Life can be marked by the most disheartening of events, especially when we are still young. There is no way to be prepared for a loss so traumatic as the disappearance of a friend and peer. In the last few years, we as a community have been so unlucky as to have lost two wonderful souls, who filled the world with nothing but light. The Whitman community remembers in this issue of The Circuit; we remember those we have lost, but also those who will never leave our hearts.

Tom Zbyszewski, a student from Carlton, WA, would have been a senior this year. He was a person who brought light to people in a constant way and who could be relied on for his kindness. He was a Physics major with a Chinese minor, who actively participated in the Harper Joy Theatre’s productions.

Zbyszewski was serving as a firefighter for his second summer in 2015–meaning he was directly involved in the fighting of the severe wildfires that spread across Central and Northern Washington. It is believed that he was involved in a fatal crash when the fire overtook the vehicle he was driving in near Twisp, Washington.

Tom left a titanic mark on the Whitman community, especially in the Theatre Department. His smile and kindness will be missed greatly. Despite the two of us never getting the chance to meet, I always take great encouragement from his quote posted on the bulletin board outside the yearbook office about what ice cream flavor best describes him: “Cherry Garcia because it’s a little bit sweet and a little bit bold.”

Joshua Fishman, a student from Short Hills, NJ, would have been a junior this year. He was a person who always had a kind word and a moment to spend with the people he passed by during the day. He was studying in the pre-med track and Sociology department.

Fishman was the victim of an overdose at the beginning of the current school year. He had been working as a surgical intern at Baylor College earlier in the summer and continued working in the medical field as a program manager intern for WebMD.

Josh was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity at Whitman, where he was widely regarded as a wonderful person to spend time or strike up a conversation with. He and I met only a handful of times, yet every time we saw each other, he would stop and discuss anything from the weather to how bad some classes could be–a smile on his face and genuine care in his heart all the while.

These two losses have been tough on the Whitman community, yet we find a way to persevere. We see the beauty of these two souls in the everyday, where we would see their work or their smile. Despite their leaving us, we never forget the strength, kindness and wonder that these two people possessed during their time touching our lives.