Sadness And Anger At Vigil For Adriana Kuch

By Chris Lundy

BERKELEY – A vigil in memory of Adriana

Kuch was attended by dozens of people who want to make sure what happened to her never happens to anyone else.

Adriana, 14, committed suicide after being attacked in school and then bullied on social media because her attackers shared the video of it online.

Close friends of the family gathered on the stage at Veterans Park and brought flowers. Many of the people gathered released balloons with messages written to her. Students drew posters with statements like “Say her name,”

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Experiment:

Continued From Page 1 the best experimental outcome.

“Our theme this year was experimental design,” shared Dr. Krystyne Kennedy, District Supervisor of Science and Technology. “The students all had to come up with their own experiment with an emphasis on picking an independent and dependent variable.”

This approach to the scientific method required students to design a question, make observations and take measurements as part of their experiment. They were also expected to predict results and evaluate their fi ndings to draw conclusions.

Based on the age of the participants, it wasn’t surprising that many of the 250 Science Fair projects on display involved some version of slime experimentation. A second favorite appeared to be applying the scientific method to melting ice.

Madelyn Maniscalco,12, decided to test the effects of salt, sugar, baking soda, sand, and baking powder on melting ice. She combined each of the ingredients in separate bowls of ice and timed how long it took to melt. Madelyn determined that her initial hypothesis was both correct and wrong at the same time.

“I believed that salt was going to melt the fastest,” explained Madelyn. “I also thought that room temperature would take the longest and it turned out that baking soda took the longest.”

Eleven-year-old Lucy O’Halloran took a scientifi c approach to determining if slime would act differently if she used shampoo to make it instead of glue.

Two weeks after she experimented with two different recipes, Lucy came to a conclusion.

“One stayed the same and the other got hard,” Lucy shared. “It was because of the shampoo.”

Students also had an opportunity to build their self-confidence and presentation skills as a result of the Science Fair. A teacher buzzing by Kyle Minor made sure to let his mom know he received a standing ovation when he explained his project to his entire class.

Kyle decided to create a ball launcher challenge and evaluated the differences between using a foil ball and a paper ball. Serena Minor watched as her son showed the basics of the project and immediately smiled.

“This is huge for him,” Serena shared. “I couldn’t be more proud.”

An overwhelming number of family members came to take in the Science Fair and it seemed clear that many were as excited about the projects as the students themselves.

Jack Odumbo, 11, named his project the “Battle of the Eggs” and decided to test the science of eggs floating in water. He used uncooked eggs and boiled eggs in salt water and tap water to test his theory that the density of salt made the weight heavier than the weight itself.

He learned something else - about his favorite part of the project.

“I really like drawing all kinds of illustrations,” said Jack, pointing to his display. “I made a place for all my data and my predictions and how the experiment turned out.”

Participants in the Science Fair became automatically eligible for a contest judged by a panel of five judges. The third place award went to Sara Mangum, whose project involved Decomposition of Different Materials. Second place winner was Landon Boardingham, who considered the issue of Life in a Closed Ecosystem.

First place winner Cara Mills said her love for horses led her to consider the issue of Equine Parasites.

“I had to do the Wisconsin Sugar Flotation method to fi nd out what parasites were in each of the horse’s fecal matter,”

Cara explained. “I tested which horses’ living situation was better for them for their worm count.”

Cara said she determined stall horses had by far the least number of parasites when compared with paddock horses and paddock/stall horses.

“I also figured out that I should have done this project in the light when it was warmer,” said Cara. “The eggs are more dormant in the winter.”

A love of science provides the perfect kickoff for Cara’s future aspirations. One day, when she’s a veterinarian, she may well remember her analysis of equine parasites and put the information to use.

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“Rest in paradise,” and “Forever in our hearts; always on our mind.”

But they also said things like “Stop the cover-ups at Central Regional” and “Rest easy Adriana. Justice will be served.”

There was more than sadness at this vigil, there was anger, calling for the officials in the district to be fi red: Assistant Superintendent Doug Corbett, High School Principal Irene Marousis, and chief academic officer (who is the anti-bullying coordinator) Thomas Gallahue. Superintendent Triantafillos Parlapanides resigned the next day.

A friend of the family started a cheer “What do we want? (Justice!) Who do we want it for? (Adriana!) When do we want it? (Now!)”

Several elected officials were also in attendance. Councilman James Byrnes addressed the crowd asking everyone to pray that “something like this never happens again in our lifetime.”

He also thanked the students for coming forward and standing up for what they believed in. “If you never stepped up, it would’ve been swept under a rug.”

Nearby schools held programs to talk about bullying, social media, and suicide. The police department and the prosecutor’s office couldn’t comment on the case because it involves juveniles. Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer stopped by a rally held in front of the school the week after her death.

“I’m heartbroken for this family and the loss of this young girl,” Billhimer said in an email to this newspaper. “She had her whole life ahead of her. It’s a tragic situation for all involved. Anytime something like this happens, we all need to ask ourselves if we are doing enough to address the mental health needs of our youth. It’s important for kids to know that every situation in life is temporary. Nothing is worth taking your own life. Things will get better. Parents, teachers, administrators, friends and family – there is someone out there that cares about you. Please ask for help before you make a decision that you can’t come back from. Your life is too precious.”

Fundraiser For The Family

No one is ever prepared when tragedy hits. That’s certainly the case with the Kuch family.

“Adriana was a wonderful and brave daughter who touched the lives of those around her. We are all devastated by her loss and were not prepared for the high cost of the expenses to come,” said her aunt, Sami Nye, who started the GoFundMe that can be found at gofund.me/028f8bac

“We want to give Adriana the memorial she deserves to honor her memory. I am currently asking for donations to help cover the cost of Adriana’s funeral as well as other legal expenses as we seek justice for her,” she said.

GoFundMe reached out to this newspaper to confi rm that the fundraiser has been verified and that the money is going to the family.

As of this writing, the fundraiser has reached $30,000.

If You Need Help

Depression and feelings of hopelessness are more prevalent than anyone would like to admit. You are not alone. This is a time to reach out to each other and be there for one another. There are a number of resources available for help.

“Ocean’s Harbor House does work with many teens and families and provides shelter, support and services for youth in our region,” said Tricia Bradly, director of programs. “We don’t focus on suicide specifically but we do counsel many youth who have been involved in bullying incidents. Following up on this tragedy we will be reaching out to Central Regional High School to make them aware of our shelter and counseling services so that in the future they have another resource available to their students.”

The State of New Jersey has created a new helpline. By dialing or texting 988, you can receive help for yourself or someone you love in a mental health crisis.

The National Suicide Prevention hotline is 1-800-273-TALK.

2nd Floor is for young people to discuss both everyday and serious problems. Calling (888) 222-2228 will put you in touch with professional staff and trained volunteers with non-judgmental responses. They are there to assist callers with any topic including: bullying, family problems or divorce, sex and sexuality, problems with friends / peer pressure, relationship struggles, depression, anxiety, self harm, substance abuse, school stress, family abuse, dating violence, and living with a disability.

Contact of Ocean and Monmouth Counties has two phone numbers to call: 732240-6100 or 609-693-5834.

“We are here for anyone who is in trouble, lonely, depressed, and suicidal or someone who just needs a person to listen to them,” they said. They don’t offer advice or try to solve another person’s problems, but they offer a safe space for callers to talk about their problems. When appropriate, they can make referrals to other community services that are available to the caller.