[SunnySide]

"Don't do anything stupid." She set their curfew at 2 a.m"

The stupid thing done here was setting high schoolers curfew at 2 AM in the morning!!!! ...in a strange place at a hotel no less. The chaperone was negligent and grossly irresponsible.

[MisterRepublican]

Alcohol and balconies don't mix.

[PMCarey]

They also traded phone numbers with three local boys in a pickup truck. The boys had followed the convertible into the Hyatt driveway. The girls made plans to meet them later that night.

Sadler and the teens settled into their room and ordered snacks from room service. Around 10 p.m., the girls headed downstairs to check out the resort. Sadler said she gave them "the typical parent lecture: Stay together. Don't leave the hotel grounds. Don't do anything stupid." She set their curfew at 2 a.m., and they promised not to be late.

The most amazing part of the article IMHO. That is a "typical parent lecture" only if you're a braindead nimrod or are planning to go out yourself and don't want to be saddled with the kids until 2am.

[HarleyD]

She's a high school eighteen year old girl who smoke, drank and ran around with the boys until 2 am. What does one expect?

[nodumbblonde]

Teenage girls with no supervision, underage drinking, exchanging phone numbers with strange men, visits to unchaperoned boys' hotel rooms... why would it be so shocking that something bad would come of this???

I doubt the chaperone was any more responsible or strict at home, so why would anyone send their kids with her???

So many questions...

[Grendel9]

Everyone involved has regrets...and blame.

The friends admit the girl was popular and a bit
on the wild side. Parents choose NOT to admit that
tidbit about their otherwise "perfect" daughter.
Any parent who thinks their child will obey ALL
rules when out of sight of home and family are
less than realistic. Booze, ciggies, going into
the hotel room of two boys after midnight? Hello!

Those boys are guilty as well. They were perfectly
willing to sow some wild oats. The girl should NOT
have been in their room. But then, they were
probably used to the routine in the co-ed dorms
back home.

As for the chaperone...I probably feel she is
NOT the chaperone of choice for my kids.
If she knew these girls as well as she
thought she did, she'd also know that at least one
of the gals would break the curfew. At the time
kids make a "promise" they definitely mean it. THE
temptation to break that promise shows up quite a
bit later. And how many kids have reported in BEFORE curfew, then sneaked out again once bed check was
finished?

[SedVictaCatoni]

It could have happened to any teenager.

... who was a drunken imbecile.

[WFTR]

There has to come a point where we make young people understand that nothing good is going to happen when they are that drunk. We simply don't have the luxury of letting someone reach eighteen years of age with so little self-control that he or she will drink that much if given the chance. Our Constitution wasn't written for a people who are that irresponsible, and unless we can bring back that responsibility even in early adulthood, our society will fail.

Bill

[csvset]

At 5 feet 6, 140 pounds, she had muscular legs and strong arms.

Mmmm.... Muscular legs...

Sorry.

Well, let's see, she was drunk off her ass and fell to her death. Sad.

Remember folks, despite the official "seal of approval" of the government and the glamorous marketing; alcohol isn't exactly a "safe & sane " drug.

[TheBigB]

Look who's back.

[Dont Mention the War]

"You shouldn't have to write a memorial for your 18-year-old friend," said Elyse Nashmy, who attended the service and later helped comfort the Crossansat their home.

Hmmm ... I can have pity on an 18-year-old drunken cheerleader who partied herself to death, or the 18-year-old soldiers coming home injured or dead after fighting for their country and for freedom in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Pardon me if I choose the latter.

[Dont Mention the War]

I hate to say bad things about people, but from what I hear, this girl thought a lot more of herself than anyone else did. I went to Randolph High and can attest to the miserable existence that some students inflict on others. All the horror stories you hear about rich cliquey high schools are true at Randolph. Most notably, there has always been a group of not-so-bright but good-looking atheletes who party hard and think very highly of themselves. Somehow they designate themselves as popular, but the rest of the 300 students pretty much just laugh at them, aware that in most cases (and painfully true in Lauren's case), these kids are at the peak of their lives. They all go to third-rate colleges, or to County College, and end up pumping their classmates' gas (it is NJ), or serving their drinks within a few years. She's several years behind me, so I never knew Lauren, but from what I hear she was not very nice to her fellow students. There are news crews and grief counselors all over the school, but nobody is that torn up about it, except for the cheerleaders. AND, nobody is at all surprised about the NAKED part. Most kids at Randolph have too much money thrown at them, too little to do, and no responsibility. This girl was described by Principle Martone as an average student, and even he said, "but grades aren't that important." People used to move to Randolph for the school system, but in the last 15 or so years it's really declined. Academic excellence isn't as emphasized as is it used to be, and "jocks" have always more or less been excused from any serious cerebral activity ..... but I digress ....

102 posted on 01/16/2004 6:47:46 PM EST by Truth'sBabyGirl (RHS class of 99)

[Lancey Howard]

Sadler said she gave them "the typical parent lecture: Stay together. Don't leave the hotel grounds. Don't do anything stupid." She set their curfew at 2 a.m., and they promised not to be late.

The girls met up with the local boys, and the group went to a liquor store for vodka, cranberry juice and a 40-ounce bottle of a premium malt liquor.

At the time of her death, Lauren's blood alcohol level was 0.17 percent

That is stone, staggering, sloppy drunk, especially for a teenage girl.

This was a freak tragedy, caused mainly by the stupid things that teenagers (who naturally think they are immortal) do all the time. A real shame.

[texasreb]

What the heck is this "she was going to have a chaperon." She was 18. I was in basic trainning 5 days after I turned 17. I was by no means the only one like that. Least we forget her B/A level was 0.17, which is at least twice the legal limit when driving, in most places. Really a sad story. A supposed to be happy vacation and how many people's life's messed up for the rest of their life. Sad, Sad, Sad. I hope they seek the Lord and find some peace and relief. Of course they already have, I hope. God Bless, KennyBob

[Almondjoy]

Of all the hateful things I've read on this thread there is really only one reasonable conclusion.

Millions of teenagers drink.. this happened because of terrible circumstances that came together to take the life of a girl.

It's an accident.. she didn't deserve it because she drank and there is no one here to blame except for herself.

People die from climbing mountains and sky diving. Sometimes mistakes are made.. usually by the person doing the climbing or jumping.

To try any other conclusions from this article is insenstive at the least and extremely hateful at worst.