By PAT NEWMNA
Staff Writer

Students who showed up in black trench coats at Fayette County High School last Thursday thought they were being funny, according to Principal Gary Phillips.

“They wanted to see what others would say. It caused some nervousness among the students,” he said, in light of the tragedy last week in Littleton, Colo., where two boys dressed in black trench coats gunned down 12 classmates, a teacher and themselves.

“We took the coats away and told the students they couldn't wear them anymore,” Phillips said. ”Some kids don't take into consideration how this has been perceived. We have to keep constantly reminding them to think about their actions.

“We have some other kids who wear them [trench coats] all the time,” added Phillips, commenting on students who follow the gothic movement, dressing in black. Those students also were instructed to leave the coats at home. “It's best under the circumstances; they need to be a little more sympathetic,” he said.

Phillips reported that students were raising money to donate to the United Way campaign in memory of the slain students at Columbine High School in Littleton. They are also designing a large sympathy card to be hand-delivered to the grieving community by a Fayette County High student returning to Littleton for a visit.

A skit involving water guns during a Spanish class at Sandy Creek High School last week left some students and parents in a state of disbelief, based on a letter to the editor (see Page 4A).

Dr. Charles Warr, principal at Sandy Creek High, said that after looking into the reported incident, he found that a skit involving masked students wielding water pistols did take place in one of the school's Spanish classes.

“The robbers were demanding candy... it took place in Spanish, in an effort to differentiate the past tenses,” he said.

“At that time, the teacher had not fully understood what happened in Colorado,” Warr said. “She later realized it was not the best thing to do.... It was very unfortunate timing,” Warr said. “She is an excellent teacher and did this skit in an effort to have a creative class... this was something we don't want to happen again. We are very sensitive to the tragedy in Colorado,” Warr said.

School board Chairman Debbie Condon and vice chairman Greg Powers said this week that they have had no feedback from parents in the Fayette County school district concerned about their children's safety. But proposed budget items for the coming year include 40 additional surveillance cameras on school buses and a photo identification program for all school employees.