Shannon Morley, a sophomore at Northern Illinois University (NIU), lives right across from Cole Hall, the building in which five of her fellow students were killed a year ago on Feb. 14, 2008.
With the anniversary approaching, NIU students are still trying to cope with the tragedy. “We are all trying to move on,” Morley says, “but as soon as I look out my window, I’m reminded all over again.”
The university is taking great strides to address this anniversary appropriately. There is a wide range of activities for students, faculty and staff to participate in on Feb. 14, including exhibition of all the artwork and gifts sent to the university following the shooting. A scholarship ceremony in honor of the fallen students, a reception to formally thank the emergency personnel who responded and a candlelight vigil will close the day’s events.
One of the most interesting events planned for the anniversary is the time capsule activity. From 3:15-5:30 p.m., students are invited to record their thoughts on video or audio tape to be included in a time capsule that will be opened in 20 years. This time capsule shows the university’s dedication to preserving the memory of the students lost nearly one year ago.
The students themselves aren’t really saying much about it, although a memorial Facebook event has popped up. Morley isn’t quite sure how to feel about the group on the popular networking site. She noticed that many of the people participating in the online memorial were freshmen.
“I remember thinking to myself ‘They weren’t here. They didn’t see the state our community was in and they will never know what it was like.’ Sometimes it feels more personal than it should.”
She of course acknowledges that it is nice the first year students are being supportive during this time, but nonetheless feels a strong bond with the students that went through the horrific ordeal together last year.
There is concern floating around about how the general media will handle the anniversary. The media has been known to be tactless when it comes to handling delicate events. Situations like these call for a precarious balance of promoting awareness and protecting privacy. Considering how tastefully the Virginia Tech anniversary was addressed, however, it’s likely that the media will respectfully cover this event.
“If they decide to cover any part of the anniversary ceremony I hope that they will get all their information right,” Morley adds. Right after the shooting, she saw various sources make mistakes on key information, and that only added insult to injury. She doesn’t care what else the media does as long as they do it accurately.
This anniversary reminds us of so many difficult emotions. Living in a world where this kind of thing is possible challenges everything any university is working for; the very nature of academic pursuit is peaceful.
As Shannon Morley and her classmates prepare to remember the day that shook all of our academic foundations, members of the NEIU community should make a point to walk with our sister school on this journey to recovery.