Follow this link to print a bus stop change form, and this link to access the official web page of the LCSD Transportation Department.

Route 1

7:01: Patricia Drive @ Britton Drive

7:04: Buckley Road @ Melvin Drive

7:06: Buckley Road @ Lorian Drive

7:08: 6910 Buckley Road

7:09: 6949 Buckley Road

Route 2

6:58: Hopkins Road @ Revolutionary Path

7:00: Bailey Road @ Dolores Terrace South

7:02: Bailey Road @ Crestwood Drive

7:03: Bailey Road @ Lynn Drive

7:05: Marilyn Avenue @ Hibiscus Drive

Route 4

7:02: Redwing Drive @ Warbler Way

7:03: Warbler Way @ Swallow Path

7:05: Warbler Way @ Songbird Lane

7:09: Songbird Lane @ Redwing Drive

Route 5

7:08: 4075 Balboa Drive

7:08: Balboa Drive @ Silverado Drive

7:12: Soule Road @ Renfrew Drive

Route 6

6:57: 4255 State Route 31

7:02: 8745 Verplank Road

7:03: 4084 Verplank Road

7:03: 4078 Verplank Road

7:07: 8639 Morgan Road

7:08: 8609 Morgan Road

7:09: Amblewood Lane @ Hunting Creek Drive

7:13: Old Meadow Road @ Barnside Lane

Route 7

7:03: Elaine Circle @ Laurie Lane

7:06: Dampier Circle @ Capricorn Drive

Route 8

7:04: Trellis Brook Lane @ Gabion Way

7:05: Green River Way @ Fairway Drive East

7:08: Fairway Drive East @ Labatts Way

Route 9

7:02: Cedarpost Road @ Farmstead Road

7:03: Harvest Lane @ Palomino Path

7:06: Oakpost Road @ Bear Road

Route 10

6:56: 4567 Wetzel Road

6:59: 8024 Henry Clay Boulevard

7:00: 4577 Waterhouse Road

7:02: 7982 Morgan Road

7:03: Caraway Drive @ Princess Path

7:06: Luna Course @ Orion Path

7:10: Orion Path @ Chariot Lane

Route 11

7:10: Candlelight Lane @ Belmont Drive

7:13: Oswego Road @ Laurel Lane

Route 12

6:49: Old Liverpool Road @ Hiram Avenue

6:51: 619 Old Liverpool Road

6:53: Old Liverpool Road @ Kettle Road

6:55: 151 Old Liverpool Road

6:57: Russell Avenue @ Buckley Road

6:58: Buckley Road @ Deborah Drive

7:00: 126 Old Liverpool Road

7:01: Old Liverpool Road @ Lakeview Apts Drive

Route 13

7:01: Gaskin Road @ Ramsgate Court

7:08: Foster Road @ Wetzel Road

7:10: Wetzel Road @ Sagamore Drive

Route 14

7:00: Cold Springs Road @ Meyers Road

7:03: Second Street @ Iroquois Lane

Route 15

7:01: Tomwood Drive @ Tannis Terrace

7:05: Rocky Road @ Snappy Lane

7:10: 7310 Oswego Road

Route 16

7:04: Shoveler Lane @ Redwing Drive

7:06: Shoveler Lane @ Canvasback Drive

7:09: Oswego Road @ Anguilla Drive South Entrance

7:10: 8259 Oswego Road

Route 17

6:59: Henry Clay Boulevard @ Winchester Drive

7:00: Henry Clay Boulevard @ Woodard Way

7:01: Henry Clay Boulevard @ Norstar Boulevard

7:02: Henry Clay Boulevard @ Glencrest Avenue

7:07: Royal Meadow Drive @ Henry Clay Boulevard

7:11: 4511 Buckley Road

7:11: 4467 Buckley Road

Route 18

7:01: 8056 Oswego Road

7:03: Silverado Drive @ Manville Drive

7:09: Inverrary Drive @ Stepping Stone Lane

Route 19

7:01: Long Branch Road @ Knowland Drive

7:05: Long Branch Road @ Longdale Drive

Route 20

7:02: Fairway Drive East @ Cottonwood Court

7:05: Fairway Drive East @ Coconut Tree Drive

Route 22

6:58: Blackberry Road @ Bayberry Circle

7:03: Blackberry Road @ Bayberry Circle

7:05: 15 Gulfline Road

7:07: Holly Lane @ Blueberry Road

7:10: Blueberry Road @ Mango Lane

Route 24

7:07: Landsend Lane @ Chancery Lane

7:13: Cotswold Court @ Calder Court

Route 25

6:56: 4848 Hopkins Road

6:58: 4898 Hopkins Road

7:00: Donlin Drive @ Scott Lane

7:02: Colony Park Drive @ Mann Drive

7:05: Buckley Road @ Victoria Park Drive

Route 26

7:02: Second Street @ Sycamore Street

7:05: Oswego Street @ Sixth Street

7:08: 1209 Oswego Street

Route 27

6:53: 511 Seventh North Street

6:55: Buckley Road @ Pleasantview Drive

7:01: Buckley Road @ Ferncliff Avenue

Route 28

7:00: Pinegate Parkway @ 2nd Buttonwood Trail

7:03: Pinegate Parkway @ First Blue Beech Lane

Route 32

7:00: Cold Springs Road @ Lincoln Avenue

7:02: Cold Springs Road @ Cleveland Avenue

7:05: Cold Springs Road @ Fruitwood Drive

Route 33

6:46: Northwood Apts @ Seventh North Street

6:47: The Willows Apts @ 925 Seventh North Street

6:48: 919 Seventh North Street

6:49: Hanover Avenue @ Libby Street

6:52: Hanover Avenue @ Anita Avenue

Route 34

6:55: Chestnut Heights Drive @ Valley Drive

6:58: Traister Drive @ Plaxdale Road

7:00: 378 Electronics Parkway

7:01: Electronics Parkway @ Bradley Street

7:02: 109 Electronics Parkway

7:03: 706 Old Liverpool Road

7:04: Old Liverpool Road @ Town Garden Drive

Route 35

6:55: 1100 Vine Street

6:56: 1136 Vine Street

6:57: 1150 Vine Street

6:58: 1150 Vine Street

7:00: Diamond Drive @ Opal Drive

7:06: Bear Road @ Bay Chapel Circle

7:07: Bear Road @ O Donnell Road

Route 36

7:03: Cold Springs Road @ Westgate Lane

7:05: Cold Springs Road @ 2nd Green Acres Drive

7:06: Kings Park Drive @ John Glenn Boulevard

Route 37

6:54: Sunflower Drive @ Viking Place

6:56: Sunflower Drive @ Royal Road

6:57: Brookview Lane @ Midwood Drive

Route 38

6:54: Limestone Drive @ Larkin Street

6:56: Driftwood Drive @ 2nd Merrill Drive

6:59: Thomas Drive @ Pebblestone Lane

7:01: Homeview Drive @ Crystalwood Drive

Route 39

6:58: Admiral Drive @ Bel Harbor Drive

7:02: Sotherden Drive @ Forestbrook Drive

7:08: 7730 Treeline Drive

7:12: Wetzel Road @ Heritage Drive

Route 40

7:06: Morgan Road @ Buckley Park Apts

7:08: 7475 Morgan Road

7:10: Morgan Road @ Grampian Road

Route 41

7:03: Elmcrest Road @ Pawnee Drive

7:08: Apache Lane @ Woodspath Road

Route 42

7:11: Grampian Road @ Grant Court

7:13: 2 Avon Parkway

7:16: 7434 Morgan Road

Route 43

7:02: Streamwood Drive @ Sandbar Lane

7:06: Burningtree Road @ Shallowcreek Road

Route 44

6:56: Vine Street @ Seventh Street

6:58: Covered Bridge Apts @ Vine Street

7:00: Vine Street @ Aspen Street

7:06: Morgan Road @ Sheridan Road

Route 45

7:01: Pinegate Parkway @ 1st Golden Larch Lane

7:03: Pinegate Parkway @ Underbrush Trail

George Clarke and Mr. Avellino

Ray Centro, DJ

Cara Lamberson

What it all came down to:

Carleena Manzi

See them all on Facebook →

The Very Final Desk Scene from The Deep End Show on Vimeo.

The DPS Clip Show from The Deep End Show on Vimeo.

And in the End… from The Deep End Show on Vimeo.

THANKS FOR WATCHING!!!!!!!!
Come back soon to see the Glue Series Finale

A memorial for Victoria Devreso. Her friends added their own decorations at the crash site.

Victoria Deverso was one of the most amazing people I have ever known. She was funny, kind, loyal, and very talented. Ever since Nate Perry Elementary, I have known her as being very energetic.

You know–the type of person that put a smile on everyone’s face. I remember when Mrs. Jenn–her dance teacher–would always call her “Little Sunshine” because that is what she truly was. She brought the light into everyone’s lives and once God took her from us, we fell back into the darkness.

Some would say we are lost without her and I believe that. The only brightness left is with all the memories we had together. She was the one who cheered everyone up at times like these and now we have no one. It is impossible to replace her.

I wish we could rewind back time so that everyone could see how amazing she really was. Too amazing for words to describe. I remember the first time she tried to teach me to dance. I would keep falling and it was obvious I was helpless; but she never gave up she told me to never give up and I did not.

She kept teaching me because she was a true warrior to always fight to the very end. I could never find a flaw to keep me from liking her because she was perfect. She was an angel, and I believe God thought it was her time to start her duty so that she is now looking down on us from heaven smiling and will soon bring the sunshine to us again.

Victoria had many people who loved and cared for her dearly. Even when she would wear those silly cheeta slippers all the time, because she loved them.  One of her good friends Justin Edwards, now a senior at Henniger High School, loved her very much. Everyday he would write on her Facebook wall about how much he misses her and loves her so much.

Edwards has said, “When someone you love becomes a memory, the memory becomes a treasure. Rest in Peace Victoria Christine Deverso I love you so much.” All over facebook, you will still see her friends and family writing on her wall, commenting her videos, and many others things to show their love.

There is a poem floating around called “Princess” in honor of Victoria. A very beautiful peace was read on the night of her Vigil. No one can really explain the reasoning behind why it was she that was taken from us. All we can do is look up in the sky and smile because we know she is watching over us.

The best 4-man team in the land. Photo illustration by Mike Ortiz.

Flashback: Last year, the Liverpool Warriors’ track and field “Fab Four” was assembled. They had a great year that came to an unusual end.

During their state 4×800 match, the Warriors broke a Section III record with a finishing time of 7:44.46. They were on top of the world…and then they hit rock bottom as they learned that they wouldn’t be able to run at Nationals. They were perfectly qualified, but a final exam forced then-freshman Zavon Watkins to stay back.

The Warriors began this season looking to get back to Nationals, and this time they were planning on going. At the state qualifiers, the Warriors’ Fab Four were ready to show the fans that they still had it.

The gun went off, and the runners followed. Chris Clemons, a senior, began the race for the Warriors. Clemons didn’t look like his usual self,falling behind Fayetteville-Manlius’ lead runner. Clemons finished with a devastating time of 2 minutes and 3 seconds.

Alex Wilke took the baton from Clemons, looking to pick up lost ground as he found himself down by roughly 3 seconds. Wilke was running hard, slowly gaining back lost seconds from Clemons’ run; he would finish with a time of 1 minute and 56 seconds.

The Fab 4 weren’t looking like they normally did, as they trailed by 1.5 seconds with Colin Savage now running. Savage gained ground rapidly, sapping F-M’s lead and eventually reclaiming the lead for Liverpool.

There was no looking back – Savage was running great, and the Warriors would have a sufficient lead to hand the baton off to the fastest sophomore, Zavon Watkins. Savage finished with a time of 1 minute and 52 seconds.

This race was now wrapped up; Watkins is one of the fastest sophomores, if not the fastest high school runners, in America. Watkins proved it on the track, running faster and faster with every step. When Watkins was about halfway done, the C-NS announcer said on the loud speaker that “the Liverpool Warriors, who previously broke the Section 3 record, are now in contention of breaking it again.”

The fans got louder, watching Zavon Watkins and the clock at the same time. Then, by 1/16th of a second, the Warriors broke their previous Section III record with a time of 7:43.62. The Fab Four were back!

The Warriors would win the race and qualify for states by 9.1 seconds, leaving F-M, the team that was once in the lead, in a distant second place.

Zavon Watkins

Mike Ortiz: So how does it feel to break your record another time?

Zavon Watkins: It feels great for us because we knew we were faster than we were last year but we didn’t show it until then and it feels good to know that you got faster but we still can lower are time that we ran there.

Mike Ortiz: Now that you guys are moving on to states, the competition is going to be harder. Are you guys worried?

Zavon Watkins: Yeah, we are, but in our heads, we know that no matter what we do, we are going to run a fast time. We have seen some good competition, but we are hoping to do well.

Mike Ortiz: Has there been a team that has gotten close to your guys time of 7:43.62?

Zavon Watkins: Yeah, Warwick went 7:36 but if we are all feeling good we should be better than that

Mike Ortiz: Now what’s your workout plans this week knowing that States are on Friday?

Zavon Watkins: We will work on a little of everything. We can use some more speed though.

Alex Wilke

Mike Ortiz: How does it feel to break your record once again?

Alex Wilke: It’s a pretty great feeling. Especially since we know we can go much faster. Chris had an off day but looked great in a workout today and is ready to go for next weekend.

Mike Ortiz: Knowing that Chris is in better form that last week, do you guys think that you could break the record again?

Alex Wilke: Oh, for sure. I definitely can see us going sub 7:40 pretty easily. The real question is: will we have enough to break the state record and beat Warwick?

Jim Wright's spectacular catch wasn't enough to prevent a 7-2 loss to Auburn in the sectional finals. Photo by Mike Ortiz

Liverpool had back-to-back division titles, a record of 18-3, and their best pitcher – Pat Brown – on the mound. The opponent was Auburn, who they easily defeated earlier in the season by a score of 10 to 2. Everything looked as if the Warriors would be section champions yet again. Unfortunately they forgot their long history with the Maroons.

Last year, in the sectional semi-finals, the Warriors were defeated by the Maroons 13 to 7. The Maroons would go onto to lose in the section championship to the Cicero-North Syracuse Northstars, 3 to 2.

The Maroons were looking to maintain their playoff luck against the Warriors. Liverpool used their home field advantage well, as they were able to win at home. For the sectional game, the venue would change in appearance, size, and attendance: it was Alliance Bank Stadium, the home of the Syracuse Chiefs.

The game would begin with a surprising 2-0 lead by the Maroons, who were looking sharp. The Warriors simply couldn’t recover, as they couldn’t score any runs. Brown would return to the mound, looking to play differently by not allowing any runs, but he would allow another 2 runs. The 4-0 deficit was a big wake up call for the Warriors, reminding them that their sectional hopes were draining away.

The Warriors couldn’t get their bats going, and they went into the 4^th inning still down 4-0. Matt O’Kippeny was on the sideline warming up and preparing to enter the game. Then, the downfall happened: Brown walked two pitchers in the 4^th inning. It looked like Brown was going to be pulled and sent back to second base. It didn’t happen, and Brown managed to get out of the jam without giving up a run.

In the bottom of the 4^th, the Warriors’ bats continued to be ineffective, and they would have another scoreless inning. Brown stepped to the mound and let up 3 runs, bringing the deficit to 7-0. He would finally be pulled.

After getting out of a horrific inning, the Warriors finally started to hit the ball after a shot to the center field wall by Andrew Shryeck. It would have been a home run at the Liverpool stadium, but they were in Alliance Bank Stadium and that’s what they would have to deal with. They would go onto to score 2 runs and the Warriors were looking alive once again.

This energy would carry over to great defense, as the Maroons wouldn’t score again. However, the damage was done – the Maroons smothered Liverpool’s offense, holding the final score to 7-2. It was another upset and another Maroons victory over the Warriors; this time, it was in the sectional finals. This time, they were section champions.

Gay-Straight Alliance adviser Kate Caveny stands with her students in the final moments of the Day of Silence, during the spring pep rally in April. Photo by George Clarke

Two years ago, the Gay-Straight Alliance had no special meaning to Zachary Rowe-Bryerton.

“One of my friends that I was hanging out with brought me here, forced me to come over, and I’ve been here ever since, trying to support her and her cause.”

That year, Rowe-Bryerton became the president of the club. Today, he wonders how he existed without it.

“It’s not just a gay-straight alliance,” said sophomore Christina Manzi, who also joined as a freshman. “It’s also an acronym for ‘guidance, support, acceptance’, which means we’ll help you succeed, we’ll support your decisions and accept you no matter who you are or if you’re gay, lesbian, bi, transgender, weird…we’ll always accept you here.”

Alongside its guidance, support and acceptance of all students, the Gay-Straight Alliance is an agent of goodwill at LHS. Of all its fund-raising activities, very few are designed to generate profit for the club itself. Nearly every penny goes to other charitable organizations, including the Rescue Mission, the American Red Cross, Holiday Angels, and shopping for HIV/AIDS patients.

In its efforts to live up to its name, the GSA – a group of five core students and others who “trickle in” to visit – is in direct contact with the school’s social workers, who encourage new students and LGBT students to give the GSA a try. If a teacher or social worker believes a student would benefit from regular contact with the GSA, they will refer the student to the GSA, so that club adviser Kate Caveny and other members can provide their support.

“We try to be an open place for people who feel like a small segment of society,” Caveny said.

Caveny, who is openly gay, is impressed by Liverpool’s acceptance of LGBT youth. As a high school student, she was never able to enjoy the support of an organization like the GSA at a school as accommodating as Liverpool.

“Since we are such an open society, there’s more awareness in the community of even households where there’s two moms or two dads…people know and understand individuals.

“It’s safe to say that the entire staff at the high school is an ally, and then, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find a student in grades 9-12 who doesn’t have a friend or family member who is out and open about sexual orientation,” Caveny said.

As accepting as Liverpool can be, there is always progress to be made. During the spring pep rally in April, the GSA ended its Day of Silence, a day that makes clear their support of those who are bullied, subject to hate crimes, or driven to suicide by those who oppose their sexual orientation. While the day can have a different meaning for each participant, the common ground is signifying the voice of which others are deprived.

“It’s a time for us to be mindful of all of the hurtful things and all of the bullying that goes on in our community toward LGBTQ youth,” Caveny said. “It’s a time to say we want to silence those voices of harassment and bullying…we want to raise up the voices of the people who are being bullied, so that people can come out and be comfortable, being open about who we are. And one thing I’m really grateful for is that here in our Liverpool community, I think that people are fairly comfortable expressing who they are, without fear of being harassed or bullied.”

Today, two of the largest projects of the club are ‘Who Cares…We Care’, a local fund-raising alliance for charities, and the Syracuse pride parade on June 19. Caveny has participated in past parades, and plans to bring interested students with her.

Even amid a society that is steadily becoming more friendly to LGBT youth, there is always progress to be made – and the GSA is at the center of this newest civil-rights struggle.

“We try making the gay community like the straight community – we’re the same, and we shouldn’t be treated any differently,” Rowe-Bryerton said. We’re just like you – we go through the same problems.”

“I support [the GSA], I love it…what can I do without it?”

One giant reason for this change will undoubtedly be the absence of two of the most celebrated faculty members of LHS: career center coordinator Nick Pallotta and guidance counselor Richard Harper, both of whom will not be returning to the school in the fall.

On April 14, Harper retired from his counselor position of seven years, after 33 years of counseling within the district.

After severe budget cuts devastated dozens of teaching positions, Mr. Pallotta’s position as coordinator of the career center is being eliminated at the end of the school year, after 19 years in the district, and nine years on the Board of Education.

One of the many common threads between Harper and Pallotta is their consistent dedication to their students. It’s this very dedication, over decades of working with Liverpool students, that hasn’t gone unnoticed by their peers.

“When I think about Mr. Harper or Mr. Pallotta, the first thing that comes to my mind for both men is their love of students,” said Maria Knapp, one of the main office secretaries at LHS. “They’ll do anything to help out a student and they have devoted their lives to do just that.”

“I’m here for my students,” Harper said. “I want it to be enjoyable for my students to approach me. Looking at kids as equals and treating them with mutual respect is my job. And besides the pay check, I’m here for my students.”

Harper’s journey to Liverpool High School was like a long, winding country road. After teaching English in an alternative district, Harper realized his passion was to help students in a more direct and personal way. He then went back to SUNY Oswego to earn a degree in counseling.

Harper began his career at Liverpool High School in 1977, filling in for a counselor who was taking a half-year sabbatical. After another half-year term at LHS, Harper accepted a full-time counselor position at Chestnut Hill Middle School.

Harper would hold the position of school counselor at CHM from 1979 to 1990. That year, Harper made the switch to Chestnut Hill Elementary, were he would remain until 2003, a full 26 years since his long-term substitute gig.

“In the guidance field you become certified K-12 and every so often you get a new career,” Harper said, laughing. “I move around a lot and it’s good.”

Those who know Harper know this all too well. He is a man who rarely confines himself to his desk, preferring instead to float around and play the role of social butterfly. He is a man so caught up in friendliness and assistance that he stopped once or twice during a recent interview to help a young student who needed to make changes to her schedule for next year.

“He’s got a calming demeanor that makes him very non-threatening to anyone – any age – who needs someone to talk to or who needs some help with direction,” Knapp said. “He definitely chose the right vocation to go into, and he will be sorely missed.”

“I’ll miss the people I work with and the students I work with terribly… and I won’t miss this paper work at all,” Harper said.

Harper has a very quirky style that is nonetheless effective in maximizing his student’s requests and needs. “I have had a lot of fun with a lot of great people. We all deal with serious stuff but we always laugh,” Harper said. “Laughter keeps us going.”

Now that he is armed with free time, Harper plans to continue what most close friends recognize as his true passion: athletics. “I run everyday in the morning,” Harper said. “Now that I can sleep in a little later, maybe I can start running in the light.”

Harper is an active man whose activities include cross-country skiing, recreational league volleyball, running, and even hiking. “On my first day off, I’m hiking the Adirondack mountains with the local AMC (Adirondack Mountain Club).”

And who has the misfortune of replacing such a masterly counselor? “Ms. Downing is my replacement,” Harper said. “She was an intern at the annex last year for about 3 months and did a very nice job. I know she will do fine.”

“(Harper) is a one in a million type of guy,” Pallotta said. “He is always upbeat. It would be tougher for me to leave without him leaving with me.”

To discover the effect Mr. Pallotta has had on students at LHS, all you have to do is speak to the many students he has worked with. Students from many different backgrounds at LHS flock to Pallotta for guidance – and not just career advice. He has worked directly with students in fine arts, UMOJA, and the Dollars for Scholars program; every student he works with always seems to have a smile on their face.
“Mr. Pallotta is all about the kids. He has such an impact on them and does it quietly – unassumingly. The students know he’ll do anything within his power to be there for them,” Knapp said.

“This has been a sweet job, far and above the best job I’ve ever had,” Pallotta said. “It is amazing to think of how much the job shadow program has grown since we started back in 1999.”

Pallotta’s first job was at Key Bank, where he was hired during his junior year at Syracuse’s Newhouse School of Communications. During his 26 years at Key Bank, where he eventually was named vice president, Pallotta established many ties and friendships that he has maintained to this day.

“Networking, meeting, and talking to people are half the battle within the job market. If you are a hard worker, and a friendly guy, people will remember you,” Pallotta said. “People don’t forget a friendly face.”
Pallotta’s career took a turn for the best when he became president of his children’s PTO at Willow Field Elementary. When a Board of Education position became available, Pallotta was prompted to apply for the position, and was accepted.

Pallotta remained on the Board until 1999, when he accepted his current position, created for him because of his great networking abilities.

In 1992, Pallotta began his term as Board of Education member. He would serve on the panel for 8 years, dealing with issues such as the creation of the laptop program and the closing of Craven Crawford Elementary.

“There is so much that goes into being a Board member,” Pallotta said. “There are a lot of meetings, late nights, sometimes as late as midnight. So much goes into it all because we all want what is best for the kids. If I compared my term with a current Board member I would say a common thread would be a lot of stress and hard work.”

“It’s so hard with budget cuts. To close a school down stinks, it really does. Shutting down a school directly affects so many kids. No board wants to close a school.”

Budget-slashing hits close to home for Pallotta, who is leaving Liverpool High School after a decade of service. However, Pallotta is remaining positive and even understanding of the whole matter, continuing to display the immense character that has enabled hundreds of students to place their trust in him.

“I knew my position could be gone at the conclusion of any year,” Pallotta said. “It’s a non-tenured position. The way I see it, ten years is so much better than zero. It’s been rewarding and totally worth it.”

“If [Pallotta] and I have one thing in common it’s that we treat kids the same. We look at the individual and give as much respect as we can to them. It has honestly been a pleasure,” Harper said.

To truly capture the greatness these two men have given to Liverpool High School, the incredible words of senior Debbie Lewis speak volumes.

“From providing me with job shadow opportunities to sending out dozens of college applications, Mr. Pallotta and Mr. Harper have both been instrumental in my success as a high school student and have both prepared me, in their own ways, for college and the world at large,” Lewis said. “I truly appreciate all they’ve done for me in my 4 years at LHS and wish them both the best.”

History teacher Louise Lamula uses this red sheet of paper to count the days since the Deepwater Horizon spill. Lamula's posters, placed on her classroom door and the window of the 100s office, are meant to keep students aware of environmental issues.

Humankind has long counted down to the apocalypse. Now, on a crimson sheet of paper taped hastily to a classroom door, Liverpool counts up to the end of days.

Forty-six cataclysmic days after the destruction of the Deepwater Horizon off the Gulf of Mexico, LHS social studies teacher Louise Lamula – and millions of environmentalists like her – are as active as ever in voicing their passion for planet Earth.

“In your lifetime, fossil fuels should go the way of the dodo bird,” she said.

Lamula, a firebrand of an activist generation, is careful to avoid imposing her political views on her “captive audience” of high school students. However, her environmental views are posted on blood-red paper outside her classroom.

As a history teacher, Lamula learned of the oil spill not long before teaching her United States history students about the pioneers of environmentalism – including her favorite president, Theodore Roosevelt. Though her activism is mainly behind the scenes, in the form of letters to Congressman Maffei and President Obama, Lamula has a clear and powerful passion for protecting the environment and keeping all students aware of what is at stake.

“When they stop and think about the long-term consequences, they will [be more active],” Lamula said. “When you get ten out of 100 students, it’s better than ten not saying anything at all. And those students will get ten more students. It’s a ripple effect.”

Above all, despite many years of working toward her cause, beyond the outwardly radical posters and the count-up to an oily Armageddon, Lamula is an educator. The display is her way of keeping our minds on planet Earth, while there is still some hope of repairing the damage humankind has inflicted upon it.

“All the money spent on the oil spill could have gone to alternative energy research. That’s the tragedy,” Lamula said. “The young people – your generation – needs to willingly become more active in your future.”

I never knew Victoria Deverso. I couldn’t pick her out from the 1,800 some odd kids at Liverpool High School. Today, 2,101 members belong to a Facebook page in her memory. Her fan page has 2,097.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I know many who did. Last Monday was a somber day in Liverpool.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but just like the entire community, I felt the pain of losing a classmate. I felt the devastation of a teenage tragedy. I felt the emptiness left in so many hearts.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I feel the deep love she has embedded into the walls of Liverpool High School. I feel the sorrow stuck to every floor. I feel the joy of her memories that fill every locker. I feel her smile in every step I take.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but her downfalls, her mistakes, and her faults mean nothing. It doesn’t matter if she was a straight A student or if she was failing every class. It doesn’t matter if she was driving or not. I don’t care who was at fault. I won’t fathom why the situation arose. It doesn’t matter.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I know her friends. And I know that the clouds of that day, filled with the condemnation of outsiders, the rumors of bystanders and the questions of nobodies, are pinching the hearts of the ones who loved her. It doesn’t matter who was at fault. It doesn’t matter why this happened. It doesn’t matter who’s to blame. The blame is gone; compassion is the lone feeling.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I will never speak an ill word of her in my life. If mistakes were made, so be it. If choices were wrong, so be it. Her death is a horrible tragedy of Liverpool: may her life be a memory of peace, love and honor.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I know how terrible it is to criticize the events of the 24^th of May. I know how awful—and useless—it is to dig at the wounds of the grieving by heartlessly speculating.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I do know that a beautiful, caring teenage girl has lost her life, and nothing should matter other than that.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, but I do know that she is watching us all from a bird’s eye view.

I never knew Victoria Deverso, and sadly, I never will.