The front desk area of Arapahoe H.S. library currently in the process of renovation following the Dec. 2013 school shooting. Photo courtesy of Arapahoe High School.
When the students of Arapahoe High School in Littleton, Colorado returned to school on August 15, they found the Clarity Commons Park , the name of the new garden area, and a newly renovated library, waiting, according to an article in the Denver Post. Both of these spaces provide a chance for the Arapahoe students (and community) to heal and move forward following the tragic shooting that occured last December.
On December 13, 2013 the suburban town of Littleton was rocked by a school shooting. Karl Pierson, 18, brought a gun to school after a disagreement with a teacher. Several students were injured, including 17-year-old Claire Davis. After a police pursuit, Pierson’s body was found in the school library, having died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Unfortunately, Claire Davis’s injury was too severe for her to survive, and she passed away eight days later at Littleton Adventist Hospital.
During the week that the Davis family held vigil by Claire’s side, the family bonded with hospital staff, including Jason Dunkel, the director of Business Development for the hospital. In the time following the tragedy, Dunkel and the family came together wanting to honor Claire’s memory and allow her friends to move on from the tragedy. The idea of an outdoor garden space came about and according to Dunkel, the Littleton Public Schools (LPS) district felt the space would be a positive step for students and donated almost an acre of land on the campus of Arapahoe High School for the project. Dunkel tapped into his fundraising resources at Adventist Hospital, involving staff, board members, the hospital’s own foundation, as well as the surrounding community.
In just five months, Dunkel estimates Clarity Commons Park, named after Claire, raised nearly $300,000 of in-kind donations as well as $125,000 in cash donations. The money and in-kind donations of material and time were used to build paved brick walkways, walls with garden seating, and granite pillars inscribed with inspirational sayings.
Dunkel affirms that that Clarity Commons “is not a memorial, but just a place for reflection,” however the park had an unveiling of an inspirational pillar that took place on Saturday, August 16, a day that would have been Claire’s 18th birthday. School principal Natalie Pramenko and Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper were present at the ceremony, as well as members of Claire’s family, according to a CBS local affiliate news station. Ultimately, the intention for the space is to be a fun, relaxed environment for the students, and the school intends to use it as an outdoor classroom as well.
While the school’s library is open to students, it is still in the process of renovation. For the library’s design and building process, school administrators gathered one student from each grade to form a redesign team for the library, a way for the teens to have a say in changing the image of the previously gruesome scene. Addison Callahan, 18, who graduated last spring, tells the Denver Post that the new library “was the last piece we really needed for students to get back to normal.” Callahan says the library will boast a technology help desk run by the school computer club, power outlets throughout the space (instead of a single computer lab), and three large study rooms to emphasize the collaborative nature of the school and space.
Nicole Seavall, another student on the design team, noted to the Littleton Independent that the library is “a place for students to be the Arapahoe Warriors and still be together in this one space.” Seavall handled much of the interior design details of the library, like a memory book signed by all students to be placed in a time capsule, comfortable furniture, a café space, and a large compass to be placed above the central room. Seavall says the compass will be a reminder for students to “keep moving forward and find your direction of learning.” There will be plenty of book shelves in addition to an e-library, but the shelves will be lower profile along with larger windows so the space feels open and light.
The new library, which is currently open and welcoming students (but not yet completed), will cost an estimated $1.1–1.35 million and will be roughly double the size of the original facility. This is actually the reduced cost after in-kind donations from construction and engineering firms, furniture companies, school district funds, and insurance coverage. Littleton Public Schools have established the Arapahoe High School Moving Forward Fund to assist with costs. Any monies raised will go towards the library remodel, book replacement, and facility repairs. LPS notes that approximately $800,000 is still required for the project.
Mythili Sampathkumar is a UN reporter and freelance journalist based in NYC and loves visiting old libraries and used book stores in every city she travels. Follow her on Twitter @RestlessRani.