by Shasta Webb
Editor-in-Chief
For three days after senior Dennis Cyncor-McMillan went missing off the coast at Shark’s
On Mon., March 9, LGHS students first learned about the missing status of Cycor-McMillan; search and rescue teams had been searching for hours to find him after he and friend decided to swim out to a huge rock in the bay where they were having a barbeque. The rescuers suspended the search around midday on Monday, and turned the case over to the Sheriff as a “missing-persons” issue. So far, no trace of Cyncor-McMillan has been found.
As tragic as the event was, students at LGHS have become stronger and more unified as a result, and have done well to remember their love for Cyncor-McMillan. The same week students learned of their peer’s presumed death, seniors gathered in the library one night to share funny or touching stories about “SinkyMac,” as he was known. The evening started out very somber as Freshman Skills Day coordinator and long time friend of Cyncor-McMillan, Nancy Offer addressed the crowd. Friends from all groups, teams, and circles gathered, and though they cried together at first, the end of the night concluded in laughter, as one student after another told a hilarious story about their treasured friend.
One attendee, junior Courtney Kimmey, told a story about how Cyncor-McMillan once cooked hot dogs on a miniature barbeque at a Freshman Skills Day meeting after attempting to do beforehand at Starbucks. Other told similar tales, usually involving food, and the crowd all joined in the reminiscing.
A beach barbeque was also held to honor Cyncor-McMillan. Many students showed up, again to lament the loss but simultaneously celebrate the life of their close friend. Seniors Sean Afshar and Brian Gong raised money to buy a Green Bay Packers jersey with “Dennis” on the back to honor their close friend, and senior Alex Rodoni purchased stickers for students to put on their cars as tributes to Cyncor-McMillan’s passing.
On Sun., March 22, the official memorial was held at
Kendra explained that the videos shown “made the [memorial] more intimate. They really made it focus on Dennis.” Said Ceran of the same video, “it was nice because a lot of his friends got the chance to say something.” In all, three short videos were shown, put together by Cyncor-McMillan’s parents and friends, and featured him at several stages of life and included several recent memories. A table outside displayed some of Cyncor-McMillan’s things, including a binder completely full of middle-school detention slips, several bottles of coke, and a notebook with quotes and thoughts left behind. Kissiah, in response to the death of his close friend, remarked, “it’s like he knew he lived his life on the edge, and he deliberately left us with a bunch of his old stuff so we could deal with it more easily.”
The loss of Cyncor-McMillan, who was more connected to LGHS than most students even realized, has come as a shock to the student body. No one expected an event like this to take place, especially since Cyncor-McMillan did crazy, risky, and extreme things all the time. Students are still trying to cope with the loss, and another beach barbeque is scheduled to take place on Sat., March 28, which would have been Cyncor-McMillan’s 18th birthday. Ceran said that since her friend went missing, she’s been thinking a lot more about unity. “When I’ve been planning for spirit week I’ve been focusing more on unifying the school.”
Kissiah explained that “basically, [the memorial] was really good. We’ll continue to do stuff to remember Dennis.” Ceran and Kendra added, “that’s the most important thing for him, us, and his family.”
A scholarship fund in Cyncor-McMillan’s name has been established to honor students who possess the same qualities this unique student exhibited. Donations and questions about the fund can be directed to Sharon Childs at Sharon.edlgcf@verizon.net.