The Death of One of Our Own

By Ryan Rallanka

As many of you may have heard, a senior has taken his own life. The name of this senior is David St. Croix. On the morning of Wednesday, October 7, 1998, all the students were surprisingly asked to sit down by the principal, Father McGarry. We all usually stand up and reflect in silence as someone on the speaker says prayer to God. After sitting down, we listened to the principal as he explained what had happened. As he explained this, I was in shock and disbelief. I never thought it would happen. I didn’t know David, but losing a member of your school is very heartbreaking. No one should have to resort to suicide. Hopefully, no one will have to experience this sadness at Jesuit again. With the death of David come lessons to be learned about the subject of suicide and life. Don’t take everything for granted. Mr. Monks can tell you his story of how his parents were divorced. He spent very little time with his dad, but he got to know him when they went out on a trip. Around two years after this trip, his dad got cancer and died from it. Mr. Monks has regretted not spending a lot of time with this dad ever since. So don’t take things for granted. You won’t realize what you had until you lose it. Next, for some reason, David thought that suicide was the only way out of his situation. Suicide is never the only way out. If any of you are in the state of mind that David was in, there are other alternatives other than suicide. Don’t be afraid to get help. We have counselors at our school who can help. There are also teachers and friends who will be there for you. Most importantly, there is God. Ask God for help and guidance and He will be there for you. As the freshman learned at the Freshman Overnight Retreat, have trust in other people to carry you through hard times. I hope all of you keep David St. Croix and all those who are suffering in your prayers, especially his family.