Forward, Together, Forward

NIU will forever be changed after tragedy struck our campus on Feb. 14th. Events like this often leave us asking, "Why?" This may turn out to be one of those situations that may not have an answer, but it saddens me to know that students trying to further their education would have their lives cut short from such a heinous act of violence. I have met so many wonderful people during my stint at Northern, and I could not imagine enduring what others are going through with this week. Times like these make you step back and take a look at what is really important in your life, and for me that has been the cruel realization that lives can be changed in a matter of minuets. I have learned to make sure to not take things for granted, as they may not be there tomorrow.
Another thing on my mind is the media attention surrounding the case. I understand that the media has needs, and companies will go to great lengths to get media coverage nowadays. However, I do think that this may have a negative societal impact. IMO, the media is giving way to much attention to the people committing these crimes. For instance, if you were mentally sick enough to think about committing suicide, people now can get all of this attention for committing a violent act from CNN...etc. (Virginia Tech was a prime example of this) I'm not saying that news companies shouldn't cover these stories, but I think they need to regulate the amount of information released to the public. Food for thought I guess...