Slush Pile: Stupid Sled Move Claims Woman

2007 Slush Pile

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Stupid Sled Move Claims Woman

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance

A popular Rolling Hills Preparatory School graduate who aspired to become a professional dancer and a judge will be remembered at services Thursday following her death at a Utah snow resort.

Amy Woolington, 21, of Harbor City, died late Friday when her inner tube crashed into a tree at the Deer Valley resort in Park City.

"Our heart aches at the unwritten chapters of her life," said Rabbi Shalom Garfinkel of UCLA's Jewish Awareness Movement. "What she would have done."

Woolington was so admired at Rolling Hills Prep the school will close at noon Thursday so faculty can attend funeral services.

"She was vivacious," said Peter McCormack, head of the school. "Her smile brought light into the room whenever she entered it. She was the sort of person that was magnetic, not only to her classmates, but also to her teachers."

After graduating in 2003, Woolington went on to the University of California, Berkeley.

Known for her inquisitiveness in class, she majored in philosophy, earning straight A's.

But she also excelled in her passion: dance. Woolington joined three groups, performing shows on and around campus.

"She was ridiculously good," said her friend and fellow dancer, Zaher Lopez, 23. "She was in my hip-hop groups. She was tons of fun."

Feeling disconnected in Berkeley from the dance community, Woolington returned to Los Angeles to finish her education at UCLA. She routinely went on auditions, including recently for Justin Timberlake.

"She was a natural performer," said her mother, Pam Weiss. "She just loved it. She was just so into it and was so happy and was always pushing to make herself better."

Looking forward to graduating this spring, Woolington planned to apply to the Edge Performing Arts Center dance program in Hollywood, which would provide her with an agent and serve as a steppingstone for her career.

In two or three years, she planned to move on to law school. Although she hadn't decided on a field of law, she aspired to become a judge.

"She had her life planned out for a really long time now," said her father, John Woolington.

On her own Facebook.com page in November, Woolington listed some of the places she wanted to go "strictly for my own enrichment and/or enjoyment."

"If anyone wants to join me, hit me up!" she wrote.

The list included Disneyland, the Long Beach Aquarium, a ballet, seeing a taping of "The Price is Right" because "Bob is retiring in July," and The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles.

Woolington worked three jobs—at a law firm, for a clothing store and for free for her campus Jewish organization.

During summers, Woolington would tell her parents she couldn't wait to get back to class. She also engaged her rabbis in deep conversations about Judaism, trying to understand her faith. And, preparing for a trip with her family to Thailand, she took a Buddhism class to learn about the religion.

"She was one of the most amazing people in the entire world," said her friend, Danielle Perkel. "She had a heart of gold. Anyone that was around her, she adds this presence. She makes you happy. She makes you a better person."

In her final days, Woolington joined friends for a snow trip to Deer Valley, where a friend had a home in the exclusive Deer Crest subdivision.

A friend flew them there on his private jet.

Friday morning, Woolington and Perkel talked about what they planned to do with their lives, and Woolington reiterated her love for dance and the law.

"That night we decided to go sledding," Perkel said. "We were stupid kids and went at night."

The temperature most nights at Deer Valley had dropped into the double digits below zero, Wasatch County Sheriff's Department Capt. John Rogers said. The ski run had turned to solid ice.

The accident occurred about 11:15 p.m. Riding an inner tube down the ski slope, Woolington tried to turn, but the tube headed straight for a tree.

A friend tried to revive her after the crash, but to no avail. Rogers said rescuers pronounced her dead shortly before midnight.

About 300 to 400 people are expected at her service. Besides her parents, Woolington is survived by her sister, Claire.

"She was really an incredible person and I don't know that she realized how deeply she affected so many people," said Woolington's best friend and former Berkeley roommate Maryam Shariat. "Although she lived a short life, she very well did live a full one."

Amy was a talented honors student, with beauty and brains and was about to graduate from UCLA in the spring of 2007. This story is about how even the very smart can die in such a stupid accident.

Submitted on 07/21/2007

Submitted by: Walter
Reference: Daily Breeze and Long Beach Press-Telegram, January 24, 2007

>> Moderator Scores <<

Bruce said:
Definitely Toss: Lacks Excellence
Tubing down ski slopes is a pretty common activity. It's basically the same thing as sledding. From this article it sounds like this poor woman simply lost control and ended up sliding into a tree, which unfortunately isn't all that uncommon. Thanks just the same, Walter.

Chip said:
Definitely Toss: Not Amusing
Walter, we appreciate the submission but I cannot find any humor in this sad tale. As Bruce said, sledding on an innertube is pretty common and I think this is just a tragic accident. But we do appreciate the time you took to send the story to us

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2007 Slush Pile

Stupid Sled Move Claims Woman

2007 Reader Submission Pending Acceptance

2007 Reader Submission
Pending Acceptance