Alcohol, drugs topics of St. Louis assembly

By Rod Ohira
Advertiser Staff Writer

John Siofele will be remembered at a St. Louis School assembly next month with the message that drunken driving can kill anyone, even a star athlete and top-notch student.

"I'm sure (Rev. Allen DeLong, the school's president) will address the issue of alcohol and drugs at our first assembly Aug. 22 because we work closely with Mothers Against Drunk Driving," said Charles Alexander, a St. Louis vice principal. "It'll be done to show kids the pitfalls of drinking or doing drugs.

"Here's a really nice kid who was an A-1 student killed," Alexander said of Siofele. "It just shows how pervasive alcohol and drugs are in our society."

The first day of school is Aug. 8 and the opening Mass/assembly for students is Aug. 22, said Alexander.

Siofele, 18, was killed early Monday morning when the Honolulu-bound 1991 Volkswagen Jetta he was driving on Farrington Highway in Nanakuli crossed the center line and struck a city bus. The University of Hawai'i football recruit died at the scene. He had a blood-alcohol content of .142, well above the .08 legal limit, according to the city medical examiner.

Delbert Tengan, the Crusaders' new football coach, was shocked to learn that Siofele had been drinking.

"We'll let this settle down and then talk to our kids about it," said Tengan, whose team is participating in Pass League competition. "I want our kids to know that in football, if the coach makes a wrong call, there's always another down or other options. In life, a wrong decision could be fatal."