LETTER: We Honor and Remember

Northern Illinois University is not a neighbor in the same sense as Virginia Tech; however we both share the same dedication for education. And although Mason did not formally host or sponsor an at-large ceremony, the George Mason University Student Government showed its support for the victims, their families, and the Northern Illinois community this past week. The 28th Student Senate passed a resolution to honor those who lost their lives to such a violent act. I publicly commend Senators Anthony DiCarlo, Chair of Senate’s Government and Academic Affairs Committee and his Vice Chair Krista Muise for their well written and heartfelt resolution. The resolution speaks highly of these student senators and the commitment of student government to act as a voice and a representation of our school and the student body. In times of tragedy, we must remember that a community is hurting. We may not understand the magnitude of the lives taken on Feb. 14, 2008, but the Mason Student Government supports Northern Illinois University and its community.

Our brothers and sisters at Northern Illinois are no less important than our neighbors in Virginia. And yes, Mason was in the midst of celebrating its annual Homecoming events, but NIU experienced a deadly campus shooting. Sadly, six individuals lost their lives, while 16 others were badly injured. The least the university could have done to show support is to acknowledge what happened at the campus of Northern Illinois. Many universities, including Virginia Tech, have used the NIU logo with black ribbon on their university websites to show their support. Mason Housing and Residence Life have taken the step to show their support for the NIU community by placing the logo directly on their Web site. And for that I say thank you. We must remember that any tragedy on any campus affects us all. The University has to accept this and recognize that violent acts can happen anywhere.

Again, I appreciate the gesture that Student Government members took upon themselves to respond to this tragic time. I hope such a tragedy never occurs again. Nevertheless, in such an instance, I hope the University would see to it to publicly acknowledge and support the victims of such tragedies on behalf of the Mason community.

In service,

Ijeoma Nwatu
Student Body Vice President
sbvp@gmu.edu