Spring Hill High School is an all-magnet high school in

Chapin, South Carolina Chapin, popularly known as the "Capital of Lake Murray", is a small lake town located at the northern tip of Lexington County, South Carolina, United States. Lake Murray separates Chapin from the rest of Lexington County. The population of Chapin ...

. As of 2016, the school had 1070 students and 81 certified staff members. Spring Hill is a part of Lexington-Richland School District 5. Its

magnet program In the U.S. education system, magnet schools are public schools with specialized courses or curricula. "Magnet" refers to how the schools draw students from across the normal boundaries defined by authorities (usually school boards) as school ...

consists of 5 academies: Engineering, Entertainment, Entrepreneurial, Environmental Studies, and Exercise Science. As of 2020, they have a 98% graduation rate. Spring Hill currently has 35 clubs listed on its website, including GSA,

FCA FCA may refer to: Arts * Federation of Canadian Artists * Foundation for Contemporary Art, in Ghana * Foundation for Contemporary Arts, in the United States Business and economics * False Claims Act, a United States federal law * Federal Cus ...

, and a Guitar Club that is led by the school's principal, Dr. Michael Lofton. Another notable club, unique to Spring Hill High School, is the Multimedia Gaming Club, or MMGC. MMGC, being the largest club in the school, provides an opportunity for students at Spring Hill to share their love of gaming with each other.

Davis Cripe

Collapse and death

On April 26, 2017, 16-year-old Spring Hill High School student Davis Cripe collapsed in his classroom around 2:30 pm. He died later that day in the emergency room at Palmetto Health Parkridge Hospital from

cardiac arrhythmia Arrhythmias, also known as cardiac arrhythmias, heart arrhythmias, or dysrhythmias, are irregularities in the heartbeat, including when it is too fast or too slow. A resting heart rate that is too fast – above 100 beats per minute in adults ...

, a type of heart failure, caused by his extreme caffeine intake. Reportedly, Cripe had consumed a large diet Mountain Dew, a cafe latte from McDonalds, and an energy drink that morning. His coroner said that "based on his weight, the intake of caffeine that he had exceeded what is considered a safe level."

Aftermath

Cripe's hobbies as a drummer and guitarist inspired Spring Hill High School to dedicate a music room to Cripe and an annual, music-filled celebration of life called ''Live Life Loud''. Two years after Cripe's death
bill H.4352
was filed by Representative Leon Howard and Representative

Chip Huggins "Chip" Huggins (born November 30, 1961 in Columbia, South Carolina) is a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives. He has represented his Lexington County district (the 85th) since being elected in 1999 to succeed André Ba ...

. It proposed to "Provide a civil penalty for persons who furnish energy drinks to minors." Cripe's parents, Sean and Heidi Cripe, vocal supported and advocated for the passing of this bill, saying,"It'll be huge. Not only for our son Davis but knowing that here on out other kids will be protected." As of 2021, the bill has not been passed.

References

Public high schools in South Carolina Schools in Lexington County, South Carolina {{authority control