By Anna Guido
Enquirer contributor

COLLEGE HILL - At McAuley High School on Monday, things were a little off center, but for a good reason.

Students were checking breasts for lumps, grossing out over morbid pictures, seeing what it feels like to drive drunk, Jazzercising with staff and learning how abstinence saves lives.

McAuley High School freshman Mary Boeddeker 14, from Finneytown, tries to touch her finger to her nose while wearing "Fatal Vision" goggles. (Glenn Hartong photo)

The events that took place at the all-girls parochial school of 814 students were part of the first "Health Slam."Planners intend to do it every year.

"I never have, and I never will," senior Lauren Murdock, 17, of Cheviot said at an exhibit on the dangers of smoking.

Lauren and classmate Abbey Pyle, also 17 and a senior, joked about taking "non-smoking" breaks at work, because all the smokers get to take breaks.

The exhibit - put on by University of Cincinnati medical students Caroline Eady of Clifton and Jennifer DiCocco of Silverton - included pictures of diseased lungs and teeth.

Eady said the most frequently asked question after seeing the graphic pictures was, "How long does it take to get this way?"

At a display on abstinence, hosted by Healthy Visions of Cincinnati, senior Michelle Finan, 18, of Harrison, didn't need much convincing by abstinence educator Honor Otmar on which path to follow.

"Virginity is something special," Michelle said. "It's a great gift to give to your husband on your wedding night."

McAuley nurse Peggy Hock was the main organizer of Health Slam.

Hock said parent Sharon Klumb gave her the idea after reading about a similar event at a local elementary school, sponsored by the American Red Cross.

Hock said she hopes Health Slam serves as a deterrent to risky behavior.

One of the most popular exhibits was hosted by driving instructor John Stanley, owner of Stanley's Driving School in White Oak.

Stanley let students wear "fatal vision" goggles that simulate the feeling of being intoxicated. With goggles on, students had to walk a straight line, catch a ball and perform other simple tasks that intoxication impairs.

"It definitely scares you," said Jennifer Sparks, 16, a junior from Green Township.

Sobering statistics

• 12 million new cases of sexually transmitted infections are diagnosed each year in the United States in people 12 and older.

• One in 4 people has a sexually transmitted infection. The Human Papilloma Virus (an STI also known as genital warts), often called "the hidden epidemic," can lead to cervical cancer.

• 115 people die in car wrecks daily, including one teen an hour.

• 1 in 11 drivers on Friday and Saturday nights is intoxicated.

• Automobile accidents are the No. 1 cause of death among teens.

• The three main causes of car-related deaths among teen-agers are speed, alcohol and not wearing seat belts.

Sources: John Stanley, owner of Stanley's Driving School, and Healthy Visions in Cincinnati.

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