They could be twins, almost -- Redwood High, north of San Francisco, is set in an affluent, white suburb, like Columbine High School -- and this may have made news of the shooting especially disturbing. But a talk with students at the school reveals some significant differences between the two schools, as well as some lingering fear. PNS reporter Donal Brown recently retired after 30 years of teaching at at Redwood High in Marin County, Ca.

Students at Redwood High School in affluent Marin County, California remember that they felt the effects of the shootings at Columbine, more than 1200 miles away.

One incident in particular provided a graphic demonstration of the hold the Columbine rampage had on students here. Just before the December break, an anonymous student posted a poem about the millennium on a hallway wall.

A freshman, upset by the poem, took it to the principal who, after consulting with other authorities, found nothing hurtful in the poem.

Despite that, rumors rippled through the school -- first that the poem warned of the world ending, then that students needed to prepare because something was "going down" soon, and finally that someone had a list of students marked to die.

By the end of one day, 950 of the school's 1380 students had gone home early.

Senior Sarah Abrams, editor of the school newspaper, concedes that many left to avoid tests, but recalls "a definite eerie feeling" that day around the school.

Many students say that Columbine made them more suspicious and fearful. Junior Jason Rios, who talked online with Columbine students soon after the incident, said knowing that their schools were alike -- both rich, mainly white, suburban high schools -- made him realize that it could happen here, too.

One effect noted, disapprovingly, by some students is a stronger tendency to think of someone in an accusatory way or to be more aware of people who are somehow different. Senior Nathan Roller worried that school officials were threatening civil liberties by checking students' backpacks if they wore black gothic clothing.

The record shows that administration's response to the threat of school violence has been calm and measured. One additional campus supervisor has been hired and standby drills are given to prepare students in case there is an armed person loose in the school. In the drill, the teacher locks the classroom door, turns off the lights and instructs students to take appropriate cover.

The administration also started "Link Crew" for freshman. Every freshman has the support of an upper classman. They talk regularly and meet at the first sign of trouble.

In acknowledging the similarities between their school and Columbine, Redwood students still point to important differences that make their school more hospitable.

For example, Redwood isn't split between a "rah-rah" crowd and out-of-it, non-athletic types.

Most groups are defined mostly by activities -- such as the newspaper, drama, and leadership, clubs such as Amnesty International as well as particular sports -- so that students are likely to have friends in a number of groups even if they don't participate in the group's activities.

Students said while loners might be ignored, they weren't picked on. At Redwood, the drama program provides a positive context for students with purple hair. Redwood also has a energetic social issues curriculum.

Although Redwood's students feel positive about the school in many ways, they said it is important to realize that the stresses of adolescence at some point were going to make people feel lonely and alienated.

SIDEBAR

Poll Results -- Redwood Bark, November 5, 1999

Only 2% of students felt that the campus was extremely safe; 3% thought it not safe at all.

About 45% of teenagers polled nationally by the New York Times felt their school was extremely or very safe. At Redwood the figure was 42%. But approximately 80% believed that a shooting similar to that of Columbine could occur here, while only 52% of students in the Times poll felt the same way.

Almost 60% of students said they knew a person who has tried suicide (vs. 50 % in the Times poll), most often (69% of those answering this question) a female.