Shannon Smith
was truly a hero

IN my senior English class we're studying heroes. My teacher at Castle High, Mrs. Carol Lee, has taught us all about heroes, from Achilles and the Trojan War, to Beowulf and the awful Grendel, to the character Philippe from the movie "Ladyhawke."

We've studied the qualities of a hero and how some achieve hero status. Before this class, I thought of the typical hero as being someone who is physically strong, who "saves the day" or who is recognized by many as a leader. These characteristics turn up often in stories and plays.

When asked to name people they considered heroes, many in my class named people of historical significance. I thought of people such as Martin Luther King Jr., Abraham Lincoln and Christa McAuliffe.

I've come to the conclusion that every person has his or her own definition, and a hero to one might be a wimp to another. I've also realized that of equal importance are those who don't receive public recognition, but who still affect our lives in some way.

For example, my grandmother moved from Japan to Hawaii and bravely learned a whole new lifestyle. Although she may not have material riches, she has a heart of gold. And there's my mom, who is always there for me and sacrifices so much of herself to do things for my brother and me. These are my personal heroes.

BUT I think everyone would agree that Shannon Smith is a hero to all. This college football player gave up his life to save University of Hawaii football coach Fred vonAppen's 6-year-old son Cody. His story brought tears to the eyes of all I knew who heard about the tragedy that took place last weekend.

To see someone who must have had a true zest for life -- who had his dream of playing football for the UH come true, and who was a well-rounded person liked by all -- sacrifice himself to save the life of another, is, to me, beyond admiration. His selflessness touched my heart and left me with a feeling of sadness.

At the same time, he left me with hope . . . hope that this story touched the lives of many others as well, and that every person who read or heard about this incident takes some time to think about what he did.

Yes, he saved a life. He put his dreams, goals and future aside so that someone else would be able to live out theirs. How many people would have done the same had they been in that position?

Shannon Smith won't have his name written in our history books, but he is a hero. Too often we look up to fictional characters like Superman and overlook those everyday individuals who truly make a difference.

If there were more "Shannon Smiths" out there, our world would be a better place to live in. Don't you think so?

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Trisha Shinsato is a senior at Castle High School.

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