Mar 3, 2006 —

West York Area High School seniors Brittany Schrum and Glen Oropeza want to pay tribute to the late Mark Stickel without offending anyone.

They decided to dedicate tonight's one-day photography exhibit at YorkArts to the school's painting and drawing teacher who committed suicide in the school last month.

The students met disapproval from administration while publicizing the event because their method clashed with the way the district's leaders want to handle the tragedy.

Since the suicide, district administration brought in counselors and encouraged students to talk. The administration wants them to heal.

Emilie Lonardi, district superintendent, said that after consulting with mental health professionals, the district is sensitive to anything that would glorify or sensationalize suicide. For example, students are encouraged to talk about how they feel or express themselves in various mediums such as writing, but publishing that information crosses the line, she said. .

In carrying out its goals, the administration has encountered conflicts with how some students say they want to grieve and show respect for the teacher.

Schrum said she and her fellow exhibitor were

told to stop distributing fliers about their art showing at school because the information included the fact that the event was in memory of Stickel.

She was told they could distribute the fliers in school if the event was in tribute to the art department.

"The way he passed away was tragic, but I'm not celebrating that," Schrum said.

"Obviously, I'm not trying to glorify anything or validate anything about how he died, but rather to honor him and do something for him in honor of what he did."

Jessica Grimm, editor of the student newspaper, The Paw Print, said the administration wouldn't let the students print anything about Stickel's suicide.

She said she understood the idea of not glorifying suicide, but questioned the administration's policy.

Like Schrum, Grimm went outside of the school to express herself.

Grimm is a York Daily Record Teen Takeover staff member who posted a message about her feelings last week on the newspaper's blog.

"Poems that express students' feelings about the suicide cannot be published in The Inkwell, a literary magazine in the school," Grimm wrote.

"Articles cannot be published in The Paw Print, our school newspaper. Why is it that students are expected to share their feelings with counselors (complete strangers), but cannot write to share feelings with their peers, who probably have a better understanding of one another's feelings?"

During a telephone interview this week, Grimm said, "People ... want to write articles and poems about Mr. Stickel, they don't want to write about his suicide. They want to write about his inspiration."

West York isn't the only district that has had to handle delicate situations involving teachers.

Jay Butterfield, principal at Central York High School, said when teacher Robin Winkis was accused of having sexual relations with two male students, the district took the policy that it wasn't going to discuss an ongoing investigation.

He said he did not ban the student newspaper from publishing anything, but said that the editor said the students decided against it.

In West York's situation, Lonardi said she wouldn't comment on anything a specific student did.

Lonardi said the district hasn't discussed memorializing Stickel. Schrum said she wants the district to do something to commemorate the teacher.

"Nobody's validating the way he did die, but he did do a lot," she said. "I think the administration does need to do something and give a little back."

Reach Michelle Starr at 771-2045 or mstarr@ydr.com

SHARED MEMORIES

Students and friends are invited to share their memories of Mark Stickel at our online Exchange message board.

Visit exchange.ydr.com/?showtopic=144 and post your thoughts.

top  

IF YOU GO

West York Area High School seniors Brittany Schrum and Glen Oropeza will display their photographs during a reception from 6 to 9 p.m. today in the second-floor gallery of YorkArts, 10 N. Beaver St., York.

The exhibit is in memory of their late art teacher, Mark Stickel, who committed suicide Feb. 15.

The event coincides with First Friday festivities downtown.

top