On Thursday, Feb. 14, a gunman cut short the lives of several students before taking his own life at Northern Illinois University’s DeKalb Campus. According to the University, “at approximately 3 p.m. Thursday, February 14, 2008, a gunman, carrying one shotgun and two handguns, opened fire in Cole Hall on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb.”

This tragedy hits close to home for many Monmouth College students, as students have friends and even relatives attending or working at NIU. One of The Courier’s own staff, Lucas Pauley, attended NIU during the spring semester in 2007. Pauley even took a class in Cole Hall during his time in DeKalb.

This recent and horrific shooting reminds us of the fragility of life.

Here at Monmouth, we are often left feeling secluded and away from the hustle and bustle of the outside world. We refer to ourselves and our school as being 500 miles away from everything, in the middle of a cornfield. This event at Northern Illinois University is a sobering reminder that the world is not that far away.

I hope for any students at Monmouth College that are closely affected by these recent events that they are provided with the support and comfort they need.

Already Monmouth College students are joining and inviting people to the Facebook group “Wear Black for NIU” which asks students to wear the colors of black or red on Friday, February 15 in support of those affected at NIU.

For the rest of us, I charge with this. We need to affect change; these horrific events cannot continue. Our college campuses should not be a battleground for guns and violence but a battleground of ideas and words.

Also, we as a College must band together in support of Northern Illinois University, which stands so close to our home. Whether it be in prayer, donation or deed we must reach out to NIU.

Even putting into words the events and consequences of such violent and unfortunate deeds seems a daunting and overwhelming task, but it must be done.

As I sit here contemplating the events that just happened a few hours ago, I sit speechless, unable to type. The question “why?” comes to mind over and over…with no answer in sight.

What more can be said, I am sure plenty, and we will hear it all in the coming days. But let us not forget those affected, the families, the friends, the classmates, the professors and the countless others.

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