First published in the Burbank Leader print edition on October 30th.
The dedication ceremony started at 9 o'clock in the morning at John Muir Middle School. On Thursday, school administrators, teachers, parents, and students gathered in front of John Muir’s outdoor classroom, but not for lectures. Instead, they crowded around a small wooden box near the entrance of the classroom. The carefully drawn box-a "borrowing library" that provides students with free books-is full of popular readings: "Miracle", "Charlotte's Web", "Magic Tree House" and so on. But the title that received the most attention that day was the title above the front door of the mini library: "Evie's Escape". The booth is named after Evelyn “Evie” Swierczynski, a John Muir graduate who died of leukemia shortly after finishing his freshman year at Burbank High School on October 30, 2018 . Her family and former teachers said that Evie (her nickname rhymes with "Zheng") rarely sees no books in her hands. Now, John Muir's students can take a book from Evie's library and read it in an outdoor classroom—previously it was a break time—in their nutrition class. For those who spoke at Thursday’s event, the importance of the library is twofold; they said that it allows students to easily access the titles of their beloved books, but it also brings Evie’s memories to life. Her mother Meredith Swierczynski attended the event with her husband Duane. She recalled in an interview that Evie was the kind of girl who never liked seeing someone sitting alone at school lunch. "Remembering Evie's name is really important to our family," Meredith Swierczynski said in an interview. "That Evie, this incredible human being, cannot be forgotten. Children, in the next few years, will be like "Who is Evie?" "Go forward the same....There will be teachers who will talk about her. This is very important." Meredith explained that the John Muir staff asked Swierczynskis to borrow the library at Evie's memorial service in 2019. idea. The principal of the school, Greg Miller, said in an interview that the Kiwanis Club offered to provide a lending library for the school, but the family and school staff later decided to let the husband of a school staff member build convenience facilities.
About two years ago, Chloe Bauer, who graduated from John Muir, provided the first draft of the project and spent the entire summer painting the library. Although she didn't know Evie personally, she told the party that she worked closely with Meredith Swierczynski and other family members to ensure that the design faithfully reproduced Evie's character. "The promises you and your family have made are contagious," Ball told Meredith during the event. "If it weren't to prove the love and strength that you and your family have, what is this lending library? I really am It’s an honor to participate in this process and help share Evie’s story." Bauer painted scenes from three of Ivie’s favorite books on the three walls of the library-one of the "Harry Potter" stories, "The Wrinkle of Time" "And "Me in front of you". Each scene depicts Evie; one shows her wearing a witch's robe, and the other shows her reading in the field, while her beloved cat, Rocky, is chasing a butterfly. This pet appeared in front of the library as the mascot of the Evelyn Swierczynski Foundation, a non-profit organization of the family that aims to organize book donations and blood donations for Evie. A book campaign that lasts until December 5th will raise donations for the Los Angeles Children’s Hospital, but Meredith Swiczynski said that some people will also replenish the library's inventory. At this week's ceremony, a group of current John Muir students added more books to the library, and everyone read a few lines of text before putting the text in the container. While talking to the people gathered together, Swierczynski thanked Bauer tearfully for his work, and then read a set of statements collected from Evie's closest friends. Some people say that Evie was only 15 years old when she died and she was "a light shining in the dark". Others remember that she encourages others to pursue their own interests and likes to watch the sunset. Evie likes John Muir Middle School, and assistant principal Wendy Vargas said that she was selected to speak in her 8th grade graduating class. "Evie may have said goodbye to John Muir, but John Muir will never say goodbye to Evie," Vargas said. She added when speaking to Evie’s parents, “You said that one of your biggest fears was the day you mentioned Evie’s name for the last time. This lending library will ensure that her name is always mentioned and her story will be Tell me.” After the event, participants gathered around the borrowing library and praised its design and layout. The bell rang at 9:50 in the morning. After a while, a group of students emerged from the surrounding buildings and moved to the cafeteria to get snacks. But some people stayed and stopped in the outdoor classroom to see what was newly added. At this time, a student stared at the books in the library and stepped forward to open the door.
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