by Jordan Flowers & Kimberlee Rumbaugh, Cosmetology juniors

Do the COVID restrictions get you down?

Are you tired of all the DRAMA?

Do you sometimes see RED with Rage?

Do you wish you could just SMASH something — without getting in trouble?

. . .

This was the billing for Peer Leadership’s Smash Room Fundraiser, and it attracted thirty-eight students to purchase tickets from the Peer Leaders to “rent their weapon and destroy stuff.”

“SMASH, BOOM and SLAM !” On Friday, April 30th 2021, the LCCTC Peer Leadership club held a smash room to support the superintendent of the Shenango Area Schools — Dr. Schreck, and his young son who were injured in a crash.

In the room, ticket-holders could smash things like: kitchen dishes, old computers, and TVs with baseball bats, hammers, golf clubs, and sludge hammers. To prevent debris from harming anyone, Peer Leaders and welding students set up welding shields to create a protective room within the Group Project Shop room — space set aside to house projects to be worked on by several different shops.

During lunches, Peer Leaders sold tickets the following types of smashes:

Sledgehammer: 4 items ~ $5.00
Crow Bar: 3 items ~ $4.00
Golf Club: 2 items ~ $3.00
Baseball Bat: 1 item ~ $2.00
Hammer: 1 item ~ $1.00
Whiffle Bat: 1 item ~ $1.00

With a few safety measures in place (close toed shoes, long pants, and safety glasses), more than three dozen and a handful of staff members took out their anger, frustration and stress on items that would have been, otherwise, destroyed anyway. CDC guidelines and safety protocols were used during the entire event!

When asked about her experience with the school’s first Smash Room event, Alexis Koelliker states, “Many simply felt great relief, as if a physical stress was lifted off of their shoulders.”

“A TV was smashed so hard that it hit off of the back wall!” chuckles Zachery Penwell. “Now THAT was a sign of a ‘little’ frustration!”

Even a few teachers got in on the fun and smashed away a little tension. “I didn’t realize how many emotions were pent up,” recalls Mrs. McVicker, “but after I threw that flower pot against the wall and watched it smash into smithereens — I felt like a million bucks!”

In all, LCCTC students and Peer Leaders ended up raising $194 which will help with incidental costs incur while Dr. Schreck and his son during recovery.

Members of Peer Leadership and their advisors want to thank everyone who helped:

to Mr. Barton and his B week shop students for help setting up a portion of the shop for the event
to Mr. Banner, Mr. Parsons, and Mr. Kelly for our “weapons of mass destruction”
to all who donated items

“I feel this may be a great stress reliever at the end of a rough school year — for everyone!” states Mrs. Pasterik, Peer Leader Advisor.

Co-Advisor, Mr. Anthony Ovial, agrees stating, “I feel like it was a ‘smashing success’!”