Baylor School students and a handful of their rivals congregated at Coolidge Park after school on Tuesday, concluding an emotionally taxing day with a literal release of their grief.
They gathered to remember Sumner Smith, a 16-year-old junior swimmer and diver at Baylor, who died Monday following an apparent cardiac incident in the school's pool during swimming practice.
Details of the incident remained unclear Tuesday, but a sense of Smith's impact on his classmates emerged as about 100 of them showed up to write their messages to Smith on silver balloons that they released in unison after a group prayer. Students from McCallie School, Girls Preparatory School and Chattanooga Christian School also participated.
"People keep on saying that Sumner always had a smile on his face, and that's not an overstatement," Baylor sophomore Josie White said. "He literally was always smiling. He always made us smile and he was the funniest person ever."
From freshmen to seniors, members of the Baylor student body remembered Smith for his sense of humor and charisma.
He had a younger brother, a younger sister and an older brother. He visited his older brother, who is at college in Kentucky, over the weekend.
That trip, of course, followed Friday night's Baylor vs. McCallie football game, at which the Baylor swim team was honored.
"He was there," Baylor student Anthony Kranis said, recalling Friday night's game. "He was smiling and happy."
Counseling was available for Baylor students Monday, but as the grief-stricken day wore on, the school's sense of community shined.
Someone wrote "You'll never be forgotten" in chalk on the Baylor quad. Then, throughout the day, a mural to Smith emerged with students writing Bible verses, personal notes, ribbons and other drawings all over the quad.
"Anything they thought would bring solace to anyone else," said Summer Smith, a Baylor senior who is not related to Sumner Smith. "It was really cool. It's a sad time, and to be out there, there kind of was a peace that comes over you from being able to ride it out and be with people who are feeling the same things that you are."
The respect of Baylor's rivals showed, as well.
On Friday, students from Baylor stood across a field from McCallie and GPS students, cheering on their respective football teams and capping a week of trash-talk that garnered national attention because of a hype video McCallie students made.
On Tuesday, they stood together.
Students from McCallie and GPS tweeted with the hashtags #SumnerStrong and #3schools1family, and McCallie students started a movement to wear red to school today.
"They would do the same for us," said a McCallie student who came to the Coolidge Park gathering with a friend.
"It just shows," White added, "that we can come together when it counts."
Contact staff writer David Cobb at dcobb@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.