A protest was held at a Saskatoon high school on Tuesday after students learned a memorial for Lauren Spence, the victim of a tragic crash, may be moved to a less public space.
Spence, 16, was pronounced dead at the scene of a two-vehicle collision on Highway 21 near Beiseker, Alta., on June 9. She was a passenger in a southbound vehicle that collided with a northbound SUV.
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A memorial for the teenager went up on Monday at Marion M. Graham Collegiate.
“A few of Lauren’s really close friends … put up a bunch of pictures of Lauren and her friends and flowers on her locker … it was really nice and special,” Grade 11 student Robyn Freyling said on Tuesday.
“She wasn’t in [my] grade but she has touched many of our lives in a special way. She was in dance and [a] cheerleader and very involved with the musical and dance side of Marion Graham.”
Freyling, 17, said there was talk of the memorial being taken down and relocated on Tuesday.
“A few girls in our grade caught wind that our vice-principal was going to be taking down the memorial and moving it into a small little room in student services that no one goes in and lots of the students did not like that idea,” Freyling said.
“I think the administration thought that it was a little bit offensive to put it up there because a lot of students would just not go near that hallway where her locker is because they were really broken up – but I don’t deem it offensive because it’s just a way of grieving.”
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Freyling said word spread quickly through social media and by at the end of fourth period, about 150 students were standing by the locker.
“It was a really good feeling to be that connected over someone who was such a big part of our school,” Freyling said.
“The principal came up and people asked questions and it was actually really civilized, people raised their hands … Then the principal was like ‘OK, go to your fifth period, we’ll keep it until Friday.’”
Saskatoon Public School provided Global News with a statement on Tuesday that said the memorial is not being taken down.
“There was some discussion about what was best for supporting students,” spokesperson Veronica Baker said a statement. “It was determined that the memorial is important and it will remain until Friday.”
“After that, students will be asked to move the items to a memory book that will be given to the family.”
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Grade 11 student Jalynn Klassen, 17, had gone through a similar experience when she lost a friend to a car crash earlier this year and Spence’s death really hit home for her.
“It’s just that this locker was her connection to the school … a small room in student services doesn’t serve any purpose to Lauren nor her friends. That was her place. She went there every day. Her stuff was there, it’s still there,” Klassen said.
“[Spence’s family] should have a say whether it stays because it’s a really big thing to people at our school – it’s really important.”
The last day of classes before final exams begin at Marion Graham is June 20.
“We don’t really blame the administration, we just wish that they would have handled it better,” Freyling said.