“Five hundred twenty-five thousand six hundred minutes. How do you measure, measure a year?” The lyrics of the song, “Seasons of Love,” by the cast of Rent, encourages people to reflect.
It wasn’t too long ago. It wasn’t too long ago at all, actually. A teenager, a senior in high school in fact, played with Pokemon cards, walked around with a Green Tea Frappucino in his hand, and sang “Baby” by Justin Bieber. He was so bright, very tallented, and full of positive energy.
“How do you measure the life of a woman or a man?”
The boy was a slightly smaller than the rest of the boys his age. He missed a good amount of days in school, and not a lot of people knew it was because he was battling a a very serious disease. He was still the kid made people smile without even trying to.
It’s been 525,600 minutes from Oct. 20, the day that the teenage boy, Nathan Palma, passed away after battling pulmonary hypertension.
By now, he would have been a freshman in UIC studying something in the medical field, anesthesiology maybe. He wanted to save lives and help the people that had the same conditions he had. That was the kind of person he was, full of heart, sincerity, and compassion.
“Nathan being gone hasn’t ever really sunken in for me and I don’t think it really ever will. I can’t believe its been a year and adjusting to this year has definitely been tough. To me, he isn’t really gone. It’s like my mind refuses that. As his one year comes closer, it’s been difficult for anyone to really function and the emotions are all rushing back. I just miss him like crazy but I know he’s happier now,” says junior Francesca Morales.
“I see Nathan in people now. People seem to be trying to live life fuller. And I’ve been trying to change too. Cuz no matter how much pain Nathan went through, he was always up to make people smile. I want to live more like him too,” says senior Anna Nicolasin.
Looking back at the 525,600 minutes that have passed, so much has changed. The song “Baby” can’t be played without thinking about him, the asian Justin Bieber. He still continues to change people’s lives. He won’t fail to teach new things to his friends and those who only know his story. He gives us a reminder of who we really are.
“He really did touch a lot of people. Sometimes I feel like he left because he finished his mission on earth early. His relationship with me taught me life is too short and everyone should enjoy the time they have with the people they meet. He taught me more than just academics, he was really smart . He also taught me how to be happy,” says Janella Manalang, a student from his graduating class.
“RIP Nathan we all love you and miss you,” says Morales.
“Though the story never ends. Let’s celebrate. Remember a year in the life of friends.” These past 525,600 minutes invites us to pass on Nathan’s legacy. It invites us to continue making people smile, work hard, and learn to appreciate everything.
Realerist • Oct 22, 2012 at 11:52 AM
All who really want to respond to this guy…let it be. I’ve thought it over and as much hate towards this guy you can have…its just as easy for us to let him be. I know one person who would want us to let it be. Thanks for your opinion realist. Thanks for your review. No one really cares at this point…I am not sure what suppressed emotions you are holding back..that are soo strong you comment on random peoples memoirs…but I’d like to say good luck to you and your future life.
Realist • Oct 21, 2012 at 11:31 PM
As unpopular as my opinion is, I was thinking about responding again, and actually was going to mention 9/11, but I see someone did.
9/11 is absolutely the type of event I would expect to see yearly reminders of. I can see the same with reporting the anniversary of the death of Ronald Reagan or the crash of the Hindenberg. This was not that type of event.
I have lost several family members. It was devastating, and still is, but it was not 9/11. Every member of my family would agree that much.
I could see writing one year later if something happened that affected the very way of life of Niles West, like if a plane crashed into the building (to use an example like 9/11) since article could look at the aftermath and how things have been rebuilt and how people have moved on as a whole and how the whole community is coping. An event like that would affect the school for a whole decade easily and would make sense to provide yearly updates.
I have read that when a ton of attention is put toward the death of a student, it has led to an increase risk of suicide. Kids see all the attention the person who passed away gets, and it gets them thinking about suicide themselves so they too can get the huge amount of publicity.
Think about this objectively. Pretend you don’t know the person, pretend it was a different high school. Should the emotions of a person writing the article be involved? Isn’t journalism supposed to be objective? Isn’t it unprofessional for a reporter to be writing about their own friends? Will the death of a friend or relative of the editor of the Chicago Tribune now become a front page story? You also set a precedent where you now have to continue to provide multi-year coverage of this kind of thing. If you don’t in the future for someone else, it isn’t fair.
genius • Oct 22, 2012 at 11:46 AM
honestly, you are looking too far into this. it was an article written to remember the student, not to belittle others. i don’t know why you keep finding the negatives of this type of article. whether I knew the student who passed away or not, it is a nice way to remember the student. As someone stated before, this is the 2nd year of the newspaper running, and Nathan was the first student since they have been running that passed away while attending Niles West. So, they were thoughtful enough to cover a story on Nathan. remember this is a high school newspaper, not the Chicago tribune.
Hanna • Oct 20, 2012 at 10:39 PM
It’s terrible when anyone our age dies. It’s one of the hardest things. I think we can all learn a great deal from this. Nathan, though I’ve never met him, inspires me. His story is tragic, but there is so much beauty in his memory. My deepest condolences to his family and friends. I’m sure he’s smiling down on you.
Gabby Abesamis • Oct 19, 2012 at 10:55 PM
In the two years that Niles West News has been running– as far as I’m aware–Nathan was the only student whose family and friends approved of covering what has happened. Some people don’t want incidents like this to be so public, but we support anything else that wants to be covered. Our publication plans on covering incidents that touch the hearts of our students, faculty, and staff members. Thank you for all your feedback and support! This story was written to celebrate Nathan’s life and it was written to pass on his legacy. Nathan Palma was a great student from Niles West. He is loved and missed very much.
awhsomeness • Oct 19, 2012 at 10:05 PM
realist, honestly if you’ve got nothing nice to say don’t say anything at all. this is a way people can grieve and attempt to move on. how do you think we feel reading your ridiculous comments. it will cause more pain and heartache than you can imagine. you don’t know what this family has been through. your negative thoughts are not needed and should have been kept to yourself.
Maridsa Choute • Oct 19, 2012 at 6:03 PM
To the “Realist,”
I know you didn’t mean to come off rude, but you definitely did. This article wasn’t written to offend any other deaths there has been at West, this article was written to commemorate a great guy. The author, Gabby knew Nathan and she was his friend. This article is here to help people cope with the fact that he’s been gone for a year now.
And I think it’s ridiculous to throw out “what if” ideas like if he was still alive, would we write about him? Or if he was still alive, would we have written about him graduating? Probably not, but I cannot answer that question because what’s done is done and unfortunately he’s gone now. This was just a way for him and his family to know that his friends still care for him.
And for the record, no we haven’t covered a death like this before because our website has only been up for two years and this is the first time this has happened.
Realerist • Oct 19, 2012 at 1:34 PM
Although you might be right. It easily could have been something you kept to yourself. How do you think people will feel when they see your selfish, stubborn way of thinking. This and many articles, videos, pictures etc. Help people and families cope with their losses. And since I know this boys family, i know it helps them. Since this article was most likely written by a student, I am positive it helps him or her as well. Blast the media if you want to make a point. Ex: why is there no coverage of all the deaths on the news and only on white suburban folk? Quite frankly, your comment was rude and obnoxious, taking focus off the point here. Remembering Nathan…not to forget any other people that have moved on or passed away. May they ALL rest in peace and live in a new world of happiness. We love you Nathan Palma.
Realist • Oct 19, 2012 at 12:52 AM
I don’t think articles like this are a good idea. I’m very surprised it was written actually. I think it is absolutely horrible that he died so young, and there was so much more he could have done with his life, but if he was still alive he’d no longer be a student since he would have graduated last year. Do you typically report on the lives of other students who graduate who are still alive? Have you reported like this on other students who have died? An unfortunate number of people who have graduated from Niles West over the past decade are no longer alive. Why is this case any different? You have to be careful since you set precedents. Are you going to provide this level of coverage equally for everyone in this situation in the future? If he was still alive would you be writing about him? How many people died in Skokie last year? Would you write an article at the anniversary of their death?
!! • Oct 19, 2012 at 12:54 PM
To realist: Look at it this way-yes, many people have passed at a very young age that attended West, however, this is a way for people to grieve. This article can help so many people trying to understand the truth of the matter and trying to understand why everything happened to accept things for how they are. I’m sorry but it’s just seems kind of rude that you said this. It feels like a stab at this young man who passed too early. You probably didn’t mean it that way, but you did come off in a strong way. Maybe sometimes it is best to keep things to yourself. People are just grieving. And this is their way so who cares if they wanted to write an article? If it helps people, why not?
nathan's sister • Oct 19, 2012 at 1:29 PM
r u kidding realist
#awhsome • Oct 19, 2012 at 2:53 PM
You do have a point, realist. But, lemme ask you this: Why aren’t articles like this a good idea? To me, it’s definitely a fantastic idea because this article can help share to others what kind of person Nathan was who did not know him, bring back memories they had with Nathan, and let others know what he’s been dealing with his whole life. He never took his life for granted. He went through each day trying to somehow make his life and the people around him better by putting a smile on his face, even though he was hurting on the inside. So what’s the issue with posting this?
You said, “Do you typically report on the lives of other students who graduate who are still alive? Have you reported like this on other students who have died? An unfortunate number of people who have graduated from Niles West over the past decade are no longer alive. Why is this case any different?” Clearly, the person who posted this article was a friend of Nathan’s who was affected by his departure, and decided it was a good idea to write this article for his one year anniversary of his passing. Like you said, unfortunately many people have passed away in Skokie and/or at Niles West, but none of them have taken action to actually come forth to share about what happened. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you seem like a person who has lost someone important in your life, and is sadden by the fact that his/her departure hasn’t been shared around the community. I highly encourage others to share articles about deaths that have affected someone because 1) it brings the community together as a whole so we can help others get through this by sending our condolences to their families, and 2) it’s a good way to share to others what kind of person he/she was.
For example: Daejae Coleman of Evanston Township High School passed away this past month, and he has received more recognition than Nathan has. The news of Daejae’s death has passed on to NBA athletes, and it has traveled around the nation. Do you see people belittling his death, and saying he doesn’t deserve this? Absolutely not. Instead, they are grieving together and sending their condolences on to Daejae’s family. No one deserves this. It’s just a matter of people who actually care about them to share this sad news via the web.
Nathan definitely made a huge impact to others while his time here, so why not write an article about him?
Rebecca Yun • Oct 19, 2012 at 11:53 PM
Realist:
Yes, many people have died in the past decade, and very few have been recognized. However, Nathan had many friends who still attend Niles West, and he was loved by pretty much anyone that knew him. Therefore, this article is relevant.
I personally did not know Nathan, and I’m very sad that I never got to know him, but it’s in the past now. I’m sure that if he were still alive and had I gotten to know him, I would have liked being in Nathan’s presence. From what all of his friends and teachers say, he sounds like quite a great person.
Every year, America remembers the lives of those who died on 9/11 due to the terrorist attacks. It’s been 11 years now; does that make 9/11 any less important? The answer is no, because the many lives that were lost that day still affect us in the present.
Saying that articles like these are a bad idea is like saying that we shouldn’t take time to remember the lives that were lost on 9/11. What you need to take from this article is that a life was lost, and now we are honoring Nathan by taking the time to remember him as what he truly was: an important person who shall be greatly missed. Many people care about Nathan and his family, and if you don’t wish to read articles like this, feel free. No one forced you to read it in the first place.
Anonymous • Oct 21, 2012 at 11:40 AM
Realist, I do see your point in that you shouldn’t be glorifying someone’s death over anyone else’s, and I don’t think you meant to be as rude as other people here are giving you credit for.
However, the reason why this article wasn’t written about alumni or other Skokie residents is because no one knew those people personally. Nathan was a valuable part of Niles West, and many of the people that knew him are currently attending Niles West. Just because one chooses to honor Nathan doesn’t mean that they don’t think that the other people should be remembered, or that death isn’t a horrible thing that could happen to anyone. An article about Nathan is just “relevant,” as others have put it. It’s like saying I CAN’T be sad over a family member’s death when there are thousands of children in Africa that die from starvation.
College.Guy • Oct 19, 2012 at 12:48 AM
forgot how much it hurts…….I wish I was back at West now. Miss you Nathan.