Date: Fri 30-Apr-1999

Publication: Bee

Author: STEVEB

Quick Words:

Columbine-shootings-NHS

Full Text:

Columbine Tragedy Resonates In Newtown

(with photo)

BY STEVE BIGHAM

The tragedy that shook Littleton, Colo., on April 20 continues to reverberate

around the nation because Columbine High School appears to be the typical

American school - very much like Newtown High School.

That point was underscored this week by former Newtown resident Steve

Stephenson, who now resides in Colorado not far from where the deadly shooting

took place. He felt compelled to write to The Newtown Bee this week to explain

how the two schools are similar.

"Please believe me when I say that they are the same and the tragedy that

occurred there can happen in places like Newtown," he wrote in a letter to the

editor. (See Letter Hive.)

According to the former Taunton Ridge Road resident, the schools are almost

the same size, have excellent administrators and staff, and, like Columbine,

the majority of NHS students are college-bound and score well or above average

on local and national tests. The communities are also similar, he said, and

are made up of parents who want nothing but the best for their children.

Classes at Newtown High School were back in session this week after a

week-long spring break. Life at NHS appeared normal, but the horror that hit

Littleton, Colo. last week remained on the minds of many students. They were

reflective as they talked about violent behavior and how the youth culture

unfolds.

One group of students, referring to themselves as "partiers," discussed the

current state of affairs at NHS Wednesday. The bullying and constant

intimidation of students is a part of daily life, they said.

"Kids are too mean," noted junior Lauren Horvath. "Some students are

constantly being harassed about the way they look or the way they dress."

Junior Leah McSweeney said the NHS administration fails to see the big

picture, instead focusing on minor issues. Students said the bullying,

intimidation and assaults go largely ignored, while minor acts - such as a

student smoking - are considered serious offenses.

Those who spoke said the kind of bullying that created such hatred in

Littleton also goes on inside the walls of NHS. They are not naive. They

understand the destruction that comes about when one group shows intolerance

toward another. It could happen again, they said.

"It seems like it's becoming trendy now," said one girl.

"Newtown is full of people with money. They think they're better than everyone

else and they put others down," said sophomore Kyle Tobin. "There's a lot of

mental abuse and some kids can't take it anymore."

One Newtown mother said she went to the administration to complain about the

constant bullying her son receives. She left feeling as if her concerns fell

on deaf ears.

The national media has played up the fact that both the killers in Colorado

were members of the Trench Coat Mafia - a sort of Gothic looking group, which

hails the Nazis and listens to devil-worshipping music.

Newtown High School, like most suburban schools, is made up of various cliques

or groups. The athletes are classified as jocks, and "mainstream" students,

many of whom are also labeled preps. They were considered the bullies in

Columbine and were reportedly targeted by the gun men. Then there are the

graffiti skate boarders, the partiers, the nerds and the vampires or "Goths."

Sophomore Tracy Samuels said the vampires scare her. Many of them wear odd

makeup and wear black clothing. Some even wear trench coats, prompting others

to compare their group to the Trench Coat Mafia.

Earlier this week, a student was seen wearing a trench coat and was reportedly

told by a teacher to remove it immediately.

Parental involvement seemed to vary among the students who were interviewed

this week. Some said their parents were fully involved in their lives, while

others said their parents had little if any involvement.

"If nothing else, we become more diligent to a potential problem," noted NHS

Principal Bill Manfredonia "You can never lose contact with your son or

daughter. There's a constant vigilance that has to be shown."

"The question we have to ask is why is thing becoming more common," noted

Board of Education chairman Amy Dent. "I think we have to look hard and deep

into what's happening in the home today."

Coincidentally, Newtown Youth Services' March newsletter focused on the

subject of youth violence.

Steve Stephenson says he prays this horrible crime is never repeated in any

community.

"But it will if we let it," he said.

(The Newtown High School Parent, Teacher and Student Association (PTSA) has

scheduled a public forum addressing how the high school can provide a safe and

secure environment for students and educators. The meeting will take place at

7:30 pm in the NHS lecture hall.)