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Survivors moving on but not forgetting
By Holly KurtzDenver Rocky Mountain News Staff Writer
Last year, it seemed like a made-for-TV movie, complete with speeches, music and an outdoor stage. Tuesday, the first day of school at Columbine High was more like a single family photograph — quiet, understated and much more private. Gone were the national newscasters, the parking lot purring with satellite trucks, the human chain that sheltered the students as they entered their building to attend classes for the first time since America's bloodiest school shooting. Gone was the second-story library where 10 people including two gunmen died April 20, 1999. In its place was a cloud- and tree-lined atrium paid for with more than $3.1 million shooting victims' families raised. Ground should be broken in the next few weeks for a new library expected to be complete next semester. Brian Rohrbough, whose son Dan was killed, said he had gotten good feedback from young people about the atrium. "It's almost like a sign of hope, a new beginning, kind of a step into the future," Columbine senior Richard Hoover said. "It's almost like, OK, we're moving on." Moving on, but not forgetting, said Columbine Principal Frank DeAngelis. "Every time we look up from the bottom floor into the atrium we're going to remember the kids who were killed and injured," he said. Last year on the first day of school, CNN carried DeAngelis' opening speech live. Tuesday there was no opening speech. Instead, DeAngelis, who is starting his 22nd year at Columbine High, plans to revert back to the quieter tradition of welcoming students via the student-run closed circuit TV news program sometime during the first days of school. "Our students and staff," he said, "really want to enter the new year under normal circumstances. Last year was special. The first day, we were taking back our school." It was a process that continued all year, as Columbine faced one obstacle after another: threats, suicides, the media blitz of the one-year anniversary. "Last year," DeAngelis said, "we felt like we were constantly under the microscope." In a way, they still are. DeAngelis said he saw tour buses and carloads of curious onlookers parked near Columbine all summer long. "People wanted to see where the tragedy occurred," he said. August 17, 2000
Last year, it seemed like a made-for-TV movie, complete with speeches, music and an outdoor stage.
Tuesday, the first day of school at Columbine High was more like a single family photograph — quiet, understated and much more private.
Gone were the national newscasters, the parking lot purring with satellite trucks, the human chain that sheltered the students as they entered their building to attend classes for the first time since America's bloodiest school shooting.
Gone was the second-story library where 10 people including two gunmen died April 20, 1999.
In its place was a cloud- and tree-lined atrium paid for with more than $3.1 million shooting victims' families raised. Ground should be broken in the next few weeks for a new library expected to be complete next semester.
Brian Rohrbough, whose son Dan was killed, said he had gotten good feedback from young people about the atrium.
"It's almost like a sign of hope, a new beginning, kind of a step into the future," Columbine senior Richard Hoover said. "It's almost like, OK, we're moving on."
Moving on, but not forgetting, said Columbine Principal Frank DeAngelis.
"Every time we look up from the bottom floor into the atrium we're going to remember the kids who were killed and injured," he said.
Last year on the first day of school, CNN carried DeAngelis' opening speech live.
Tuesday there was no opening speech. Instead, DeAngelis, who is starting his 22nd year at Columbine High, plans to revert back to the quieter tradition of welcoming students via the student-run closed circuit TV news program sometime during the first days of school.
"Our students and staff," he said, "really want to enter the new year under normal circumstances. Last year was special. The first day, we were taking back our school."
It was a process that continued all year, as Columbine faced one obstacle after another: threats, suicides, the media blitz of the one-year anniversary.
"Last year," DeAngelis said, "we felt like we were constantly under the microscope."
In a way, they still are. DeAngelis said he saw tour buses and carloads of curious onlookers parked near Columbine all summer long.
"People wanted to see where the tragedy occurred," he said.
August 17, 2000
