Wilkins recalls prom nightmare

The Saline Reporter's Jana Miller sat down with 2004 Saline High School graduate Courtney Wilkins recently about the pair's 2004 prom night. Wilkins spent that night in jail charged as a minor in possession of alcohol and was removed from the dance by administrators and the police. Following the night, Wilkins wrote a letter to the editor for the school newspaper, The Golden Sting, apologizing for her actions. The student body reaction to her public apology was incredibly supportive, and the Saline Coalition to Reduce Underage Drinking, or SCRUD, republished the letter in the coalition's newsletter in the weeks before this Saturday's prom.

Reporter: So how did the day begin? What were you excited about and what was the plan for the evening?

Wilkins: I was excited about hanging out with friends for the night. It was my senior prom, so it was supposed to be a huge deal. I was on prom court, so that was exciting. The day started with me getting my hair done and getting ready. We met at someone's house and took pictures and everyone's family was there. We got in a limo and went to The Whitney for dinner, and we started drinking in the limo on the way to dinner.

I thought it would be fun to take shots during dinner, so we would go to the bathroom to do that. Then on the way back to Saline, we got stuck in traffic and were drinking double shots at that point. I actually don't really remember going to prom or any of this because I completely blacked out. All I know is what people told me I did.

I remember waking up the next day in a (jail) cell. It was about 6 a.m. when I came to the realization that I'm in a (jail) cell right now. My parents couldn't pick me up until 3 p.m. because I had to be sober. It definitely was an awful feeling having my parents come pick me up.

Reporter: Was that hard on your family and friends? What was their reaction like?

Wilkins: None of my friends really called me. My parents and I sat in my room and they asked, "So what are you going to do?" So, I walked over to the principal's house with my dad to apologize and said I was sorry, embarrassed and didn't mean to harm anybody. He was really supportive. I think he actually went to the (jail) cell that night while I was there to see if I was OK.

When I went to school, the people I went with didn't talk to me. I think because they were afraid I was going to rat them out. So it was me dealing with it alone and being embarrassed. I was suspended for three days.

Reporter: What made you decide to write the letter to the editor?

Wilkins: Coming up with the letter was out of the blue. I just felt like I should say something because my friends weren't there for me and my parents were disappointed, and it was just me saying sorry. It was very embarrassing so I wanted it to get out there so no one would follow in my footsteps.

Reporter: What kind of feedback did you get after doing that? I know my group of friends thought very highly of you when we read it, especially the students who had been removed from sports teams for drinking.

Wilkins: I got a lot of letters. People would stuff them in my locker, just thanking me. They would write to me about the problems they were going through and they were freshmen and sophomores. I'm glad I helped someone else. I also had a lot of parents stop me who were appreciative of me writing it. I wasn't looking for anything, though, so it was weird to hear from people. I wasn't expecting that.

Reporter: I think pretty much every high school student is touched by drinking in some way. Either they do it themselves, or their friends do it, or they know someone who has been affected by it. What sort of ways do you think those who don't want to drink can get around it without feeling singled out?

Wilkins: I think the best way to get out of it is to be the designated driver. Some of our friends were like that and we knew who they were and never pressured them. One of my best friends would always be the designated driver and none of us pressured her. I would just say that. Or try to plan activities besides going to someone's house for drinking. You don't need to be drinking to have fun all the time.

Reporter: In what ways did the experience affect you?

Wilkins: I really learned the people who are actually going to be there when I need them the most. When I turned 21, I was more cautious when drinking (alcohol). It made me more responsible in college, too. I wasn't going out drinking all the time. I didn't have to get completely wasted when tailgating.

Reporter: What regrets do you have? On the one hand, something like this stays with you and was unfortunate. But, on the other hand, you don't learn without making mistakes. And others learn from you, as well.

Wilkins: I really don't have any regrets. I'm glad it happened to me, but I wish someone else would have told me the warnings of it. When I was drinking I didn't know my limit. I personally have family members that are alcoholics, but we never talked about it in my family. But you shouldn't be drinking, anyway. I'm glad it happened to me and I'm glad I had to go through that because it taught other people.

Reporter: If you could give advice to current juniors and seniors for Saturday's prom, what would it be?

Wilkins: You can have fun without drinking. It isn't the center of everyone's fun and shouldn't be the point.

Wilkins is now a graduate of Central Michigan University with a bachelor's degree in human resources management and is working as a human resources coordinator as her firm's point person.

Staff Writer Jana Miller can be reached at 429-7380 or jmiller@heritage.com.

Wilkins Apologizes

Editor's Note: This is a reprint of the letter Courtney Wilkins had published in the Saline High School newspaper, The Golden Sting, May 2004 after spending a night in jail after she was arrested as a minor in possession of alcohol at prom.

It's 5 a.m. the day after prom. Everyone is at home in their own beds, but I find myself lying on a cold concrete floor, still wearing my pink prom dress that used to be gorgeous but is now soiled with everything I fell into the night before.

I don't remember what happened or why I am in this cold place. A cop comes to the glass door and tells me to stand up and take a Breathalyzer. I am still a little whoozy and have to hold myself up by holding onto the door.

I ask him what happened. He tells me it's a shame to see that I don't remember anything. He said I was charged with minor in possession and was at least three times over the legal limit of alcohol consumed.

They said if I had one more drop I probably would have died. The cop told me I fell unconscious when I reached the police station.

I only came in with my dress, one shoe and a crown on my head. I think back as he closes the cell door and says I have a good eight more hours to go. I sit there and think what I did that got me into this position.

I drank, that's all I had to do. I had more than a sip of alcohol and this is where I ended up. It wasn't anyone else's fault because nobody forced me to drink.

I regret that night, even though I don't remember going to prom or seeing anyone at prom. I don't even remember walking up for prom court. The administration said that I was so intoxicated that the alcohol flooded my brain, causing me to black out. That's why I don't remember anything from that night. They said I could hardly talk and they were worried about my safety.

It's sad that I don't even remember the one night that I was looking forward to going to. I just remember getting excited about my dress, dinner and the whole night. It was the only thing I could think about.

I was thinking I'd have maybe one drink or so and that will mellow me out a bit. Well, that one drink turned into more than I could handle of hard liquor and then that was the end of it. I was completely gone.

I have officially embarrassed myself in front of the entire junior and senior class. I apologize to the administration for my idiotic choice to drink. I take full responsibility for my actions, and I know we all make mistakes.

I hope my mistake will teach somebody else, and maybe even save somebody's life.

Not only has this hurt me, but it has rippled out to the ones I love the most. It has affected everyone. I didn't mean to hurt anyone; I was thinking about myself and that's what turned this thing into such a nightmare.

I can only hope that the ones in the future will think before they take that one sip. That one sip can cost you more than you know. That one sip isn't only going to affect you, but everyone you know will be affected in some way.

I know this from experience who are my true friends, and I know my family will always be there for me through thick and thin. I owe the biggest apology to my parents, who have to live with my mistake and know what their daughter has done.

I also just want to thank one person who has been there for me through this whole ordeal, and that was my date. You know who you are and I owe an apology to you and your family.

I also want to add that I chose to write this letter of my own free will and hope that others will learn from my mistake. I now know that whatever I do will always affect others in some way, and I hope that the upperclassmen of the future will remember my story and learn from the biggest mistake that I have ever made.