Stateline Schools "Blackout" For The Belvidere North High School Community
By: Vi Nguyen
Updated: February 27, 2012
Several communities joined together to show support for the Belvidere community, and also for friends and family of Brenda Guiterrez and Thalia Arredondo.
Letting them know that a community's loss is a loss felt by all.
"This was the most important day as an educator because our kids need us more today than they ever have," said Marc Eckmann.
Belvidere north principal Marc Cckmann will never forget this day-- three days after his students Brenda Guiterrez and Thalia Arrendondo died in a car accident. But support came in a shade of black-- worn by students and teachers throughout the Stateline.
The movement started with a Facebook post, and quickly drew in 20,000 people.
Letting them know that a community's loss is a loss felt by all.
"This was the most important day as an educator because our kids need us more today than they ever have," said Marc Eckmann.
Belvidere north principal Marc Cckmann will never forget this day-- three days after his students Brenda Guiterrez and Thalia Arrendondo died in a car accident. But support came in a shade of black-- worn by students and teachers throughout the Stateline.
The movement started with a Facebook post, and quickly drew in 20,000 people.
"It went viral and it's actually... There are schools in other states are doing it too," said Eckmann.
Boylan Catholic High School is one of the schools which reached out. Principal Rev. Paul M. Lipinski says the grief surrounding the girls' deaths reached well beyond the city of Belvidere's boundaries.
Boylan Catholic High School is one of the schools which reached out. Principal Rev. Paul M. Lipinski says the grief surrounding the girls' deaths reached well beyond the city of Belvidere's boundaries.
"It has affected our cheerleaders. It has affected many of our students who come from the Belvidere area who grew up with them and knew them from grade school and neighborhoods," said Rev. Lipinski.
Principal Eckmann says this school day was tough, but powerful.
Principal Eckmann says this school day was tough, but powerful.
"It was heartbreaking for the reason that they had to wear black, but just that there was a sense of community here that everybody is at school today to support each other," Eckmann said.
Support is something both principals say is cruical during this time. They believe the deaths can serve as an important lesson for students-- a lesson with life-long impact.
"It is very important that an incident like this be understood in perspective," said Principal Rev. Linpinski.
And the Belvidere North's principal agrees.
"Life is so fragile and unpredictable," Eckmann adds.
"Life is so fragile and unpredictable," Eckmann adds.
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