North High students react to drowning

Several students interviewed Tuesday outside Davenport North High School said they cannot understand how drowning victim Kwong Lee, 15, was not spotted sooner at the bottom of a swimming pool.

“How would they not notice someone?” said Angelina Khounlo, a freshman.

“They really need to keep an eye on the water more,” said Stephanie Brandl, a junior. Brandl, who worked as a lifeguard this summer, said there might have been too many students in the pool for proper supervision. Officials said Tuesday that there were 32 students in the pool when Lee drowned during a physical education swimming class Monday afternoon. 

Corey Husan, a sophomore, said, “There’s supposed to be a pool check when you get there and when you leave.”

Richard Brown, a sophomore, said he cannot swim and and knows a lot of students who do not know how to swim, either.

The graduation requirements for Davenport schools mandate four terms of physical education classes, which typically include two weeks of swimming. A swimming unit at North usually lasts one week, according to students interviewed Tuesday.

Natalie Natalino, who is on the North swim team, said she has heard of students who have failed a physical education class for not swimming.

“It’s horrible,” she added. “It’s stupid that they make kids who don’t know how to swim get in the pool.”

Student opinions on the swim class were mixed.

Shirley Hoang, a junior, said she has felt unsafe in the class because she originally did not know how to swim.

Brandl, however, said most of the students she knows enjoyed swim class last year. Brandl added that she did not know of anyone in her class who was unable to swim.

“I guess what they should do is make sure everyone knows how to swim,” she added.

Wayne Ma can be contacted at

(563) 383-2360 or wma@qctimes.com.