Volume 54, Issue 7May 30, 2014

VoiceThe

your school. your voice.

Everettsaysgoodbye

Everett community gathers to say goodbyeBrianna Billard

Online Editor

Dee Halstead, a close friend and colleague of Corrie Thornburgh, stepped up to the microphone to recite a poem given to her by a friend when her husband passed. A little teary eyed, but with a bright smile, Halstead started to speak.

“She immediately infected me with her smile and she im-mediately affected me with her kindness and her love,” said Halstead. “She was there when I needed a hug...and she was always there when I needed someone to smile at me.”

A line from the poem explained how many people in the auditorium were feeling that night.

“Since you’ll never be forgotten, we pledge to you today, a hallowed place within our hearts is where you’ll always stay.”

Junior Marvin Wright, who spoke with teammates Lucas Barner and Leondre Terry, said that he admired Thornburgh.

“I admired what you stood for and how you carried your-self...you became one of my favorite people to be around,” said Wright.

Wright and others said they enjoyed her sense of humor.“You always made me laugh with your corny jokes about

pulling your hair out even though you were already hairless,” said Wright.

During the memorial service, flute player Alexa Muethel played a piece, dedicating it to the Thornburgh family.

“I really didn’t know her,” said Muethel, “but I was asked to play and I thought it would be a nice tribute.”

Along with Muethel, the dance company performed a piece called “No Need to Say Goodbye,” choreographed by ju-nior Antonella Benavidez and dance teacher Karen Knaebel.

“Antonella had an idea to do a dance to this song before she passed,” said Knaebel. “The song was just a perfect fit.”

The piece was dedicated to the Thornburgh family, and the dancers saw it as a privilege to perform for them.

“I’m happy to honor Mrs.Thornburgh because she was such a wonderful person,” said junior Jared Thompson.

Many of the company dancers knew Thornburgh and cherish the time spent with her.

“It was very emotional (learning the dance), it brought back good memories of how she impacted my life on a daily basis,” said Thompson.

Students said they really enjoyed the memorial, and all of the performances.

“I like the song the dance company chose, and Mrs. West speaking about her was really nice,” said junior Damaria Mor-ton.

Staff members and students said they fell in love with Thornburgh’s warm smile and hearty laugh, and it’s something about her that many will not forget.

“Her laugh could make other people laugh and feel bet-ter,” said sophomore Alivia Pulido.

Wright also appreciated her bubbly personality.“I’m going to miss her always being there when I needed

someone to talk to, along with her smile, and funny jokes,” said Wright.

Halstead agreed.“I will miss her smile and her hugs the most,” said Hal-

stead.Thornburgh made a difference in the lives of her family

members, coworkers, and students.“She meant a lot to me, even though I didn’t know her for

long, she made an impact in my life,” said Wright. “I wanted to show her how much she meant to me.”

Saying Farewell, Remembering FondlyClockwise, from top left: Juniors Jar-ed Thompson and Brittanie Gilbeaux perform at the Thornburgh memorial ; Sophomore Alexis Muethel opens the memorial ceremony with a flute solo ; Anna Thornburgh holds up 1,000 pa-per cranes as her dad (Brad Thorn-burgh), grandma (Diane Grasley) and brother (Joe Thornburgh) look on ; Everett Dance Company performs “No Need To Say Goodbye” ; Phys-ics teacher Mitch Foster performs an Irish farewell.

Katrina TurnerNews Editor

Dealing with death can be unbearable to anyone. When the person who passed away is closely involved in your life, it can be even harder. Almost three weeks ago, science teacher Corrie Thornburgh died from brain cancer. She had been battling the disease since her first diagnosis in 2009. She was deeply loved by her colleagues and her students from Everett High School. After her death, her family and the Everett family supported one another in a variety of ways.

The family has attended multiple school events since her death, including the Presentation of Roses and Senior Awards. At Presentation of Roses, seniors hand out roses to people who have helped them in life. Two students had bought her roses prior to her death, and Thornburgh’s family accepted the roses on her behalf.

“It sucked that she couldn’t receive it because I really want-ed her to know how special she was to me and how much I appreciated her,” said graduated senior Lucas Barner. In addi-tion to roses from Barner and Deanera Barrow, the whole senior class presented Thornburgh with a bouquet of roses.

“Although it took away from how special (our) moment to honor her was, I was glad that everyone wanted to support and honor her,” said Barner.

Thornburgh’s husband Brad said that the moment was a special one.

“Corrie always said the rose ceremony was not a competi-tion, but she was always excited to attend and receive the roses. She would have been honored,” said Brad Thornburgh.

Her family also attended senior awards, the final award cer-emony for seniors. Thornburgh was awarded the PTSA staff recognition award, and her family accepted her award and a bundle of roses.

The love shown in the last few weeks was not one-way, though. The Thornburgh family wanted Everett to know how much they appreciated their support. Through the help of a family friend, buses were chartered that brought students to the funeral.

The family also helped form Corrie’s Cause, a founda-

tion whose mission is to con-tinue her legacy by providing a scholarship each year to a student who has made a differ-ence at Everett. This year, they awarded TaPara Simmons with the $1,000. The money for the scholarship comes from dona-tions and family contributions, and the foundation already has over $6,000 in the fund.

Counselor Jennifer West said the scholarship is a nice addition to senior awards.

“I think it is important to recognize those who make a contribution to their school and student body,” said West.

The ways that Everett embraced Thornburgh were evident long before her death. For months, students folded paper cranes, a symbol of hope and peace. Cranes can be seen hanging in the main lobby, and 1,000 cranes were strung together and presented to Thornburgh’s family at the memorial service Everett held for her.

“Her family loves this idea, and she told me that cranes were one of her favorite animals,” said West.

Another way that Everett took in her family was by form-ing “Corrie’s Crew,” Thornburgh’s Relay For Life team, who set a goal of raising $10,000 for the Relay. By the weekend of the event, which took place the day after Thornburgh passed away, they had raised over $15,000.

By coming together, the people who loved Mrs. Thorn-burgh were able to mourn her death in a positive way, and were able to uphold her legacy of love and kindness.

“She believed in making a difference in the lives of others,” said Brad Thornburgh.

Everett community, Thornburgh family support each other during weeks following loss

Clockwise from top: TaPara Simmons recieved the first Corrie’s Cause schol-arship ; Staff and students made 1,000 paper cranes for Thornburgh and her family ; A sign leading into counseling center announced that Corrie’s Crew had surpassed their goal. In the end, Corrie’s Crew raised over $15,000.

Arlexeia BernardReporter

When three charter buses filled with Everett students pulled up to the funeral of Corrie Thornburgh, it got the atten-

tion of the tiny village of Deerfield. The num-ber of Everett students had doubled the town’s population, one of the parish priests joked.

The opportunity for over 100 students to attend the funeral came from a fmaily friend, who offered to help pay for the buses.

“He wanted to make sure the students were able to attend the

funeral because the Everett students were such a huge part of Corrie’s life and he didn’t want them riding the long distance on yellow school buses,” said Brad Thornburgh, Corrie’s husband.

Students were thankful they got an opportunity to say their last goodbyes.

“I’m so glad for those buses; with-out them I wouldn’t have been able to

go and pay my respects,“ said sopho-more Tiayanna Robinson. Students say that the bus ride had a different feel.

“It didn’t feel like I was going to a funeral because everybody was trying to be all happy; the way back home was the hardest part,” said junior Britani Gib-son. “I was happy for the buses, because I wouldn’t have gone without them.”

After talking with counselor Jenni-

fer West, the family quickly decided one bus would not be enough, and chartered a second. The plan went without a hitch until the bus company called the day be-fore the funeral and said they didn’t have the two buses they promised.

“We called every bus company in the state,” said Thornburgh. “By chance, Corrie’s brother Andrew, a University of Michigan grad, said maybe Michigan

State University has buses. He called and MSU went above and beyond to help us honor Corrie, an MSU graduate.”

In all, they were able to provide three buses that could hold 123 staff and students.

“I was thankful for the buses be-cause I really wanted to go to her funeral but my mom works and she couldn’t take me,” said junior Tanesha Rodriguez.

Three buses filled with Everett students pull away from St. Alphonsus Catholic Church, on their way to the cemetery. At the Relay for Life, a family friend approached the Thornburgh family and offered to provide the buses as a way for Everett students to attend their teacher’s funeral.

Donation allows students chance to attend funeral, pay respects

“Our mother-son relationship started when

I cheated on a test. Some teachers would let

you slide, but not her; she cared about

making you better.” -Jaleel Canty

“Cancer robbed us of our daughter, but I’m proud of who cancer made her.”

-Diane Grasley

“She was a hero to her students at Everett, she

saw potential and hope in her

students when others failed to do so.” -Brad

Thornburgh

“(The dance that I did at the mural) is a tribute to my environmental science teacher from my sophomore year. It just felt like the right thing for me to do.” -Brandon Cassel

“She made a real difference, we

should follow her lead.” -Susan Ely Louis

“A vibrant life over much too soon.”

-Patte Carter-Hevia

“I’m so glad for those buses;

without them I wouldn’t have

been able to go and pay

my respects.“ -Tiayanna Robinson