Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School students in grades 9-12 heard a personal accounting on Tuesday, May 15, of the tragic story of former Herkimer student Connor Gage, whose family members visited to help students make safe decisions for themselves and others.
Connor Gage attended Herkimer before finishing high school in Little Falls and graduating in 2018. He died in February 2019 of hypothermia, after attempting to walk home in extremely cold temperatures from an off-campus party he went to with friends while attending the University of Vermont.
His mother, Dorothy Connor, and brother, Ronnie Gage, spoke to Herkimer students about the decisions made by both Connor Gage and the people he attended the party with.
“Pause for seven seconds before you make a decision you’re unsure of,” Dorothy Connor said.
The assembly was part of an effort organized by Herkimer students who attended the Herkimer County Youth Summit and wanted to put together events to help educate students about alcohol and drug use. Other events originally planned for Tuesday, May 15, are being rescheduled due to the weather.
Herkimer High School Principal Zachary Abbe spoke at the end of the assembly and thanked the guests for being courageous by visiting to talk about this. Abbe said referenced that the windows above the high school entrance displays “MAGIC – mindset, attitude, grit, integrity, choices” and pointed out the topic of this assembly is right there at the end.
“They’re talking about making the right choices even when there might be consequences for it,” he said.
Ronnie Gage, who graduated from Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School in 2017, spoke about how both he and his brother walked the same hallways as current students, sat in the same auditorium for assemblies, played sports and participated in extracurricular activities like them.
“It should hit home,” Ronnie Gage said. “That’s the main thing we’re trying to get across.”
Dorothy Connor and Ronnie Gage emphasized that they wanted to speak to students because they care about them and want them to think before making decisions about themselves or helping others.
“Doing the right thing will go a long way,” Ronnie Gage said.
Ronnie Gage (left) and Dorothy Connor (right) speak to Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School students in grades 9-12 during an assembly on Tuesday, May 15. They were there to talk about Connor Gage (Ronnie Gage’s brother and Dorothy Connor’s son), who died in February 2019 of hypothermia, after attempting to walk home in extremely cold temperatures from an off-campus fraternity party he went to with friends while attending the University of Vermont.
Dorothy Connor (left) and Ronnie Gage (right) speak to Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School students in grades 9-12 during an assembly on Tuesday, May 15. They were there to talk about Connor Gage (Ronnie Gage’s brother and Dorothy Connor’s son), who died in February 2019 of hypothermia, after attempting to walk home in extremely cold temperatures from an off-campus fraternity party he went to with friends while attending the University of Vermont.
Ronnie Gage (left) and Dorothy Connor (right) speak to Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School students in grades 9-12 during an assembly on Tuesday, May 15. They were there to talk about Connor Gage (Ronnie Gage’s brother and Dorothy Connor’s son), who died in February 2019 of hypothermia, after attempting to walk home in extremely cold temperatures from an off-campus fraternity party he went to with friends while attending the University of Vermont.
Dorothy Connor speaks to Herkimer Jr./Sr. High School students in grades 9-12 during an assembly on Tuesday, May 15. She and Ronnie Gage were there to talk about Connor Gage (Ronnie Gage’s brother and Dorothy Connor’s son), who died in February 2019 of hypothermia, after attempting to walk home in extremely cold temperatures from an off-campus fraternity party he went to with friends while attending the University of Vermont.
