After learning of the passing of two VTSU Castleton students this semester, students and faculty members who knew Bruce Waite and Wyatt Rochon were asked to reflect and offer a tribute to them. Comments regarding Waite came mostly from Intro to Journalism class students on a discussion board written moments after they learned of his passing. Comments regarding Rochon were collected from a posting on social media and the poem is from Professor Jeanne-Marie Morrissey. And Sebastian Sheehy was memorialized through tattoos garnered by his friends and featured in Tattoo of the Week.

For Bruce: I’m still not sure how to transfer my thoughts into this discussion. However, there is very little I wouldn’t do to have Bruce interrupt our next class discussion with a quirky fact about the world around us. This is what I admired most about Bruce, his willingness to speak his mind. 

-Henry Robertson

I’m absolutely heartbroken to say the least. I think it just serves as a reminder that we need to be unconditionally kind to one another, we never know what someone is going through. Everyone is fighting their own battles, everyone has struggles. I aspire to be as sociable as Bruce, and I know I speak for everyone when I say I will deeply miss him. I struggle a lot with depression. Bruce and I had a funny conversation last year connecting over the fact that we were on the same antidepressant. I cannot help but think of what we can do to try to support his family and loved ones closest to him. I am sending my love to everyone. 

-Aspen Wood

From Ethan Haggerty  

I did not fully get to know who the real Bruce was.   

I never will.   

However, I got to know the side of Bruce that was in class. What I can personally say about him is that the classroom was absolutely never quiet when he was there. Whether the conversations were about him having to save some out-of-state idiot in a Tesla that failed going down his logging road, or his love-hate relationship, more hate, with 12-page scientific papers, Bruce’s energy was contagious.   

Before Dave would get to class, Bruce would often complain about having to interview three people for his most recent story. This was not because he was lazy; Bruce was a hard-working person for his logging company. He was very open about that, and it is something I admired about him. His ability to focus not only on his course load but also working as hard as he did is truly incredible.   

Bruce was a person I never got to know on a personal level. However, I’d like to think he shared plenty of stories to the entire class during lecture time so that we could piece together who the real Bruce was.   

You never know what someone is going through. You never expect to wake up on a Monday morning like normal and get ready for the day, unknowing that someone who should be doing the same, isn’t.   

There will always be a missing person in this class, and there will always be a missing contributor to society.   

Thank you, Bruce, for your bigger-than-life personality and your inspiring outlook on life. You will be missed more than you know.   

From Celia Baker  

I didn’t know Bruce very well, but this is still so heartbreaking to hear. He always had a smile on his face, and always tried to make others laugh. He sometimes would walk with me back from class and talk about his day and how I was. He always would talk about his girlfriend and how much he loves her to me. He would say how beautiful and funny she is. He also said I wear a lot of pink. He once saw I was a little stressed and made sure to talk to me after class to see if I was all right. He even tried to make me feel better saying that he did the same thing, or he didn’t do the best either on something. Before leaving he would always say I’ll see you next class, have a nice day, or I’ll see ya. He had goals from the way he spoke about his life, and he seemed to be a hard worker. He knew what he wanted and would go for it. He was very confident and didn’t care about what others thought. From knowing him for this little while you could tell he cared about others and was a nice person.  

From Dean Dugan 

I knew Bruce for a while. He dated a girl in the Upward Bound program. I got to know him much better last semester during the gap between my classes. We and another student would both wait in the lobby of Leavenworth. We would have conversations about fiction and things that have happened in history. Sometimes, when grabbing lunch at the Fireside, I’d see him there and eat with him.   

This semester, I was surprised to find he was also taking this class. He was always friendly, talkative, and welcoming. He would take charge of most of our conversations in our class. He had interesting ideas for his stories. He wrote about mechanics’ stories about college kids’ cars. No one had expected him to pass away so young.  

From Brookelyn Kimball

“When I think of Bruce the first thing that comes to mind is his bubbly personality and the contagious smile he flashed at me every time I passed in in the halls of Leavenworth. I met Bruce at the beginning of the school year in the Leavenworth lounge where we shared many deep conversations as well as thousands of laughs. He was always ready to chat with me when I would arrive at the lounge, even if I was supposed to be doing schoolwork. I always ended up chatting with him during my hour break. He had one of the biggest hearts I had ever seen and it showed in how he communicated, he made you feel heard, and appreciated. I couldn’t even come up with one bad thing about him because he was always spreading positivity wherever he went. Bruce was one of a kind, and extraordinary soul, and each day I sit in Leavenworth to do my work, I think back to my time spent here with him, and I wish I could go back. A bright and shining light is now missing from my day, but knowing I got the opportunity to know the real Bruce is something that pushes me to keep going even though I miss him terribly. His positive impact on me is something I wish to continue to spread throughout campus, he will forever live through the lives he touched.”

For Wyatt: There are no words to describe how truly missed Wyatt will be. Being able to see Wyatt almost everyday since the first semester has been such a blessing in my life. Wyatt’s the kind of friend who always pushes you to be the best you but also always had your back. Wyatt’s been one of the most genuine friends I’ve had and never failed to make me laugh. Wyatt has touched many lives at Castleton and will be forever loved and missed.”

-Mariah Lamothe

I was Wyatt’s suitemate, and every day I would see him he would always put a smile on my face with a quick joke or whatever it was. He was a great guy who I will remember for the rest of my life. Rest easy my friend.”

-Anonymous

By Professor Jeanne-Marie Morrissey

There were many dark days 

That came our way, 

Ice building up on the windshield, 

15 more minutes to go 

Before it melted.  

When I got there, 

Perhaps you sat 

In the middle of the room, 

Or was it just to the left side 

You looked up 

With cellophane eyes 

Crisp as that winter… 

For some reason, 

The cold was too much for you. 

The conversations you blocked out 

Looking up at the ceiling— 

What were you thinking?  

Your life, too brief 

It was only a matter 

Of waiting until the sun  

Stayed all day, 

And winter would retire, again. 

But you didn’t realize the season was only passing, 

The eclipse we saw 

Doesn’t happen all the time, 

Just a few more weeks, 

This is not really permanent. 

Couldn’t you see? 

No, you walked out of the classroom, 

No one knew.  

Why didn’t you just adopt a homeless puppy, 

Instead.