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Remembering Sarah Fox, Master of the Sly Smile
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| Sarah Fox, 1982-2004 (Photo by Nick Mennell) |
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I recall the day in May that I learned about Sarah Fox's disappearance. Word was that she had gone out jogging and never returned home. Like Sarah, I had gone out that morning for a run in the park, something I do regularly. Later, when the announcement came that Sarah's strangled body had been identified in Inwood Hill Park, I remember thinking how easy it is to take the simplest things for granted. You go out for a run, or a walk in the park, or a ride in a car, never expecting that it might be your last … I didn't know Sarah personally, but her death affected me profoundly, as it did so many others here at Juilliard, and I wanted to pay tribute to her in some small way. But how? In June, when planning the September issue of The Juilliard Journal, I realized that a tribute to Sarah in these pages would be a way to honor the life of someone so young and full of promise, a life prematurely cut off by a senseless act of violence. At a gathering for Sarah on May 26 in Studio 321, President Joseph Polisi observed, "What can we learn from such an irrational act? To cherish each moment we're here on earth, our friendships … to try to make a difference." Perhaps when we think of Sarah, it will remind us to do just that.
— Ira Rosenblum
When I think of Sarah, I think of sunflowers. Her presence would always brighten my day and make me feel like I was special because I was around her. She was a happy spirit and I still carry that part of Sarah with me. I will never forget running to her and scooping her up in my arms while twirling her around because I was so happy to see her, not knowing that it would be my last time. Yet, whenever I see a sunflower, there she is … in all her glory; whenever I hear the song "Evolve," there she is … right beside me; and anytime a thunderstorm approaches, I know it is Sarah, having fun making lots of noise. I miss her …
—Rutina Wesley
Nicholas Mennell
David Townsend
Jo Sarzotti
Ira Rosenblum is the director of publications at Juilliard. Rutina Wesley is a fourth-year drama student.
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