On May 5, members of the Gunn community lost one of its members, junior Jean-Paul (JP) Blanchard, who was killed by a Caltrain commuter train around 8:20 a.m. at the East Meadow Drive crossing.

“I couldn’t believe it at first, and it wasn’t until that night that it really hit me,” junior Sujay Rau said. “Death is always something you hear about, but it always happens to other people. I’ve never lost anybody close before, but this showed me that we’re really vulnerable.” Rau met Blanchard in seventh grade at Jane Lathrop Middle School, and remained a close friend.

The morning of the death, the administration received a call from the Palo Alto Police Department, communicating only that there was a person who looked to be around high school age who was killed on the railway track. Blanchard was identified by his cell phone. Blanchard’s parents were later notified by the San Mateo Transit Authority, and his sister, freshman Chloe Blanchard, was pulled out of class.

“The coroner has to be the one to notify the family, so we were not allowed to release the name until we were told we could do so by the police department,” Likins said. “What we did was to arrange to get his sister off campus before the news started spreading. Her parents were the ones who told her what had happened, not the school or the police.”

While Blanchard’s name was not officially released until the next day, many students had already correctly guessed who the student was by that evening, according to Rau and junior Simon Kaubisch, who also met Blanchard in middle school. The next day, many students wore black in honor of Blanchard.

“Everybody [has been] reaching out everywhere and to everyone,” Kaubisch said. “From wearing black, writing notes, to attending the second memorial service, everybody has been thoughtful. I think we’ve become more open and we want to help. We don’t want something like this to happen again.”

On the morning of May 9, a smaller, private memorial service was held at Spangler Mortuaries, followed by a public celebration of Blanchard’s life at the Mitchell Park Community Center. “The memorial placed an emphasis on the better, happier memories of his life,” Kaubisch said. “It was important for everybody to gather together.”

The impact of Blanchard’s death was not confined to the boundaries of Palo Alto. A memorial service was also held in Devon, Pennsylvania on May 24, where Blanchard attended elementary and middle school before moving to Palo Alto. Locally, students, parents and community members left flowers, stuffed animals and other memoriams for Blanchard, at the East Meadow Railroad crossing, which were later moved to the “Fish Bowl” on campus. All non-perishable objects were given to the family to keep.

According to The Palo Alto Weekly, more than 70 students have gone to counselors in the wake of Blanchard’s death. Likins said that these students included those who needed help grieving as well as those who were referred out of concern for their well being. “The admin has made it clear that there’s help if you need it, and that should make a big difference,” Rau said. “I talked to my friends a lot after his death. I have accepted [his death] but I wouldn’t say that I am completely over it. I learned that people might be depressed even if they don’t show it, and it is important to tell somebody.”

The administration agrees and wants to make sure the students are aware of this. “Our counselors’ number one priority is the student,” Likins said. “If students need to talk, we would drop everything for them.”

According to Likins, depression has become a rising concern in the school environment, and educational institutions need to re-evaluate the way they approach this issue. Likins stresses the importance of being aware of all signs of depression, no matter how small. “Especially with Facebook, blogs and other online programs, students often know a lot and see a lot of things happening,” Likins said. “But how do people interpret the real meaning behind the messages? It’s hard to know and hard to determine the degree of seriousness but, at the same time, you don’t want to take the risk of not taking a message seriously. And if you’re concerned for someone, you should let other people know.”

The school has taken steps to address the issues of depression and emotional health, including ensuring that the Living Skills curriculum addresses them. A parent’s education evening, entitled “Looking out for Teens,” was held May 19 in a direct response to Blanchard’s death. During this session, parents were taught how to recognize signs of depression and suicide, as well as how to introduce the topic in a conversation with their children. According to Likins, a total of 40 to 50 people, including staff members and parents, attended.

“The four-person panel talked about the importance of the grieving process and listening when people need to talk,” Likins said. “We need to break the code of silence that is part of the teen culture. It’s a pity because teens often try to deal with problems on their own. People willingly and quickly get help for a physical problem but are often reluctant to seek help for a mental condition; many people might not even recognize that they are depressed.”

Students are also coping in their own ways. On May 22, Palo Alto High School senior Alyssa Burton coordinated with Dance Connection, where both of Blanchard’s younger sisters dance, to organize the Peninsula Humane Society (PHS) and Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) Benefit Performance held at Spangenberg Theater. This eclectic performance showcased students from Monta Vista and Sunnyvale High Schools and Palo Verde Elementary School dancing and singing song covers.

Admission was free and donations in honor of Blanchard to the PHS and SPCA were encouraged. The performance raised over $800. “I can’t believe we raised as much money as we did and I know the family really appreciated it,” Burton said. “It was the least I could do for them.”The proceeds from the Senior Showcase on May 29, an open mic commemorating the graduating seniors, will also be donated to the two organizations in honor of Blanchard.

“Losing a friend is extremely hard,” Kaubisch said. “But normal life is beginning to resume, and I feel that it’s very important to try and live life normally while still respecting his memory.”

Blanchard is survived by his parents, Kathleen and Jean-Marc, and his two younger sisters, Chloe and Isabelle Blanchard. The Blanchard family requests that donations be made to the SPCA and the Peninsula Humane Society in honor of JP. Memories and stories can be sent to inmemoryofjp@gmail.com.