Friday, April 21, 2000
Silver Grove has ceremony for Columbine
BY Ray Schaefer
Enquirer Contributor
SILVER GROVE — It was all Sarah Brake could do Thursday do keep from crying.
Sarah, a seventh-grader at Silver Grove Middle School, is the platoon sergeant of the Junior ROTC color guard that participated in a memorial service for victims of the Columbine High School shootings.
Thursday was the first anniversary of the massacre at the Littleton, Colo., school. It didn't help Sarah that she watched television news reports before coming to school.
“It could happen any where,” said Sarah, 13. “I was going to cry. It was flashbacks from last year.”
Not everyone shares Sarah's fears. Josh Kopp, a high school junior, feels safe.
“I know everyone,” said Josh, 17. “News gets spread very quickly, and if anybody said anything, you'd know about it.”
Two Columbine students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 12 students and a teacher before killing themselves.
Sgt. Maj. David Owens, a Silver Grove special education teacher and JROTC commandant, came up with the idea for the ceremony at the 270-student Campbell County district last month.
“I knew there was going to be so much negative publicity,” Sgt. Maj. Owens said. “I thought it would be an opportunity for the commu nity to embrace the children.”
The district's Parent Teacher Association provided a white dogwood tree. Students placed paper ornaments bearing the names of the Columbine victims on the tree, and the color guard added a wreath.
“The hope is, for every time of loss there is a time for healing,” said the Rev. Jim Derby of Silver Grove Christian Church, the keynote speaker.
Many students said they knew nothing about the Columbine victims until they prepared for the ceremony. Danielle Smith, a 10-year-old fifth-grader, said she was sad as she hung her ornament bearing the name of Rachel Scott.
“She believed in God,” Danielle said.
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