By Dan on Feb 28, 2008 in Blog
Dave already beat me to this topic, but I want to throw it open to discussion here anyway.
You’ve probably heard that a proposal is in the works to raze Cole Hall, the site of the NIU shootings, and replace it with a new $40 million facility. Count me among those that think this decision, while well intentioned, is rash and even unnecessary.
We don’t remove stretches of highway that were the scene of horrific crashes. We don’t close airports when a plane runs off the runway and ends up in flames. It’s important to cherish the memory of those that have died, but by trying to remove any physical reminder of the events that led to their passing, we’re actually trying to erase a part of the past in an attempt to comfort ourselves, not to honor the departed.
I understand that current students will be shaken upon entering Cole Hall. By the time this new building is completed, however, most of the victims’ classmates will have moved on and a new group of students who don’t bear the scars of that fateful day will fill the campus. They’ll be the beneficiaries of the brand new facilities, but they won’t be consoled by its presence because they never felt the grief and shock that gripped the campus on February 14 of 2008.
I recall there was much debate on what should be done at the Twin Towers site after 9/11. Some wanted the space to be used exclusively as a memorial to those who died, while others thought the property should be put back to its former use as a sign of our determination to persevere. I believe that the latter is the more fitting tribute.
If nothing else, the NIU decision is premature. In an effort to do something to honor those killed and to create distance from that tragic day, campus authorities have taken a drastic step that probably won’t seem as prudent or necessary six months from now.
Life is tragic in that every one ends in death. The reason that we all don’t spend our entire lives in mourning and fearing our own demise is that we have learned to come to terms with this inevitability and still find joy in the many good things in life and perhaps find comfort in what might await beyond. A sense of normalcy will return to the NIU campus much sooner than those still traumatized by the event would ever think possible. Meanwhile, that $40 million could probably be put to better use in helping students prepare for their lives ahead.
Loading ...
This seems to hot to touch right now. I would be in support of revisiting the discussion in six months, like you suggest. Even the victims’ families who are in support of tearing the building down might feel differently later. They’re in grief right now and it’s not fair to ask them their opinions on such a drastic, permanent idea.
nancy | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
That should read “too hot to touch….”
nancy | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
I agree. They’ve shuttered the building for the remainder of the semester, which I think is appropriate. While I could see doing something permanent with that particular lecture hall, I think demolishing the entire building is a premature decision. At Virginia Tech they turned the building into an interactive learning center, but because they feared they would ruin the labratory equipment that it housed if they tried to move it, the labs are still in use. I find this more fitting – that the pursuit of learning goes on and that the killer was not able to snuf out opportunities for future students to learn there.
Laura | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
By the way, is it too cynical to suggest that the the govenor latched on to this press conference/announcement to distract attention from his ‘Public Official A’ status?
Laura | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
Nancy,
I agree that this is much too big of a decision to make at this time. Although I don’t believe the intention is anything but noble, it almost seems that they are using the current emotional climate to move this idea forward while they have the chance.
Laura,
While the governor didn’t originate the proposal, it certainly came at an opportune time for him. Rich Miller reported that at a NIU press conference, a reporter who tried to question Blagojevich about being Public Official A was shouted down by the crowd who didn’t think it was appropriate to the ocassion. Now he can safely go back into hiding.
Thanks for commenting,
Dan
Dan | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
Agreed. It is ridiculous to tear the building down unless it is already in a state of disrepair.
I think a more fitting gesture would be to bulldoze the psycho’s house who did the shooting like the Israelis do to terrorists’ homes. That would make me feel better.
M.B. | Feb 28, 2008 | Reply
Hello i like this to a certain extent much
Willena Cleath | May 25, 2011 | Reply
Yet another issue is really that video gaming became one of the all-time greatest forms of recreation for people spanning various ages. Kids participate in video games, and also adults do, too. The XBox 360 is among the favorite games systems for people who love to have a lot of activities available to them, in addition to who like to play live with people all over the world. Thanks for sharing your opinions opserfd.
Noel Ripperger | Dec 18, 2011 | Reply
I would like to thank you for the efforts you’ve put in writing this web site. I’m hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming also. Actually your creative writing skills has encouraged me to get my own web site now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a great example of it.
porn download | Jan 3, 2012 | Reply