Staff Writer

This year, Las Lomas is again taking part in the memory project, an organization that matches high school students with orphans in another country. The high school students create a portrait for the child and then send it to him or her as a gift.

According to the website MemoryProject.org, schools all over the world take part in the project, “The vast majority of our participants are school students in the USA, but we have also been very lucky to receive portraits from participants in Canada, Great Britain, China, Korea, Philippines, and Australia.” Las Lomas happens to be one of the many schools that help give orphans a keepsake to call their own.

Art teacher Jessica Jurgens explains why the founder, Ben Schumaker, started the memory project after volunteering in Guatemala.

“He noticed that the orphans that he was working with didn’t have any personal keepsakes,” said Jurgens. “They didn’t have childhood memorabilia.”

As we grow up our parents do a good job of documenting our every move and accomplishment, but others aren’t so lucky.

“The goal is to provide them with something that’s theirs alone that they can keep that is sort of documenting their childhood” said Jurgens.

Jurgens sees the effect that comes from being able to give children with nothing, something to call their own.

“Think about how many photos you probably have of you as a kid; they may have none,” said Jurgens “So it’s pretty powerful.”

Junior Carlie Meyers shared why she chooses to participate in the project year after year.

“I love the project,” said Meyers “I look forward to it all year and try to capture the child as best as possible because I want them to be excited when they see it.”

Meyers shines a light of some of the challenges that come along the way.

“It is challenging for some people to draw the child accurately and some turn out more realistic than others,” said Meyers.

MemoryProject.org also shows just how wide this project has spread and has affected people; to date the project has created nearly 50,000 portraits for kids in 34 countries.

Jurgens sees the impact on her students from being part of this experience.

“I’ve never seen so much passion or excitement about a project as they have about that,” said Jurgens. “Kids just wanting to do it not for themselves but because they were so excited to be able to give that to their child.”

She gave insight to the response of the students who participate in this experience.

“They were so excited about it,” said Jurgens. “They couldn’t wait to get in here everyday and get started.”

Jurgens is also able to see how the project can help her students become more globally aware.

“It gives them a sense that the world extends much further than Walnut Creek and extends further than California,” said Jurgens. “And gives them sort of a wider sense of the fact that there are children out there in much different circumstances than themselves.”

The memory project is a life-changing experience for everyone involved.

Teachers are able to see students grow artistically, students give back to others and learn to appreciate what they have, and orphans receive a portrait of their own to keep forever.

Junior Madeleine Levy has also participated in this life-changing ordeal.

“It’s nice to give back to someone who really needs just a little something,” said Levy.

Once the orphans receive their portraits, they take a picture of themselves holding it and send it to the high student who created it. Levy expresses what it feels like to receive the picture from her orphan.

“It’s very touching. The expression on their face is pure joy and thankfulness,” said Levy. “And to know that you contributed to that is priceless.”

Levy is an example of Jurgens’ thought that the project makes students more globally aware.

“For me I feel very fortunate to have food on the table and a roof over my head,” said Levy. “We are extremely fortunate kids here in Walnut Creek.”

Staff Writer

A few years ago, a plan to build a large cell phone tower disguised as a tree behind Walnut Heights was proposed. However, the surrounding community strongly protested and the plan was subsequently scrapped.

Now, Verizon Wireless has plans to build a 70-foot cell tower in Walnut Creek.

The initial proposal was to build the tower in a corner of St. Luke’s Lutheran Church off of San Miguel Drive. However, the community has again objected to the cell tower’s construction.

According to Contra Costa County Supervisor Karen Mitchoff, certain types of health risks had to be taken into consideration when the county approved the building permit.

“We are aware that there is a theory that cell towers give off some sort of waves,” said Mitchoff. “However, this theory is not proven so a [permit] to build the tower was given.”

According to cancer.org, cellular phone towers give off slight waves that could be carcinogenic. However, the strength of the waves is nowhere near dangerous.

St. Luke’s Lutheran Church has little, if any, say about the tower’s construction. Because the tower would be placed on county land, Verizon could build there without the church’s consent.

Mitchoff says that the church may reap several benefits from the tower.

“When Verizon came to the county to ask to build the cell tower, we approved,” said Mitchoff. “The church will be gaining revenue from the tower, and have begun to support the project.”

With that, the plan went into motion, but public outcry slowed the process.

The church’s neighbors have made many signs protesting against the cell tower, such as “No cell tower” or “Stop the tower.” Las Lomas students made several of the signs.

Sophomore Devon Rogers is opposed to the construction and has even made signs against the tower.

“I am totally against the tower,” said Rogers. “It’s not worth having to deal with potential health effects. It’s not just dangerous, but even worse, it’s ugly. A 70-foot tower disguised as a plastic tree … is very obviously not a tree. My dad and I even made a sign that said ‘Why not 90 feet?’ just to mess with people.”

Rogers lives across the street from the church and says that her neighborhood is covered with signs protesting the go-ahead for the tower.

All of these outcries have reached the county and even Verizon. According to Mitchoff, Verizon has begun to rethink its decision.

“Verizon has begun to look at locations near their other cell towers,” said Mitchoff. “I’m not sure exactly where that is, but it’s not by the Lutheran church.”

For now, the plan will be postponed and Verizon will have to go through a new hearing process.

Staff Writer and Entertainment Editor

When the bell rang to start fourth period last Wednesday, senior Maddie Dautel faced the class from her seat at the front of the room.The rest of the Leadership students were posted. Dautel called the class to order with a casual “Hey guys!” before telling them the day’s schedule. Recycling first, and then set-up for the lunchtime game show in the Rally Court.

After the other students shared announcements and questions, they headed out to start working.

The scene seems routine, but Dautel has only been ASB president since April 15.

Although he was absent last week, the other new face in the leadership room is Scott Hughes.

Hughes is known as the new choir teacher, but he took over as Leadership advisor after Warren Wallace.

Hughes was very clear that there will be no major changes to the program, and the student body can expect things to continue as they have been for the rest of the year.

“I really want to capitalize on things that have worked well, because there’s a lot of that, and then we’re really looking at tweaking things that haven’t,” he said.

To ease tension in the beginning, the class played games that got everyone laughing but also let students express their emotions.

“Now we’re moving forward mostly by leaving what’s in the past behind,” Dautel said. “Going through so many changes has brought us together and I think we’re all motivated to keep the class running as smoothly and as normal as possible.”

Senior Annie Welden said that Hughes is doing a really good job

“He has taken a situation that is not only difficult for him but the students as well and bring it into a more positive environment,” she said. “Throughout the process we have gone through in the past few weeks, he remained neutral and professional the whole time.”

Hughes said that it’s been hard on the students but  they “have been really good about the transition. I feel like we’re really working together to move past a difficult situation, or work well in spite of it.”

Dautel said that she and the other ASB officers met with Hughes a lot at the beginning–”filling him in on how our class runs.”

Even without a shift in leadership, Dautel said, “it’s a hard job for students and for teachers. So a lot of effort has been put in, especially for the students because we have such big end of the year events.”

Currently, the leadership class is voting for commissioners and assessing their program, mainly working on making minor improvements.

“Our class shares the common goal of moving forward and focusing on making the rest of the school year a success,” said Maddie Dautel, “the student body can count on leadership being just as strong as it always has been.”

Hughes said that he would like to return as the Leadership adviser next year.

“I did it because I was asked to step up. It was a difficult decision. I wanted to make sure I was the right person for it. I made sure it was a good decision for the school.”

And so far. the transition has been smooth.

“The students have been great, and they’ve made me really glad I said yes,” Hughes said. “I would just like to say thanks to the staff and students for being so supportive.”

Staff Writer

Since it began in January last year, the Color Run, also known as the “Happiest 5K on the Planet,” has exploded in popularity. Participants begin the 5K run or walk wearing white clothing, but by the end they are splattered with colored powder from head to toe.

Before the race, runners are given packets of colored powder, which they can throw at others as they run or walk.

Along the way, there are stations where massive amounts of colored powder are shot out at the runners, while volunteers standing on the sidelines throw it on them as well.

Senior Leila Nomani, who participated in the Vallejo Color Run on January 19, thought of it as more of a fun event than a 5K race or run.

“It was really interesting because everyone shows up in all white,” said Nomani. “There are some people who are actually there to run and others who stay back and have more of a social event.”

The Color Run is not a very physically demanding run.

“You can run, walk, crawl, or cartwheel if you wish!” reads the answer to a frequently asked question on the Color Run’s website.

Sophomore Kate Pearson agrees, but believes that the laid-back atmosphere of the Color Run is a result of the sheer number of participants.

“You’re not really running it because there’s so many people,” said Pearson, who went to the run in San Francisco on March 2.

At the end of the event, participants congregate in a large party outside, dancing to music as they continue to splatter color on one another.

“My favorite part was at the very end, when everyone gets together at this big, huge concert-type field,” Nomani said. “A DJ’s playing these crazy songs, and it’s like this big party outside. Everyone has their colors and, at the same time, everyone throws up the colors.”

The registration fee ranges from $45 to $60, depending on how early participants register and how many people they register with. Junior Kira Powell, who also went to the run in Vallejo, found it fun but a bit costly.

“I had a good time, but it was a one-time thing,” said Powell.

However, Nomani thinks the fee is worth the fun.

“To some people, yeah, it is an expensive endeavor when you have to pay $46 to sign up,” Nomani said. “But you may pay $46 to go to anything that’s that fun, so it’s a give and take.”

The Color Run has been so popular that it was spurred several imitators, including the Color Vibe, Run or Dye and Color Me Rad races.

While the other runs are all priced similarly to the Color Run, Color Me Rad has upcoming runs in San Jose and San Francisco for only $30.

Junior Alexandra Udd, who went the run in San Francisco, wants to participate in more Color Runs.

“I’m planning on doing it next year too,” said Udd.

The next upcoming Color Run near the Bay Area will be in San Jose on May 18. Nomani strongly recommends the experience.

“It was kind of like one of those experiences where you go because it looks really good, and then it’s actually as fun as it looks,” Nomani said. “If it’s something you’ve never done before, this is something you need to do.”

“Men and women will be expected to work and live alongside the nationals of the country in which they are stationed—doing the same work, eating the same food, talking the same language.
But if the life will not be easy, it will be rich and satisfying. For every young American who participates in the Peace Corps—who works in a foreign land—will know that he or she is sharing in the great common task of bringing to man that decent way of life which is the foundation of freedom and a condition of peace.” – John. F. Kennedy

President Kennedy’s visions for the Peace Corps may have seemed idealistic upon its founding in 1961, but to date, a total of over 210,000 volunteers, including members of the Las Lomas community, have collaborated with and lived in communities in 139 countries across the globe.
Former Las Lomas English teacher Jamie Grutzmacher volunteered with the Peace Corps, calling it an experience that she “appreciates more with retrospection.”
After graduating from UC Davis with a degree in comparative literature, Grutzmacher was unsure of her career path.
“Out of the blue, I walked into the Peace Corps office on campus and talked to a recruiter,” said Grutzmacher. “It seemed like a perfect opportunity for me to get out, give back and see the world.”
Grutzmacher lived in a small town in Western Ukraine called Kam’yanets-Podilskiy, where the isolation was a rough part of her journey but taught her a lot.
“Now that I look back on it, I see so much value in the experience: the teaching, the friendships, the travel, the experiences,” said Grutzmacher. “Fortunately, my best friend and counterpart lived right above me. So, I had a great friend close by me at all times.”
Overcoming challenges and breaking barriers is a large part of the Peace Corps mission, and Grutzmacher’s personal mission as an English teacher was to change negative attitudes toward Americans and forge friendships.
“A lot of teachers in my community had big hang-ups with my presence,” said Grutzmacher. “They had been teaching English for 25 plus years. What could a 22-year-old American teach them?”
Grutzmacher’s fondest experience of her time in the Peace Corps was getting her dog Kava, who she still has today and serves as a reminder of her days in Ukraine.
Sinclair Cohen, a 2009 Las Lomas graduate, has been fascinated with the Peace Corps since age 13. She finally took the initiative to realize her lifelong dream by completing the thorough, demanding application during her third and final year of college at UC Santa Cruz.
Cohen noted that it was helpful to apply while still in school because she was in direct contact with the Peace Corps representative on campus.
Cohen graduated in 2012 and recently embarked for the small nation of Azerbaijan, which sits on the edge of Caspian Sea between Europe and Asia, a year and a half after submitting her application.
The country given to her came as a shock because she was expecting the Middle East or Northern Africa.
Azerbaijan is a predominantly Muslim country, which means a departure from full democracy and women’s rights, a new culture of full-body clothing, a new language and alphabet and a new diet of mostly beef.
However, before leaving for Azerbaijan, Cohen, who has been vegetarian since age 14, was undaunted by the inevitable culture shock and multitude of new sensations, and was looking forward to her new life as a volunteer.
“I’m most excited about when it starts to feel like home,” said Cohen.
In July, Jackie Marzan, a Miramonte graduate who will begin her Peace Corp assignment in Guyana, which shares a border with Venezuela.
She said that she looks at the Peace Corps as an incredible experience to go along with her degree from San Francisco State University in Health Education. She will be specializing in HIV/AIDS prevention and awareness along with women’s health.
“Everything the Peace Corps stands for concerning the health of the communities around the world inspires me to be a better person and a better health educator,” Marzan said in an e-mail.
The application process took over a year in total for Marzan, who applied in January 2012 and received an invitation to be deployed in March 2013.
Marzan was told she would be volunteering in Africa or the Middle East, but like Cohen, was pleasantly surprised with her assignment.
She has discovered that a successful volunteer needs to be patient and flexible, two skill sets that the Peace Corps markets in its online materials. She, like some other volunteers, is a bit daunted by the length of service.
“It is 27 months long and this does scare me a little bit,” said Marzan in an e-mail. “I am close with my family, so being away from loved ones will be difficult. However, I am excited at the same time to be on my own and ‘discover’ myself even more.”
During her time volunteering, Marzan is most excited to meet new people—volunteers and community members—to breathe in a new culture and to learn more about her health program and the problems of her community.
Marzan said her family has been invaluably supportive, though they do worry about the fact that she will be volunteering in a third-world nation.
“My friends are equally supportive and have agreed to not get married until I get back in 2015,” said Marzan.

Barrera-Hernandez

Co-Editor in Chief

The last event came down to the anchor leg of the 400 boys freestyle relay against Acalanes on April 24.

“As [Jackson Miller] dove in, we were all cheering really loud, which attracted more and more people to cheer because Jackson was going so dang fast,” said co-captain Kelsey Leonard.

“Sue and the other coaches were on the sideline cheering,” continued co-captain Maddie Dautel. “We were all screaming so loud and then Jackson catches up and wins and we’re all jumping up and down and screaming with excitement; everyone was so happy.”

This energy and exuberance was a microcosm of the girls’ season, as the constant positive attitude paved the way for a successful and fun year.

“I don’t think I have ever seen so much excitement out of everyone,” said Leonard.

Despite the thrill of the meet against the Dons, it was also a bittersweet event for 27 seniors preparing to graduate and finish their high school swimming careers.

“We had huge senior team this year, which made it even more fun,” said co-captain Emily Albaugh. “I’ve loved having such a big senior group all season. It was exciting and sad at the same time to line up and watch as everyone got their flowers; the end of an era.”

Senior Hannah Eiler believes that the bonds forged this season were a key part of her positive experience.

“I’m going to miss the bonding that we all had; the girls have a good connection with our coach, Sue, and we are always cracking jokes and having a good time together,” said Eiler. “I’m especially going to miss the sleepovers—we all have a great time.”

Senior Hannah Phillips had a slightly different perception of the senior swim meet.

“The underclassmen were all waiting for us to burst into tears and tell them how much we were going to miss them, but they were pretty disappointed when that didn’t happen,” said Phillips. “For most of us, it just felt like another normal meet where we were given flowers. We still have DFAL and NCS coming up so the season’s not quite over.”

The Knights are looking forward to DFAL on May 9, 11 and to NCS finals on May 18.

“I’m really excited for DFAL; it’s possibly my favorite high school meet all season long,” said Albaugh. “I love how everyone is so excited to be there.”

Leonard has high expectations for her teammates’ races at DFAL and NCS.

“We have some swimmers who I think haven’t quite broken through their barriers yet, and I’m excited to watch people (hopefully myself included) surprise themselves with some great swims,” said Leonard.

Carson Howe, a junior, started to feel ill last November. He was tired, pale and underweight. Eventually, he went to the doctor. A couple days and a few tests later, Howe was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. Howe was shocked.
“It was something I had never really thought of before I was told I had it,” said Howe. “I didn’t know what to expect so I just kept calm and listened to everything the doctors told me. It really made me realize that anything can happen.”
As type 2 diabetes spreads rapidly throughout America as a result of a rise in obesity rates, another more serious form of diabetes, type 1, is often overlooked. Type 2 diabetes can be treated with lifestyle changes like diet and exercise, but type 1 is not related to weight or lifestyle and more importantly, has no known cause or cure. It demands constant attention to blood sugar levels and treatments to keep them normal. A failure to do so can quickly become fatal.
Type 1 diabetes affects about one million Americans and most often begins in childhood. It is often overlooked because it’s hard to detect.
Type 1 diabetes often appears without warning. Senior Kenzie Crane was diagnosed at the age of eight.
“My mom said I was always dehydrated, that I lost a lot of weight and that I had to use the restroom constantly,” said Crane.
Diabetics carry a large amount of responsibility when it comes to self-care.
“I’ve learned how to manage it better and am now able to do shots on my own,” said Crane. “I’ve become more independent with it. I used to have to go to the office everyday at WCI and have a teacher make sure I was checking my blood sugar, but now I just do it at the rally court on my own.”
Howe said that diabetes is an extra responsibility, but it is manageable.
“I look after myself a little better than I did before, mainly because I’m supposed to check my blood sugar before I eat,” said Howe. “It really hasn’t dramatically affected my home or my school life. It’s pretty much like before, just now I have to take insulin injections to keep my blood sugar levels balanced.”
Keeping one’s blood sugar in check requires calculating the correct amount of carbohydrates and sugar one can eat, as well as taking injections of insulin before every meal.
“I have to give myself insulin through either a pump or a needle,” said Crane. “I use needles to correct for any food I’m eating or if my blood sugar is high. When my blood sugar is low, I need sugar or carbs.”
Senior Parteek Saran, also a diabetic, doesn’t consider diabetes a flaw.
“It’s just an extra responsibility,” said Saran. “I only spend a couple more minutes a day taking care of myself.”
Saran was diagnosed when he was six.
“I basically just have to watch what I eat and eat at set times—at least three hours apart without snacks in between; I can’t just eat when I feel like it,” said Saran.
Howe said his diabetes has not drastically changed his life.
“It’s just become part of my daily routine,” said Howe. “I’m really not limited to much, but I have to take my glucose meter wherever I go, and I can’t have really sugary items. Besides that, everything is still pretty much the same.”
Howe said that his friends are aware of his condition.
“My friends always keep my condition in mind,” said Howe. “I feel like they keep better track of it than I do. My family supports me by just knowing that I’m responsible enough to take care of myself, which I truly appreciate.”
Type 1 diabetes presents several disadvantages.
“At times it is such a struggle to always have to do a shot and a finger poke five to six times a day,” said Crane. “You get used to it but the constant bruises and not being able to lose the amount of weight you want to lose is probably the most annoying flaw.”
Howe thinks that people should be more informed about people with type 1 diabetes.
“I think more should know what to do if someone with diabetes faints or suffers from a hypoglycemic seizure, on the off chance that they’ll be around someone in that situation,” said Howe.
Saran said he feels the same way.
“I think a lot more people should be informed about diabetes, especially because it’s spreading so quickly,” said Saran.
Howe’s advice for people who encounter  a fainting or seizuring diabetic is that one should look for their red glucagon case, which diabetics should be carrying.
“It could save their life,” said Howe.
Type 1 diabetes is unquestionably a challenging disease, though less so these days thanks to technological progress that has eased blood sugar testing and offered new ways to meet the body’s need for insulin.
“It’s much easier for us to live a more normal life with all the advancements in technology,” said Saran. “It makes a huge difference when it comes to injections and keeping track of my calorie count.”

Staff Writer

On a sweltering afternoon, when pitching conditions were far optimal, sophomore Andrew King allowed five earned runs in the first two innings. The only threat the Knights mounted against Acalanes came in the third, when Las Lomas had the bases loaded with one out in the third inning, but the team was unable to drive in any of the base runners.

And so, the baseball team was officially eliminated from NCS contention in a 6-0 rout.

Senior Connor Platt came on in relief for King after two innings.

“Connor has really improved all year,” said senior captain Sawyer Gieseke. “Every game he’s getting better. Having him able to throw in these next few games will really help.”

To start the season, senior Wes Lindstrom was temporarily sidelined because of a heart condition. His first start came against Dougherty Valley, and he pitched six solid innings.

“That was ridiculous; it’s a really great story,” said Gieseke. “It’s just something that he had to deal with. I wish we had more kids like Wes on the team who work so extremely hard.”

Senior pitcher Troy Porter is relieved that senior catcher Garrett McGoff has returned to the lineup after being ineligible.

“McGoff has a lot of years catching me,” said Porter. “He knows me better than anyone. He knows what pitches I want to throw and when; he blocks every ball so that helps a lot too.”

On April 25, Las Lomas lost in extra innings to Alhambra. The Knights scored two runs in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game but gave up a run in the top of the eighth and couldn’t answer.

When senior Grant La Count stepped up to the plate with the bases loaded and the team down by a run in the seventh inning on April 23 against Dougherty Valley, he knew what he had to do.

“There was no pressure on me since three times that game I had a chance to knock people in I didn’t,” he said. “I knew I was seeing the ball well and I got a hit the at bat before. I actually asked Blaine Jarvis as a joke to not get a hit so I could get the walk off, then I got a pitch right over the middle and I got a good swing on it.”

With La Count’s hit, the Knights won 5-4.

The Knights travel to Campolindo tomorrow for a rematch of a 7-3 loss earlier in the season.

It’s easy to take life for granted and sometimes it’s just as easy to forget about someone or something that, at one point, meant the world to you. However, the memorials on campus recognize past Las Lomas students but not all will be featured in this story.
Richard Terry Hackett attended Las Lomas High School would have graduated with the class of 1960, but in 1959, the 17-year-old junior was pronounced dead at scene in a scooter accident in Lake Tahoe.
Although Hackett’s death is one of the oldest recorded student deaths at Las Lomas, he is still remembered on campus. When you look across the senior lawn towards the 300 wing, you’ll notice a plaque memorializing Hackett.
Other memorials on campus are passed over, despite the once dramatic nature of the deaths.
Tanya Gardini was a member of the graduating class of 1974. That fall, she started college at San Diego State University.
While attending the University, Gardini lived in the dormitory known as Zura Residence Hall, the University’s oldest dormitory. Here, in her dorm room, Gardini was savagely stabbed, raped and murdered.
As confirmed by The Daily Aztec newspaper of San Diego State University, her assaulter, Ellis Lee Handy Jr., was caught and pleaded guilty to first-degree murder. It is said now that the top floors of Zura Residence Hall are haunted. According to an Aztec article from 1999, Gardini “is the only student to have been murdered while living in a residence hall.”
Gardini’s memorial has been hidden over the years by the bushes across from the boy’s restroom in the 200 wing, but can still be seen when passing from class to class.
Bobby Griffith was a Las Lomas student who dropped out a few short months before his graduation in 1981
Two years later, he would commit suicide.
Bobby Griffith was gay, something his family shunned at the time. Bobby Griffith’s memorial is located under the first tree in the courtyard between the main hallway and the foods room.
Griffith’s story was told in the Lifetime movie Prayers For Bobby. According to the film, Griffith had contemplated suicide long before his completing the act.
When he was first outted by his brother against his will, he did not receive support from his mother who went to great lengths to conceal Bobby Griffith’s “disease,” which included sending him to various church groups within the Walnut Creek community and even preaching the Bible to him.
In an interview with Lifetime television conducted by Dayna Gross, Bobby’s mother, Mary Griffith said, “Until Bobby’s death, I was convinced that I could fix him, and nothing was going to change my mind about that.”
However, death changed her perspective. Over time, Mary Griffith changed her outlook on the gay community and, to this day, supports gay marriage and equality. In addition to supporting equality, Mary Griffith helps promote suicide awareness in the families of gay teens.
Bobby’s fatal decision to throw himself off a bridge into the direct path of a 16-wheel truck is a story that will forever impact the gay community and people around the world.
After 18 years of teaching, Ami Zensius, Las Lomas’s creative writing and media studies teacher, spoke of student deaths from a teacher’s perspective.
“It is very dramatic, and you’re worried about your students,” said Zensius. “You begin to think, ‘What do I do about that empty desk?’”
More recently, in July of 2009, tragedy hit Las Lomas with the death of Adam Williams.
Williams, a 16-year-old who was on the Las Lomas track team, is still greatly missed by the Las Lomas track coach, Dax Harris.
“He was a hardworking kid, dedicated to track, and just a really good teammate,” said Harris.
Japanese teacher and cross-country coach, Andrew Schreiber, described the memorial for Williams.
“We worked with the Walnut Creek Parks & Recreation Department to get a bench installed near the Indian Valley entrance to the Open Space,” said Schreiber. “There is a beautiful oak tree, one of the only trees in that area of the Open Space, and we had a ceremony, a bench dedication, where the students, friends of Adam’s, physically put the bench into the ground. There were violins and guitars, so there was music playing, and some students gave impromptu speeches about Adam.”
The engraving on the bench reads; “If you try your hardest, you will never disappoint yourself,” which was written by Adam William’s father, Jim Williams.
Many past Las Lomas students have been memorialized, but many current students are some of the ones who mourn the deaths of Matthew Miller and Gavin Powell in 2011.
Those who knew the inseparable friends were, and still are, deeply affected by their passing. At the back of the library, there is an outdoor classroom dedicated to the young men with kind words and painted tiles left in memoriam.
After the boys’ deaths, there was a candlelit walk through the Shell Ridge Open Space in their honor
The event drew thousands of people from the community. .
“What we did for Matt and Gavin was pretty awesome,” said Zensius. “The candle walk, the art museum; it felt like there was a lot of stuff.”
No matter the amount of years since their deaths, the students honored at Las Lomas High School will always be remembered.