FEATURES 1
THE MIHS ISLANDER JUNE 2022
In memory of former teacher, Mike Browne, there is a ginkgo tree in the courtyard with a plaque labeled “M.B.”. Mike Browne passed away in 2012 from suicide. One of his closest co-workers was Curtis Johnston. “He was a super good guy who was just misunderstood and felt like he couldn’t be himself,” Johnston said. “We put the memorial there but without the name because we kind of feel like if we put his name, we had to put that he died by suicide [...] and we dont want kids to think that you can get a tree planted if you die by suicide.”
The Dogwood tree is in memory of Jason Levy, who tragically committed suicide in 2005. One of his closest teachers was Andrea Confelone. “I had him in ninth and tenth grade, before he went to Bellevue and he had a lot of life, a lot of spunk. In some ways, in a good way, he was a troublemaker. He was never the quiet kid in class, he was lively and full of spirit,” Confelone said. “His death was very tragic [...] and [his former classmates] were just celebrating his life.”
Memorials In The Courtyard
The Japanese box flower tree is standing in memory of Ben Shamis. Many teachers enjoyed his liveliness and his love for playing the sousaphone. One of the teachers Shamis connected with often was his band teacher, Parker Bixby. “Ben was an amalgamation of what we can all picture as a connector on Mercer Island high school. He was very much interested first and foremost and his friends and their interests. He likes to make [people] laugh,” Bixby said. “He very much wanted every moment he was in to be as fun as it could be and that was a primary for him.” Shamis tragically committed suicide on April 8, 2005.
Maddie Gaspers
Staff Writer
The Mercer Island High School courtyard holds five memorials, four for prior students and one for a past teacher. Many staff members agree that it is important to remember the former Islanders who passed during their time at MIHS. The crab apple tree is in memory of George Hattermeyer, who passed away in an accident at a summer camp in the Summer of 2005. One of his younger brothers past teachers, Chris Twombley, remembers the impact Hattermeyer made on his class. “I knew him indirectly through his classmates and through the memory of his little brother, Charles. [...] He was just loved by everybody. He didn’t have an enemy anywhere here. He was outgoing, kind, thoughtful, he would always do extra kind things for others,” Twombley said. “There’s an award called the Tyler Cox award and its awarded every year to a senior who isn’t necessarily like, straight-a’s, but more the senior that represents the spirit of the class, and i’m almost positive that his class would have awarded him that because he really was the heart and soul of his class.”
The rock in the courtyard is in memory of Laura Wallace, who passed away in her junior year in a high speed crash after drinking at a party. She became close with one of her teachers, Dino Annest. “[Laura] was really nice and artistic, she was always drawing and sketching stuff [...] she wrote poetry to, that’s why there’s a rock out there in the courtyard. I think it’s an absolute tragedy that anybody has to have their life ended, especially this young.,” Annest said. “I think it ended up being somewhat of a wake up call and precautionary tale for some kids here. But it doesn’t bring somebody back and it’s sad that she’s gone because I think she would have done amazing things and would’ve done something with art in her life.”
Photos by Maddie Gaspers