Matador Capers October 2008

Mira Loma

MATADOR

capers

Michael Berry In Memoriam

Volume 47, Issue 1

Anthony Carkins & Hannah Lozier Features & Entertainment Editors

Photo by Stephanie Nicholas

wore the initials “MB” in ink on their arms. Several made small speeches praising Berry’s character, and stating how much they would miss him. Upstairs, in front of the bathroom where Berry was found on the morning of Monday, September 15, 2008, other students had erected a small monument in his honor. Several bouquets of flowers, along with several gifts that included a small teddy bear and a painting, had been laid respectfully across the entrance. Notes had been placed beside the gifts and taped to the doors. “Though I never knew you as a person,” read one signed by Josephine Tsang, “your presence will be missed.” Another note, posted besides it, read clearly, “We (heart) You Michael, R.I.P.” in various, bright colors. Later that night, there would be a candlelight vigil at Gibbon’s Park at 8:00. It lasted about two hours – family members (including Michael’s older brother, Robert),

to praise, instead, the life of Michael Berry. Students

neighbors, teachers (including the Thayers and Mrs. Ohoari), and reams of students, both current and

Inside The Capers...

Features Editor Anthony Carkins reports on Mira Loma’s Homecoming victory on page 2

alumni, were in attendance. Attendees ssng songs, recounted anecdotes, cried, prayed, and walked together throughout, b e f o r e arranging their candles in the same initials they wore on their arms. “The ceremony was beautiful,” Senior Amy Farnsworth wrote on her Myspace page. “There were tears, but also laughter, which was good for every one, and released a lot of the tension that every one was feeling. Lots of good memories about Michael were shared.” If September 17th indicates anything it is that Mira Loma High School stands united. The school that Michael Berry left behind not only mourns his absence, but has become unified as a result of his tragic passing. It is hard to find anyone inside the school who did not know him, or who does not know someone who did. As such, the lingering feelings of sadness and confusion are shared by the great majority of students here, and in the wake of his passing, the school has reached a strange sort of harmony. “It was great to see the unity. Every one came together and supported, even the people they didn’t know,” Farnsworth says of the vigil. But these feelings have also been seen on campus, during school. The shock of the loss has echoed through all of Mira Loma’s ranks, students and teachers combined, and as a result, the Mira Loma community has become more tightly woven, more closely knit. The goal seems not only to recover from such a shocking tragedy,

Entertainment Editor Hannah Lozier tells of the confusion around Club Rush Week on page 3

October 2008

but to remember as clearly as possible the Michael Berry

Daniel Aguilera says “He was one of the best cheerleaders

that so many Mira Loma students knew and loved. “Michael was a very very nice guy,” says Junior Matt

for powder puff football ever.” These stories, told to reporters for the sake of this article, and at the vigil, walkout, and

Bosley. “He always had the best intentions in whatever he did.” Others remember Berry’s contagious optimism and bright outlook on life. “It was always fun to hang out with Michael because he could always make you laugh and forget about any drama that was going on in your life,” says Junior Kyle Bruns. “He was a great friend. I can’t think of a time when he wasn’t happy or thinking of cool things to make, like his deformed dice that always landed on the number he called. He was a very unique friend, but that’s what made him a great one.” His best friend

funeral for the sake of closure, are being threaded throughout campus life more and more each day. As the Mira Loma community slowly begins to try and heal, there is no unhealthy burying of emotions. Friends are free to talk, cry, and remember together. But most importantly, they are free to miss him. “There will always be an empty space in all of our hearts for Michael. He was a great guy. And an amazing friend,” says Bosley. “Nothing will ever be the same without him.”

Photos by Amanda Leschke

No matter who you are or what you’ve heard – be it from news media or otherwise – there’s really no denying that the walkout for Junior Michael Berry at 10:30 on September 17, 2008, was very nice. The walkout, arranged by Junior Tia Wages and overseen by staff, was held in response to a decree by San Juan Unified that a memorial would be inappropriate in response to the school-wide tragedy – parents worried that it might “glorify the act of suicide”. These worries were not only disregarded but overridden by students and staff that felt very differently. Rather than praising the act that ended his life, approximately one hundred Mira Loma students left class and gathered in the quad

Sacramento, California

Ezra’s advice column is back! On page 6

Staff Writer Alison Bernard exposes KFC in an editorial on page 8