Emily Schuit of West Windsor received an early birthday gift this year when she was notified by Mothers Again Drunk Driving that she was among the winners in the MADD Mercer County Chapter 2004 Poster/Essay Contest. On March 24, she celebrated her 12th birthday. At a ceremony honoring the winners on March 31, Emily learned she had won third place in the grades 4 to 6 category. Ironically, the first and second place winners in that same grade category (Andrew Lalli and Peter Lee, respectively) are also in her class at Community Middle School.
Born in Princeton, Schuit has lived in West Windsor all her life, first in Penns Neck and since 1996, in Dutch Neck. A sixth grade student at Community Middle School, she is in the Prism Honors Program, on the sixth grade track team, and plays drums in the school band. She also plays softball, soccer, and basketball. She is in the choir and honor class at Congregation Beth Chaim.
Her father, Michael Schuit, is a deputy attorney general in the environmental permitting counsel section of the New Jersey Division of Law, president of the Friends of West Windsor Open Space (FOWWOS), and an active member of the West Windsor Boy Scout Troop 40 Committee. Her mother, Ronda Siegel, is an IBM director and a member of the Central New Jersey Chapter of the Cornell Club. Her brother, Adam, 14, is also a student at Community Middle School.
Following is Emily’s essay, titled “Alcohol Free Is the Best Way To Be.”
“Everyone can name a commercial where alcohol is presented in a positive way. What these commercials don’t show is the horrible effects of one drink too many. Of course it’s okay for one icy cold beer on a hot summer day or a fancy glass of wine in an elegant restaurant, but before you gulp down that one drink too many, think. Think about your family and friends and life itself. Just think about how this one drink can ruin not only your life but other lives too. Taking these thoughts into consideration, know that “Alcohol free is the best way to be.”
“Alcohol free is the best way to be” because alcohol abuse has many effects not only on the abuser, but on the other too. For example, a drunk driver could injure or cause the death of another driver on the road. Think of the “ripple effects” of an accident like this and the impact it has on numerous people including the weight of guilt on the drunk driver’s conscience. The effects could definitely be on family and friends and can impact their life forever. Then, family and friends might start to feel helpless and may take the blame or cover up for the alcohol abuse. Before anyone decides to take that one drink too many, they need to remember that alcohol abuse can impact family and friends’ lives, injure or cause the death of the abuser and/or anyone around them.
“Alcohol abuse has many effects on the abuser. Some of the lifelong effects of alcohol abuse include liver disease, muscle disease, kidney failure, and heart disease. The abuse of alcohol can also cause severe brain damage and heart attacks. It also has mental and emotional effects on the abuser such as jealousy, confusion, anxiety, anger, irritability, tension, and depression. Alcohol abuse has physical effects too. These include headaches, nausea, instability, and lack of eyesight. Obviously alcohol abuse has many effects on the abuser. Besides, would you want to take the risk of suffering these horrible effects of alcohol abuse due to drinking too much?
“Alcohol abuse is a common problem all over the world. Lots of people suffer from the many effects of alcohol including family members, friends, and others around the abuser due to drinking and driving or simply a family falling apart due to one member. My goal and hopefully the goals of many others is to help prevent these horrible tragedies from happening. In order to do so, everyone must think twice before gulping down that one drink too many and help your family and friends to do the same.”
