This Wednesday, 10 years after the death of DJ Henry, Oliver Ames High School will celebrate its first annual DJ Henry Day. He was formerly a student and football player at OA, and went on to study at Pace University in New York. On October 18th, 2010, Henry was partying at a bar after a homecoming game in Pleasantville, when a fight broke out. Police were called to disperse the situation, only for cops to fire on Henry, who was pulling out of the scene. DJ Henry died in handcuffs on the pavement moments later.
The event sent shockwaves across the Pace Community, and the Oliver Ames community. Many people remember DJ Henry for his kindness and positivity. 10 years later, Oliver Ames High School in an attempt to promote remembrance and solidarity has introduced DJ Henry Day. I was able to ask the events coordinator, Matt Auger, some questions about the day’s creation, message, and impact.
Esmée (question): Why do you feel like DJ Henry Day is important for the OA community?
Mr Auger: This day is important because DJ was a member of our OA community. His story deserves to be told and his name remembered. Our goal for this day is to celebrate his life, reflect on what he means to the community, and to inspire acts of service and leadership in his memory.
Esmee: What do you think OA students and staff can learn from this day?
Mr Auger: It has been exactly 10 years since DJ’s life was tragically cut short. Therefore, many students today might be unaware of who DJ was and what happened in October 2010. So our hope is that students learn more about DJ and are inspired by his story. We know that this can be an emotional day for some students, so we have worked hard to put together support opportunities for students. On the DJ Day website, we have established breakout rooms where students can speak to professionals in both group and individual sessions if they choose.
Esmee: How did y’all decide on the schedule for the day?
Mr Auger: In our hybrid model with COVID restrictions, we knew we were limited in what we could do. So we chose a Wednesday which allows us to use advisory as the homebase for this day. We felt it was important that students watch the 48 Hours documentary, “Defending DJ” to gain background and context for the day. We also felt it was important to have a chance to reflect and debrief in a small group. The schedule still allows for all classes to meet and only extends advisory by an hour and fifteen minutes.
Esmee: How’d you get involved to set up this day?
Mr Auger: Over the summer, Claudia Ferrara (OA Class of 2017) reached out to me about creating a DJ Day at OA, especially given that this month is the 10 year anniversary. Claudia is a leader in the RMK Youth and a friend of the Henry family. The group grew to include members of the OA and Easton community, district administration, our ADL Peer Leaders, the RMK Youth Forum and others to make this day possible. A lot of work has happened behind the scenes to make this day happen.
The celebration will take place throughout the day on Wednesday. Be sure to check out the DJ Day website for more information about how you can participate.