If someone walked up to you today on the street and asked you if you supported drunk driving, odds are you'd say no.
Odds are you'd look at the person as if they were crazy, chuckle under your breath and say, “Of course not." But, odds are that you or someone you know has done it.
Meagan “May" Rough, a Kappa Alpha Theta and pre-med student at Texas Tech University, is described by her friends as “always smiling."
“May was the most dependable friend, and would go out of her way to do anything for anyone."
“May was the kind of person who would light up a room when she walked in, regardless of the current atmosphere."
“She was faithful, trustworthy, a wonderful listener, empathetic and kind."
This video was shown to me by Hayden Turner and Ryley Bennett, two of May's best friends and roommates here at Texas Tech. In their opinion, this illustrates her bright personality in a way words could never do.
However, on December 7, 2012, May Rough, who was “always seen with big hair, lipstick, and probably in some sort of animal print" was killed by Jason Chad White in a drunk driving accident.
May was riding passenger in her Ford Fusion while her friend and sorority sister, Kaitlyn Canaday (who was sober), pulled out of their parking spot and into the street. White was reportedly going over 100 mph down the road when he crashed into the back of the two girls' car.
As expected, the death of this beautiful and spirited girl shook the Texas Tech community. What is so often looked at as a that-would-never-happen-to-me kind of scenario was suddenly all too real, and the hurt that May's friends and family experienced could never be put into words.
Emilee Evans, a close friend and sorority sister of May, described the day after May's accident and the days that followed as “easily the worst days of [her] life."
“I have experienced death in a lot of ways, including the loss of a parent, but losing a friend is a sting of its own."
Mallory Sanderson, also a close friend and Theta sister to May, remembered what she felt after the accident. “The one thing I can recall the most was how I knew I needed to step up and be strong, and be there for anyone who needed me. I wanted to be strong for May."
Last Monday, more than two years after the accident, the trial for White began, in which he pled guilty to intoxicated manslaughter.
After an extremely difficult three-day period, the selected jury sentenced White to 15 years in prison.
Gabriel Monte, court reporter for the Lubbock Avalanche Journal, was live-tweeting the entire process. The full account of the trial can be found here.
(In next tweet, "she" is referring to Kaitlyn Canaday, the driver of Meagan Rough's car on the night of the accident.)
The fact that White has to spend the next 15 years behind bars is a shame. It's a shame that he made the choices he did that night. It's a shame that such a young life is being put on hold- that while his family and friends continue their lives, he'll simply be waiting to start his again.
But what this was NOT is a mistake. Jason White didn't make a mistake that night. He made a choice. Just like anyone who gets behind the wheel of a vehicle after having a drink is making a choice. He made a choice not to call someone to come pick him up. He made a choice not to be responsible enough to find a designated driver for the night, something that May was responsible enough to do. Prosecutor Tom Brummett said that White displayed “callous disregard" for the safety of anyone that night when he got behind the wheel drunk. Yes, he'll be waiting to start his life again, but that is tragically something that May will never have the opportunity to do.
No, this was no mistake.
After the accident, May's family took it upon themselves to start that MayDay 5K Glow, a “neon night walk and fun run" that begins and ends on the same street that May lost her life that night. The event is done in order to “provide hope to those who honor [May's] memory and remind participants and onlookers to prevent driving while intoxicated or chemically impaired." According to the MayDay 5K website, net proceeds benefit the Meagan Rough Memorial Foundation, which provides educational scholarships, develops tactical programs near colleges, and hosts events to raise awareness of drunken driving. The event's committee works closely with Raiders Against Drunk Driving, a Texas Tech organization that was started in consequence of May's accident.
Needless to say, Meagan Rough's memory is still so alive. With the help of her loving family, her close friends, and her Theta sisters, the legacy that this beautiful girl left will continue to shine as brightly as she did, and will touch as many lives as possible.
The hope is that the consequences of drunken driving will be known; that even one life might be saved through reminding people of how a selfish act like this can permanently impact so many lives. May's favorite quote by John Wesley illustrates the standard to which we are held in her memory:
“Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can."
You can wait for a ride. You can stay sober for a night, and drive your friends. You can help us ensure that nothing like this will ever happen again.
May, you are missed. You are so loved by so many. And I take heart in knowing that if Heaven didn't appreciate red lipstick before, they sure do now.
