Indiana

SUNDAY MORNING REFLECTIONS

By Abdul Hakim-Shabazz

I usually use my weekend posts to talk about local and state events and try to put them in perspective for the week, but this morning I decided to write about the shootings at Northern Illinois University this past week that claimed six innocent lives at last count. This shooting has been sticking with me because NIU is where I did my undergrad work in Journalism and Communications back in the early 1990s.

As I sat there watching the coverage on the national news all I could think was, “Oh my God, I know exactly where that is.” The shootings took place in Cole Hall, which is a large lecture hall for the bigger classes. I took an introductory film and media class there. I also used to walk by it everyday en route to class or the student television station. And later came back to guest lecture there on occasion for my former professors. I thought I’d forgotten all about it, but as I saw the coverage the room where the shootings occurred came back into my mind as clear as day. And all I could think was how horrible it would have been to be there when someone stepped from behind the lecture curtain and started shooting because there’s no easy way to get out of the room once something happens. You either run out the back or towards the side doors that are at the front of the lecture hall and pray you make it.

I know there is a lot going on here in Indiana, property taxes, government reform, an upcoming special election. But all I could really focus on the last couple days is my Alma mater and the fact that several of my fellow Huskies went to class like they usually do and never came back.

Full post as published by Indiana Barrister on February 17, 2008 (boomark / email).