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ROOSEVELT: Small town, huge tragedy

Young woman of peace slain at college

By Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
    ROOSEVELT — She lived her short life trying to change the world.
    Now, only days after she was killed in a tragic crime, her family and friends in this small borough say they will honor her by taking up her work for a more peaceful and compassionate society.
    Emily Rachel Silverstein, 19, of Roosevelt, died in the early morning hours of April 9 in Gettysburg, Pa. Ms. Silverstein, a sophomore at Gettysburg College and a 2007 graduate of Hightstown High School, allegedly was stabbed and choked to death by an ex-
boyfriend in his off-campus apartment, according to Adams County District Attorney Shawn Wagner.
    Kevin Schaeffer, 21, of Oley, Pa., stands accused of committing the crime. He surrendered at the scene and was arraigned in the evening hours of April 9 on charges of homicide, aggravated assault, tampering with evidence and possessing an instrument of crime, according to Mr. Wagner.
    Mr. Wagner said police were alerted to the crime — which they believe took place between 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. — at about 6:45 a.m. by a 9-1-1 call from a friend of Mr. Schaeffer’s. Mr. Schaeffer had called the person after he allegedly committed the crime.
    Mr. Wagner described the incident as a “domestic violence-related homicide.” More specifically, he said Mr. Schaeffer, a senior at Gettysburg, previously had been in a one-year relationship with Ms. Silverstein and the two had broken up within the last week of her life.
    Mr. Schaeffer is being held at the Adams County Adult Corrections Facility without bail, Mr. Wagner said Wednesday. His next court date is a preliminary hearing set for April 30.
    Monday, mourners gathered in the gymnasium of the Roosevelt Public School for a memorial service for the young woman who was involved in organizations, including Amnesty International, Free the Children and Adopt a Holocaust Survivor Program. She lived and served as co-president of the Peace House on her campus, a group that seeks to create awareness of world peace issues. She also was a founding member of the Gettysburg chapter of Students for a Democratic Society.
    A vegetarian since the age of 12, Ms. Silverstein was on the swim team and in the marching band in high school. She graduated as a member of the National Honor Society and was on the dean’s list at Gettysburg College.
    A bus of friends and classmates from the college attended the memorial service.
    Family and friends exchanged tearful hugs inside and outside the crowded building. A long line just to sign the guest book extended outside the school, and mourners lined the brick walls inside the gym after all the seats were filled. Donation boxes for some of Ms. Silverstein’s favorite causes lined the back of the room as people took turns speaking.
    The victim’s father, Bob Silverstein, is a councilman in Roosevelt and an honored peace activist.
    “For Emily, I am rededicating my life to that vision of a better world,” Mr. Silverstein told the crowd at the memorial. “The world will know her name. The world will be inspired by her vision. I hope her life will inspire you all to have hope for a better world and know that every act of compassion makes a difference.”
    Her younger brother, James, also expressed his sorrow at the service. He is a student at Hightstown High School.
    “Emily was a great sister, the best I could have asked for,” he said.
    The victim’s mother, Linda Silverstein, spoke directly to her daughter while addressing the crowd. The grieving mother said she will continue her daughter’s dedication to helping others.
    “I am daunted by the task,” she said. “But because of you, for you and in honor of you, this will be my work.”
    She also thanked the community for its help.
    “In the past four days, the outpouring of love from friends and family has truly been beyond belief,” she said.
    Ms. Silverstein’s parents have set up a memorial fund in her honor to “continue her legacy of hope and action for a better world.”
    They ask that donations be made payable to the Emily Silverstein Fund, P.O. Box 340, Roosevelt, N.J., 08555, in lieu of flowers. Information on the fund also can be found at www.betterworld.net.
    Some of Ms. Silverstein’s former teachers at Hightstown High School also expressed their shock and grief at her loss.
    Candace Bland, a Spanish teacher, said she had Ms. Silverstein in class for three years.
    “She was really a kindhearted individual who didn’t deserve to have anything bad happen to her,” Ms. Bland said Tuesday. “I will never forget her.”
    Ms. Bland described Ms. Silverstein as a “old soul” who would go out of her way to make “social misfits” feel comfortable and patiently cared about causes.
    “She wasn’t of her time,” Ms. Bland said. “I could really picture her as a student in the ‘60s, fighting for civil rights or animal rights.”