by Steffi Carrera ’14

An automobile accident on February 1 resulted in the death of former Sherwood student, Earl Lee. Though he only attended Sherwood during his freshman year, his passing has impacted students, and he will be missed.

The following Monday, students resumed school as usual. Some awaited a moment of silence for Lee, but were surprised when their first period was not interrupted by an announcement. Some wondered why the principal had not spoken about the tragedy as he had done previously in the recent deaths of Olijawon Griffin (’12) and Alex Popeck (‘12).

“Usually we have moments of silence for current students who have passed away or those who very recently graduated,” explained principal Bill Gregory. “But every case is assessed in terms of how it impacts the students.” Each situation has to be evaluated in terms of how it has affected the community, according to Gregory. Since Lee was only a student at Sherwood during the 2007-2008 school year, a moment of silence did not seem appropriate. Gregory said he has to consider the impact this will have on the students, and the resources needed for such an action, such as counselors in the Ertzman theatre ready to talk to distressed students. Sometimes counselors from other schools will be brought in to help students cope with loss.

“Our reason for doing whatever we do is to help the students and staff. One of the great things the Sherwood community does is reach out to take care of one another,” commented Gregory.

There are no set guidelines about what constitutes such announcements, so the staff carefully assesses each situation and acts in a manner that is best for the student body. They prepare counselors for these events and make phone calls to parents if necessary. “It’s heartbreaking anytime [a student’s death] happens. It’s so emotional for everyone involved. Any tragedy is,” said Gregory.