VANESSA DRAPER
A FRIEND REMEMBERED

By Colleen MacDonald
(Seneca Outlook ~ March, 1998)

New Year's Eve is usually a festive day of celebration but this past December 31, 1997 will be remembered by all of us at Seneca in quite a different way.  It is the day we lost a very special friend ~ 
Vanessa Draper.

Vanessa was an honors student at Seneca and a friend and student who will always be remembered fondly.  Mrs. Broh Vanessa's English teacher said, "I'll always remember her as the first person willing to volunteer to help do a task, regardless of how hard or simple it was."  Oddly enough the day before Vanessa's death, Mrs. Broh had met her.  Mrs. Broh recalled, "It was at Captree Boat Basin over the vacation.  It was a bitter cold afternoon and the hot chocolate machine was out of order.  I then ran into Vanessa who was trying to get a hot chocolate from the broken machine.  I said hello and asked how her vacation was going.  She said that she was measuring the waves for her Earth Science project."

Mrs. Chierichella, Vanessa's  Spanish teacher, honored her by saying, "She was a teacher's ideal student.  She was always willing to take risks, to meet challenging academic material without any complaints and to share her talents with others in her class."

Vanessa was always a very active participant in sports.  When Lauren Canner, Vanessa's teammate and friend, was asked to discuss Vanessa's participation during the softball season she remembered her as "competitive in a way to make you feel good.  She (Vanessa) would always say Good Job! or Nice Try!  She would always sing songs when we were up at bat, and she'd always encourage the team and say, "The play goes here!"  Lauren also added, We will be missing a good pitcher."

Whenever friends and teachers are asked to describe her, their words always seem to honor her.  Tracey Willner describes her as, "A great person, caring, and someone who touched everyone she met.  She was a good friend.

Mrs. Chierichella summed it up when she said, "Vanessa was a unique individual who did not realize how special she really was.  Vanessa will always be remembered for her warm heart filled with love, kindness and compassion for everyone and everything around her."  Mrs. Chierichella expressed this feeling when she said, "Vanessa had the talent to bring out the good in everyone around her.  She was never critical or judgmental."

Lauren Canner, a friend who knew Vanessa since kindergarten said that, "Vanessa was smart, kind, always looking to help someone.  She never offended anyone, and was always kind to everyone."

Seneca's principal, Mr. Albin was asked how we (at Seneca) could keep Vanessa's memory alive.  He mentioned that her number, Number 9 won't be worn by any other player in softball or field hockey.  However, since Vanessa's next season would have been softball, this spring all the members of the softball and baseball teams will wear "Number 9" patches on the sleeve of their uniforms.

The Seneca community was greatly affected by this tragic event and it caused many of us to reflect on how fragile life can be.  Amanda Kinney commented that "people take for granted the fact that life is such a precious gift and it can be taken away from us at any moment.  We don't realize this until someone we care for is gone."

Unfortunately sometimes the lessons we learn about life are taught at the expense of another.  Two innocent lives that touched the hearts of many are lost.  We may ask ourselves, Why?  Why these two?  However, it is doubtful that we will ever find an answer to our question.  In times like these, we realize how precious life is and that the truly important thing in life is just being alive.  We can remember and honor those we have lost, those who have taught us such precious lessons by living life to the fullest. 
 
 

If you ever want to look up the word, "angel", in the dictionary there would be a picture of Vanessa.  She was an infectious child who made you fall in love with her the minute you met her.  I do not believe the word selfish existed in her vocabulary.  She was the type of child that would not only give the shirt off her back, but she would take her coat off on sub-zero weather and give it to you.  She would never walk past you without a big hello and a big smile to go with it.  She would be concerned about everyone in my family asking how everyone was.

She was everything you would want in a child.  She was bright, caring, energetic and a joy to be around.

For those of you who don’t know me, I have been good friends with Vanessa since we started kindergarten together.  Ever day since the first day of school, I walked onto the bus to see Vanessa’s big, bright smile waiting for me to sit next to her.  As we grew older, we became closer because of our similar interests like, softball, school and hanging out together.

I remember in second grade when we first stepped onto the softball field together who would have known that standing there was a great pitcher and team leader.  She would always tell us how many outs there were and where the ball would go next.  She also was the first to start all of the team cheers to encourage our players and psyche out the other team.  Ever since we were little, she nicknamed me "Babe" and it stuck.  Then in fifth grade, Vanessa and I met Kelly O.  and we started Club Mec - the mother earth clean-up club.  We met every Sunday behind the dumpster area to clean up the area around our condos.  These were just some of the small ways that Vanessa showed her care and understanding for everyone.

Vanessa always knew how to make light of situations.  Like one time in gym, we were all out of breath from running and we stopped to see Vanessa trying to tag a girl but in the process ran into the bleachers.  Of course, she came back laughing hysterically to all of her friends.

Through the years Vanessa and I were always there congratulating each other on our achievements such as when we got academic awards last year at school and this year when we made the National Honor Society.  Last year Vanessa honored our friendship by asking me to say an Aliyah at her Bat Mitzvah.  I never felt so privileged until that day.  That proved how good of friends we really were.

I will never forget Vanessa.  She will always hold a very special place in my heart and like she always said, "me as number 7 and she as number 9, will always be together like Roger Marris and Mickey Mantle."

This poem is from my heart.  I have so much else to say-but I write letters and poems and pray to her every day.  I will always be here for your whole family-and so will my parents.  I love you guyz so much-Vanessa taught me so much-she especially taught me to LOVE and I’m trying the best I can.   Hang in there Candy-Vanessa got her courage from you-so hang in there cause everyone needs you right now!  And, we’re all looking our for you.

I will remember Vanessa’s smile always.  It lit up the room.  Always willing to laugh and say ‘hi’, she will be missed greatly.  I remember her getting the crowd excited in field hockey and softball.  Seneca will never be the same.  My thoughts and prayers are with you always.

I really did not know Vanessa very well, in fact, I didn’t know her at all other than the fact that I saw her and knew who she was.  All I can say really is that whenever I saw her she was smiling.  She was always smiling!  She was a nice person always saying ‘hi’ to everybody she passed.

Vanessa was a good friend of mine.  She was always ready to lend a helping hand.  She always had a bright smile on her face that could light up the darkest room.  She would never stop for anything and wouldn’t let anything get in her way.  She will definitely be missed by a lot of people.  I think they needed her for that big baseball game up in the sky.

I know you’ve probably got a lot of cards, phone calls and e-mails, so I’ll try to keep this short.  All I can really say is that I’m sorry.  Whenever I think of Vanessa, it saddens me to think that I’ll never be able to see her ever again.   I already miss her.  Sometimes I wish I could just see her one more time and say goodbye.  We were not good friends, but I knew her as a person whom I could always turn to for help.  I’ll remember her as a scholar-athlete, as a kind and considerate person.  Most of all, I’ll remember her as a great friend.  Sometimes when I think of Vanessa I cry on the inside.  The only comfort I get is knowing that she has gone to a better place.  I will miss Vanessa’s sense of humor and charm.  I don’t think I’ll ever meet someone as nice as her.

I want to let you know that Vanessa was a big part of Seneca and will not be forgotten.  Her smile brightened up the room.  I am sorry  and my thoughts and prayers are with you all.  I’m sure Vanessa left the world the way she came in….smiling.  I always admired her positive attitude but never got to tell her.  I was thinking of somebody with the same upbeat attitude.  I could not think of anybody.  She was one of a kind and will be missed dearly.

Vanessa was a great person.  She was smart, athletic, funny, nice, pretty and a whole lot more.  It was great sitting next to her in lunch.  She helped me with a lot of things, especially history.  She was really good at softball too.  She had a lot going for her.  It is a tragedy that this happened to her like it did.  She was to young.  She was a great friend and team mate.  Everyone will miss Vanessa.

I just wanted to tell you I was a good friend of Vanessa’s.  We had been friends a long time.  I was very glad to have known such a person.  She was always happy and seemed like nothing bothered her.  She was hard working and a very good ball player.  She was always willing to help me in math if I had trouble.  In lunch she sat right across from me and was always studying for a test or doing homework, always helping someone.  In gym she always made me laugh.  Vanessa and I were on a team with Lauren C. and Mary T.  In lacrosse, we were always fighting for the ball and falling on the ground.  We really had a fun time together.  Also, in softball we were together.  Vanessa was a very good person and I was honored to know her.

This is a note to tell you that I am so sorry for what this tragedy has brought to our lives.  Everyone who had the opportunity to see what Vanessa was really like was a treat.   She was a bright girl who was never upset.  She was always full of life.  Her bright smile brought happiness to all of our lives.  She loved everything she did.  Our lives will be different.  Vanessa will be missed.  She will be kept in our hearts forever.

In the years I knew Vanessa, she has certainly touched my heart.  She was a great role model for me and my friends.  Vanessa was intelligent, caring, athletic and was always happy when I saw her.  When I was feeling down, she would always be there to ask if I was okay and help make me feel better.  She helped me to resolve a problem with my friend.  I wish that I could do the same things for her in return.  It was always fun for me to be partners with her.  She would make be feel that it would turn out easy if we didn’t think about it as a lab.  Vanessa once sang while we had to plot dots on a graph.  It was very funny.  She would be there for me always to cheer me up.  In gym we were once on the same volleyball team.  Vanessa didn’t really care about winning or losing, but for the fact that we all had fun.  When I missed the ball she would be there to tell me that it’s okay and try again next time or she would be a good sport and say, "good job".  She was always supportive.  Vanessa had a really bright future ahead of her.    When I heard from my friend what had happened I just couldn’t believe it.  I started asking myself all these questions.  Why did God take her life away?  I guess at this point only God knows the answer.  Vanessa was a strong person.  She was also a hard worker.  How come God takes away all the good people that would make a difference in this world?  Vanessa always liked helping out.  She will always remain a leader in my heart and will not be forgotten.

I am a new student, I had just joined Seneca in October.  Vanessa was in my Earth Science class.  She used to sit way back in the right hand corner and I was in the front row.  After class had ended we had a few minutes to pack up.  I remember Vanessa came up to me with a big cheerful smile.  Before I could say anything,  she said, "Hola, como estas?"  I answered, "Bueno, gracias y tu?"   We both laughed…..this time I introduced myself  in English and she as well.  As the months passed I moved to the back of the room and sat right behind her.  She was always very cheerful.  She always put a smile on you.  I will never forget her.

Vanessa was a girl of many wonders.  A girl full of hopes and dreams of a life yet to come.  A wonderful girl whose life was lost to such a terrible tragedy. 

Caring and loving she made the perfect friend.  Always willing to lend an ear or shoulder to cry on.  She was always willing to help, even the slightest things she had just the thing to help you do something a little better or a little faster.

In school she was the model student.  Extremely intelligent, friendly, responsible, hardworking, talented, outgoing, athletic and an all around good student.  Vanessa was loved by both classmates and teachers.

In today’s world we take life for granted.  No one realizes how  precious life is until the life of someone we cared for is gone.  Someone like Vanessa.  And although she’ll always live on in spirit and our hearts, she’ll be greatly missed.

~FAMILY MEMORIES~

~THE GIFT OF SIGHT~