FAIRMONT — The student body at Fairmont Senior High was held spellbound for more than an hour Monday as one man recalled a horrific event: The deaths of his sister Rachel and 12 other students at Columbine High School nearly 10 years ago.
Craig Scott, representative of Rachel’s Challenge, gave three presentations in Marion County Monday. The first was for students at West Fairmont Middle School, the second at FSHS and the third for parents and community members in the evening.
Rachel’s Challenge was created from the life, writings and death of Rachel Joy Scott, the first person shot and killed in the Columbine High School tragedy in 1999. Rachel’s Challenge is a nonprofit organization that seeks to improve the lives of teens through her life.
The group sends guest speakers to schools across the country and the world, talking about Rachel’s life and death and about kindness. Entertainers, politicians, sports celebrities, educators and two presidents of the United States have been impacted by Rachel’s Challenge.
Students at FSHS sat in stunned silence as Rachel’s brother Craig spoke about the Columbine tragedy. The setup was a simple one, with Craig moving about the stage with a microphone while images were projected on the screen behind him. Even with the minimalist setup, keeping the students’ attention wasn’t difficult with the power of the message.
Craig Scott was in the library of Columbine High on April 20, 1999 with his friends. The library was the bloodiest scene, where he watched as two of his friends were shot. Rachel was eating lunch outside the east entrance of the school, and the two gunmen shot her as they entered the building.
Following Rachel’s death, the Scott family began studying her writings, particularly her journals. She always believed she would die young and that she would have a profound impact on the world.
In an essay written just a month before her death, Rachel wrote about kindness and how she believed acts of compassion could start a chain reaction of goodness. At that same time, the teens who would become the Columbine gunmen made a video calling for a chain reaction of violence and hate.
Craig Scott said it was amazing that both were calling for chain reactions of polar opposite things.
“They started a chain reaction,” Scott said. “There were shootings at high schools for a while. But I believe my sister has had the larger impact.”
Rachel’s Challenge has visited high schools all over the country, impacting millions of students. They first came to Marion County in September, with a visit to East Fairmont Junior High.
E-mail Katie Wilson at kwilson@timeswv.com.
Local News
County students hear ‘Rachel’s Challenge’
- Local News
-
-
Teaching on their level
“I would like to nominate Lois Thibodeau for ‘My Favorite Teacher.’ She is the special needs Pre-K teacher at Watson Elementary School.” This was Kristi Wolford singing the praises of Lois Thibodeau.
-
DHHR requiring additional vaccines for students
Seventh- and 12th-graders who return to class in the fall without certain immunizations will not be allowed to attend school unless they get the required inoculations.
-
Cost of crime
Victim.
You never thought this would be you.
But you are the victim of a nonviolent or violent crime.
After contacting the proper authorities, you may be bewildered as to what happens next. -
More streets to be paved this week
Even more city streets will be paved this week than expected.
City Manager Jay Rogers said the spring paving required fewer tons of asphalt to cover the distance than originally estimated. That means there’s asphalt to spare and more streets are getting paved this spring. -
Bertoletti has 33 pepperoni rolls in only 10 minutes to win
If there’s one Memorial Day tradition that everybody participates in, one way or another, it’s eating.
Maybe it’s at a picnic at one of the many venues scattered across Marion County, enjoying hamburgers, hot dogs, macaroni salad and other seasonal food. -
Assaults, physical or not, affect ‘sense of safety and trust’
An assault of any kind — whether it’s physical or not — can be traumatizing.
“You don’t need to have suffered any cuts or scratches,” said Dr. Ronald Pearse, “but any kind of assault affects your sense of safety and trust.” -
Reasoning Mind excites students
As a teacher, Beverly Stewart has never been more thrilled than when she sees the benefits a newer program has done for her students.
Pleasant Valley Elementary fifth-grade student Calista Muzzapelle worked diligently on her assignments last week, much like she had during her Christmas break. -
Pepperoni roll prize
To someone from out of state, the pepperoni roll might seem like a mystery.
“Is it like a calzone?” they might ask, “or a stromboli?”
Unique to the state of West Virginia, the pepperoni roll represents the Italian heritage of many of the miners in the early 20th century mixed with hardworking Mountaineer common sense. -
BOE seeks land for new middle schools
The Marion County Board of Education is looking at land to build new middle schools in Mannington and Monongah.
If all goes as planned, county voters will see a bond on the November ballot. -
Former WVU coach takes final journey home
Bill Stewart has made his way back home.
The former West Virginia University football coach, who died suddenly earlier this week of a heart attack at 59, was laid to rest Friday in his hometown of New Martinsville. - More Local News Headlines
-
