Page 6 - aruba-today-20190615

A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 15 June 2019

20 years after Columbine, a debate on bulldozing the school

to put the estimated $60 or
$70 million expense on No-
vember ballots.
Conversations with victims’
families, survivors and cur-
rent staff convinced dis-
trict officials that changing
the school’s name was a
non-starter, said Jefferson
County Public Schools Su-
perintendent Jason Glass.
“Until you’ve heard those
thousands of people yell-
ing ‘We are Columbine’
together, you don’t really
get it,” he said. “The sense
of pride is real.”
Some of those closest to the
shooting have changed
their minds over the years
on the best course of ac-
tion.
After the attack, Frank
DeAngelis, then the
school’s principal, met with
the families of those killed,
students and staff about
their scarred building’s fu-
ture. He said the majority
felt demolishing it meant
Signs outside Columbine High School are photographed, Thursday, June 13, 2019, in Littleton, Colo. “the two killers had won.”
Associated Press So construction crews re-
By KATHLEEN FOODY a shotgun, killing only her- bine” dominate school pep Marjory Stoneman Douglas paired the bullet holes, re-
Associated Press self yet sparking lockdowns rallies and more solemn oc- High School in Parkland, placed broken glass and
DENVER (AP) — Two de- and new fears. School se- casions including an April Florida in 2018 is also ex- covered bloodstains and
cades after the name “Col- curity has intercepted oth- ceremony marking the pected to be razed; there burns with fresh paint and
umbine” became synony- ers with a similar infatuation anniversary. At the nearby has been no public dis- flooring before classes re-
mous with a school shoot- with the crime and its teen memorial just over a crest cussion about the school’s sumed in the fall. The library
ing, the suburban Denver perpetrators -- so-called named “Rebel Hill” for the name. was closed off and later
community surrounding the Columbiners. school’s mascot, a plaque After a shooter killed 12 torn down. Its former loca-
school is debating wheth- District security chief John quotes an unnamed stu- people inside an Aurora, tion became an airy atrium
er it’s time to tear down a McDonald can rattle off dent: “You’re a Columbine Colorado, movie theater in the school’s cafeteria
building that also became some of the most frighten- Rebel for life and no one in 2012, the building re- with a ceiling mural of an
a beacon for people ob- ing instances of people who can ever take that away opened with a new name aspen tree canopy and 13
sessed with the killings. came to the campus: An from you.” and auditoriums identified clouds — representing the
School officials said the Ohio couple later charged “It’s not just a building, it’s with letters rather than num- dead.
number of people trying to with planning a domestic like a second home to us,” bers. In Orlando, the owner But after years of cop-
get close to or even inside terror attack; a Utah teen said Jenn Thompson, who of the Pulse nightclub plans ing with unwanted visitors,
the school reached record later arrested for a bomb- as a 15-year-old huddled to make the site into a DeAngelis, who retired in
levels this year, the 20th an- ing plot against his school; inside a science classroom museum and a memorial 2014, said he now supports
niversary of the 1999 attack and a Texas man appre- during the attack. “It’s still to the 49 people gunned the proposal to demolish
that killed 13 people. Peo- hended at the school af- standing 20 years later. It down there in 2016. and rebuild the school.
ple try to peek into the win- ter he said he was filled by represents us, still standing The discussion of Colum- “I think if we would have
dows of the school library, one of shooter’s spirits and 20 years later.” She hopes bine’s future is likely to take known or projected what
mistaking it for the long-de- intended to “complete his her own daughter, now 8 months. An initial proposal was going to happen, we
molished room where most mission.” years old, can attend the would keep the school’s may have had a differ-
of the victims died, or ask “These people, they want school, home to about new library, which was built ent discussion about go-
people on campus how to the building,” McDonald 1,700 students. after the attack, and con- ing back into the building,”
take a tour. said. “They want to experi- The fates of mass shoot- struct a new school on the DeAngelis said.
The buses full of tourists ence it, to walk the halls ... ing sites around the United existing campus but further Retired English teacher
have mostly stopped over The only way we can stop States are varied. from nearby streets to give Paula Reed said she initially
the years, but not the visi- that interest in the build- In Newtown, Connecticut, security more room to inter- balked at the idea of de-
tors. This year alone, secu- ing is to move it. Otherwise voters authorized the de- cept intruders. molishing the building she
rity staff contacted more they’re not going to stop molition of the Sandy Hook An online survey gaug- worked in for 32 years. Her
than 2,400 “unauthorized” coming.” Elementary School build- ing community support will opinion shifted a few days
people on Columbine’s But Columbine, named af- ing where 26 students and close this week. District offi- later.
campus. ter Colorado’s state flower, teachers were killed in 2012 cials will spend the summer “I never loved that build-
Then, a few days before represents more than one and construction of a new reviewing and summarizing ing,” Reed said. “I loved
the anniversary, a young day to this suburban area school with the same name responses. If they decide to the community, my kids,
woman described as ob- southeast of Denver. Bois- near the original site. The present a plan to the school my colleagues. And their
sessed with the attack flew terous call-and-response building where 17 people board in August, its mem- needs simply matter more
to Colorado and bought chants of “We are Colum- were killed in a shooting at bers will determine whether than my sentimentality.”q