isn’t yet finalized, it’s expected to be around $27,000, Leadership advisor Sheryl Freedman said. This reflects the enormous popularity of the event—nearly 1,000 students attended this year.

Despite the high number of citations, bRAVE was a success for a large majority of those who attended, Goodwin said.

“Overall, bRAVE went well for hundreds of students,” he said. “I’m very proud of students who made safe decisions.”

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Comments (7)

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  • D

    Donald J TrumpFeb 24, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    Vote for me

    Reply
  • Z

    zionFeb 24, 2016 at 9:39 am

    did goodwin not take a dab before he went off and bagged the entire school?

    Reply
  • Z

    zionFeb 24, 2016 at 9:38 am

    did they account for yayo or globs?

    Reply
  • R

    Read the StoryFeb 24, 2016 at 8:45 am

    Anonymous, please at least read the story before posting ignorant comments. The full quote is as follows: “The 14 students, a mix of sophomores, juniors and seniors, were pulled into the main office and given citations by police. Some students were stopped as they entered bRAVE and some were pulled out of the dance throughout the night.” You forgot to include the rest of the paragraph in your comment which clearly, contradictory to what you’ve stated, does not infer that all students were stopped before entering the dance.

    Reply
  • A

    anonymousFeb 23, 2016 at 9:29 am

    Not all students”were stopped as they entered bRAVE ” or “pulled out of the dance throughout the night.” It might not make complete sense, and it might come as a surprise, but those are the facts. Please fact check before making such public statements. Thank you

    Reply
    • T

      The ListenerFeb 23, 2016 at 2:14 pm

      shut
      up

      Reply
      • T

        The PoetFeb 28, 2016 at 4:50 pm

        The listener is Sam Steinburg!!

        Reply