Image provided by: Clackamas Community College; Oregon City, OR
About The Clackamas print. (Oregon City, Oregon) 1989-2019 | View Entire Issue (May 17, 2000)
The CL ac I< amas P rìnt Opinion This is a Clackamas i student's account of her expe riences during the Thurston tragedy. My name is Amanda Gosser, and I grew up in Springfield, Oregon. I moved to Oregon City in July, 1999. Whenever I itf tell people where I am from, the first thing they ask is, “Spring field? Isn’t that where that shooting happened?” My reply is always the same. I say yes in a way that I hope will convey I would rather not talk about it. But I will never forget May 21, si mg * «a 1998 and how it has affected my life. I was at Springfield High School. It was before classes had started and I was assistant teaching at the preschool lo cated in our school. I bent over to pick up a dropped toy when I heard an astonishing an nouncement over the speakers. Minutes before, there had been another shooting, but that wasn’t the astonishing part— the astonishing part was that it was happening a few miles across our small town at our rival high school, Thurston. At first we thought that couldn’t be possible. Then we had parents calling to make allowed to get up and talk to; sure their children were all right, her family food because myi our class, shading memories not knowing exactly where it ther works with her fatherJ ere was alsdj Tony Case was another-per^L and feelings, was happening. About one la night memorial i that Kristen son who was shot while knock hour later I. was called to the ^Kinkel (Kip’sl Sister) at- ing Kip Kinkel, the sh> office for a message. The office fended, when 1 the whole was packed full of high school son of my slain teach ground. Tony community came ; together to students worked across s arc their feelings and whose parents the street from grifee. had called tell I think the thing tf it af- where I worked, ing them to / will always be fected me the most (n xt to and he used to come home, or affected by this Faith Kinkel’s murde: i was come in to eat » to make sure during his jri ¡siting Thurston HUgh they were incident in some break. For a " okay. I took a Amanda way. while Tony did I friend to the Go&ser not come in a hospital for CCC Student that really something un me— that related. While shootings | I was there, my really mother, who works for the sheriff’s office, pened. My brother Nik played foot had to inform me that earlier ball against Kip whdh they that morning they had found my were younger, and itching all time favorite teacher, Faith Kinkel, murdered in her home them we would ne r have thought this could happen. My with her husband Bill. People always ask me how I boyfriend at the time, Trevor, could be affected when I wasn’t was in the Thurston cafeteria even at Thurston when it hap during the shootings. After- pened. My response could go J ward, we cons tntly had to on for hours. The first thing! leave places where we could ““ ......... -f that affected me was the death hear people talking about that of Faith Kinkel. She was my day, because it was too painful Spanish teacher in high school, for him to hear J After the s footing, many s ool a few d s after the road I vas blocked B but she was more than that. ooting. There as a fence off. vl len Nik and I things happen^ I in our commu- Faith was a person who lis 1. Blue ribbpjaf around the perimett^of the finali) made it to thefci jence, we nity for suppq tened. When I was her a| school, and people were put could tot believe our I Lyes. The were tied arou *ery id almos] demic assistant, she knew y mood as soon as I openedJhe standing, thing throug lout our ting things on the fence show- fence jas actually invl isible be- every car an- ing their support. When my "«cause» there were s io ’ many door. She was fun and car kg. town, and :id red ribbons brother Nik and I visited, we tniagsl covering it. Th Are was bright and cheery, and a real joy tenna. Blu were worn rhirts, and there were overwhelmed. Driving everton ling— ribbons, , flowers, to have around school. was a cand lelight vigil down- down the street we saw so poems, , stories, letters, timing I was also affected by a |irl town by tl hc courthouse. At many visitors waiting to con candle is, pictures ah [much named Teresa Miltonbewej?1 She was shot in the head at Springfield! (High, we had school tribute to the memorial grow more. It took us hours £ walk Thurston, and while she was in assemblies paying tribute to ing at the fence; and there were from one end of the fence to the hospital my parents took Faith Kinkel at which we were so many media vans that the the other. The sight was truly ______ L WediNEsdAy, M ay 17, 2000 Springfieldremembered The graphic to the left is from Thurston High School's Memorial website. 7 amazing. Our com munity really came to gether, wear- ing and passing out ribbons, rais ing money, and just be ing there for students from any school in the community. Last year, at the one-year memorial, my school handed out blue ribbons to every car driving by; we deco rated our school and our commu nity with those blue ribbons. I will always be affected by this incident in some way. I will never forget the sight of the fence at Thurston, or look at a blue rib bon the same way. And I will never forget Faith Kinkel and what she meant to me.
