By Elizabeth Griswold
Photographer
Students gathered at Dockweiler Beach on March 29 to honor the memory of junior Darius Smith, who committed suicide on March 10.
The trend of having parties on the beach has been long-standing, but the idea for this special type of memorial was sparked by the numerous bonfires that Smith had attended during his time at Costa.
“We always had really long bonfires because Darius brought lots of wood. It’s weird because now that he’s gone, everyone brought wood enough for three fires,” junior Caitlin Martin said.
The bonfire started at 6 p.m. Approximately 100 students, mourners, and friends were in attendence.
“I was amazed by how many people showed up to honor Darius. He was a very good friend of mine and I was stunned at how many people he touched,” junior Conor Griffin said.
However, not everyone in attendance was surprised by the head count.
“I expected a lot of people. I think there were people there who weren’t close to him, but for every person who didn’t know him, there were people who truly knew him and were there to honor him,” junior Tara Murphy said.
Not everyone who attended personally knew Smith. This fact, however, didn’t stop people from expressing grief.
“I had only met Darius once before, but we talked a lot on Facebook. Every time we talked, he would say a friendly, ‘See you senior year!’ I am sad that now senior year will never happen for us,” Tiffany Allen, a former Costa student, said.
At the bonfire, juniors Max Yollin and Trevor Paul played “Viva la Vida” by Coldplay, a song students said reminded them of Smith.
“I feel like it’s what Darius would have wanted. We celebrated his life by doing something that he enjoyed while he was alive; the attendees had their hearts in the right places,” junior Clara Becka said.
Some who attended wished that there had been a more formal way to commemorate Smith.
“It was nice as a way for people who were grieving to be with each other and talk about Darius, but it really wasn’t the same as going to a service. I would have liked it to be more like a service because then everyone could say something or just listen,” senior Jeana Kavesh said.
As the night came to a close, the flames and crowds dwindled. Friends embraced, and last words were uttered.
“I thought it showed how instead of mourning a death, we celebrated Darius’ life,” junior Rahman Hafezzada said.
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