Photo taken three days before tragedy of prom couple Rachel Scott, shooting victim, and Nick Baumgart.


Nick Baumgart reminisce the good times spent with his friend, Rachel.

By Stepanie Simon; Los Angeles Times, April 24, 1999

(Page 2 of 2)


Holding on always to that image of Rachel in her black prom dress, Nick has decided it's not constructive to be mad. Or to feel scared or even ask why. Rachel, he says, "would absolutely kick our butts if she saw us making such a big deal over her."

So he's trying to heal through positive thinking. He's concentrating now on all the good that has com from the Columbine killings.

His Exhibit A: Students have bonded.

The meanest boy Nick has ever known- a guy who trips people and laughs, who teases kids till they cry- spent the hours of the shooting helping others. He boosted girls over a chain-link fence to safety and combiled lists of everyone who had made it out. He was nice and cared. Nick is sure the transformation will last.

"When you're running through the halls fearing for your lives, it doesn't matter who's a cheerleader and who's Johnny football star." he explains. "That's all so petty. I don't think anyone in the school could go back to it now."

Nick's Exhibit B: The community has bonded.

Littleton looks like so many affluent, anonymous suburbs. Strip mall after strip mall. Tidy lawn after tidy lawn. But business owners came forward by the dozens to donate food, money, flowers, even building supplies to fix up the school.

"It's ironic, that something like this could do that."

So far, there is no Exhibit C. But Nick's working on it.

Today is Rachel's funeral.

She will be remembered by her parents, her younger brother, and her many, many friends as a girl who found much joy in life and who spread much joy around her.

Rachel wanted to be a Broadway actress. And a poet too. She was beautiful, fun, and sparkled.

The other afternoon, Nick and his friends got together again to reminisce about good times with Rachel. "We spent 2 1/2 hours without a pause and we weren't even close to done." Nick realled, smiling.

"I'm doing OK", he said, and rubbed his lip, "I'm OK."


-Photo courtesy of Clarence Thomas, LA Times-

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