Jordan Shullenberger ’24 is a Vermont resident who attended Harwood Union High School before Northwood.
Holding a candle aloft at the vigil. Photo: Stefan Hard/Seven Days.
Autumn is a wonderful season for New Englanders, but for the community of the Mad River Valley in Vermont, the Autumn of 2016 was sorrowful. Sunday, October 8 marked the seventh anniversary of the Harwood 5 tragedy. It shocked the state of Vermont, and every year after, it’s a reminder to love and appreciate the people around us and demonstrates the strength of a rural community.
On October 8, 2016, four students from Harwood Union High School, and one student from Kimball Union Academy were driving back home from a concert in Burlington, Vermont. They were on the interstate when a car going in the wrong direction collided head-on into their car. All five high schoolers lost their lives that night. Eli Brookens (Waterbury), Janie Cozzi (Fayston), Liam Hale (Fayston), Mary Harris (Moretown), and Cyrus Zschau (Moretown). The separate towns all lost a kid, and Harwood Union lost 4 students and 1 former student. The tragedy had a lasting impact on my friends, my neighbors, my school, and my community.
On October 8, 2016, I was at an art show in town with a few of my friends, one of them being Xavier Brookens. I remember waking up the next morning to find out that Xavier had lost his older brother. The following weeks were depressing, but the reaction from the community was something I had never seen before.
After the accident, the efforts shown by the communities were amazing. The colors of black and gold were strewn across the town (the school colors of Harwood) in the form of bows, strings, and ropes. They were wrapped around every tree, and every lamp post in town, and pictures of the five students were hung up everywhere. A couple of years later, a commemorative gazebo was built on the Harwood school property, as well as a pavilion at Mad River Park. I remember one day in class; every single student wrote Xavier a personal card. People made meals for them every night. The Harwood boys’ soccer team adopted a new pregame tradition where we all knelt in a circle before the game and chanted “brothers” to honor Eli and Cyrus who played on the team. The girls’ soccer team holds a “Love Like Mary” youth clinic every year on October 8 to remember Mary, who played on the team. Everything that was done showed that the community cared, and it was the type of reaction you only get for a small community.
When I went home this weekend, I had a chance to catch up with Xavier and ask him some questions:
Q: What does October 8 mean to you?
“October 8 is always a challenging and emotional day for me. It’s a reminder that Eli is gone, and it doesn’t get easier as each year passes. Even after 7 years, I am still reminded of the strong support of my family, community, and friends as I receive messages on the anniversary from countless people each year.”
Q: What was the response from the community? How did it make you feel?
“The community came together in an amazing way after the accident, and that support helped me get through a lot of hard days. Eli, Cyrus, Mary, Janie, and Liam touched a lot of people’s lives, and their loss was felt by many, so I know I’m not in this alone, and that helps me to continue to push forward and be strong.”
October 8th isn’t just a day of sadness, it’s a day that brings our community together and reminds us of the ones we lost, and to have love for the people around us. From my community to yours, remember that there will always be people by your side to support you, and remember to love your people extra hard.
