Dear Editor,
I am writing in response to the opinion article about the response to the new Churchill club Teen Talks and its founders. 
I distinctly remember an assembly freshman year presented by a young man who had killed another person in a drunk driving accident.  He spoke to us about everything that he had been through and everything he had felt as a result of what he did – punishment, remorse, guilt, embarrassment.  I can tell you truthfully that his message hit home far more powerfully than if some random person had stood up in front of me to talk about the consequences of drunk driving.  
Here’s my question: why would you think there is anyone better to seek advice from about the pressures of high school than someone who has already fallen to it themselves, already seen the consequences, and wants to help others steer clear of the mistakes they have made?
I don’t believe that any of you have even considered the amount of courage it took for these students to do what they did.  Not only did they walk into a building of over 2,000 people, adults and kids, of which the majority strongly dislike and/or have absolutely no respect for them, but they even went up in front of the whole school and owned up to what they did.  Do you know what it feels like to be “that kid” in school who nearly the whole institution holds a grudge against?  Have you ever walked into a room knowing that everyone in it is looking at you – judging, gossiping, waiting for you to make a mistake again?  No, you don’t know what that is like because you’re sitting up in your high tower, protected by the firm walls of anonymity.
They did accept responsibility for their actions.  They did own up.  They were courageous. 
Would you rather them do what the rest of them did?  Like a few, they could have dropped out – taking the easy way out when they saw the possibility of being expelled.  Or, they could have returned to school and not said anything at all, not come forward, not try to own up to their mistakes.  How can you condemn these students when there are those who came back to school but did not step up in front of the entire school to apologize and attempt to make amends through helping others?  Or even worse, how about the kids who are still sitting next to you in class that also cheated but didn’t get caught?  No, apparently we don’t need to worry about them.  Let’s just take down the only ones who are actually trying to help, trying to better others and themselves after what they did last year. 
The young man from the drunk driving assembly had one simple message:  Don’t make the same mistake that I did.  Similarly to these students, he didn’t realize the seriousness of his actions while doing them.  He realized after, once he saw the consequences.  These students have seen the consequences and want to ensure that no one will make the mistake that they did.  Please just try to give them a chance.                                                           
Richmond Van Winter,
Class of 2011