Taking a moment to reflect...

Not only is today Valentine's Day, but it also marks the 4 year "anniversary" of the tragic shooting at my Alma Mater, Northern Illinois University.

I had just graduated 2 months prior, however I still lived just off campus, had friends and employees still attending there and worked a job where I interacted with the NIU community on a daily basis.

I've mentioned it every year since (feel free to click on February 14 of every year in the archives down the left side of the blog to see past posts), and this year is no different.

To me it's a day of remembrance.

Remembering how the campus and community came together in the wake of the tragedy. Remembering how the building - the very lecture hall I and many others had several gen-ed classes in - was tainted due to the horrific shooting that occurred in it. Wondering why our state is one of the last to allow concealed carry as several of the ROTC students I knew at the time all said that if concealed carry were allowed any ROTC student in the lecture hall could have stopped the killer before he fatally harmed anyone in the time it took for security to arrive. Why our campus? Why our school? Why? He wasn't even a current student there! As far as we know, he didn't even know any of the victims he killed or shot!

Forward together, forward Huskies.

They did recently reopen Cole Hall at the start of this semester, after giving it a $6M facelift and renovating the inside. Like many who were around during the time of the shooting though, I'll admit, I do have mixed feelings about it.

It'll never *just* be Valentine's Day...

February 14th. Valentine's Day.

It's a date romantics love, couples celebrate, and singles despise.

For me and my fellow NIU Huskies, past and present, it hasn't just been a lovey-dovey holiday to us for 2 years now.

While today is a day where most celebrate (or loathe) love, romance and relationship, for us, it's also a day of remembrance and sadness.

For those who may have forgotten or were unaware, today is the 2 year "anniversary" of the shooting that happened on-campus. I put anniversary in quotes, because, well I usually associate the word anniversary with celebration, and in no way am I celebratory about a shooting that rocked the world of those of us that were there.

You never think it will actually happen at your school, until it does. You can only imagine the pain and sadness and overwhelming confusion and fear that you see the campus going through on the news.Once you experience something like that in your community - a community you were close to at the time - it completely changes you.

I remember where I was and what happened that day.

Looking through the Facebook statuses of fellow alumni who were there, I thought this year I'd share some of their thoughts, in addition to mine and the standard "Forward Together Forward" phrase that became our school's motto.

An ex of mine, whom I am still on good speaking terms with posts:

"The past two years have painted quite a pall upon this holiday, and yet still I strive to see the good in it."

My friend and former college newspaper co-worker Desiree, over at Diary of a Wannabe Health Freak, who was actually trapped inside the classroom where the shooting occurred writes: 

"My life forever changed on February 14th, 2008. {{ Cole Hall 3:06 p.m. I will never forget }} R.I.P. ♥ Gayle, Dan, Catalina, Ryanne, Julianna. ♥ Forward, Together Forward."

"Valentine's Day will never mean to me what it does to everyone else. Never forget 2.14.2008."

 A girl who lived on the same dorm floor as me my freshman wrote 2 posts: 

"Two years ago, Valentine's Day took on a different meaning for me and my NIU Family....and so this picture of my graduation from NIU in May 2008 represents where my heart is (with [my boyfriend]) and where my thoughts are (with my fellow Huskies)."

"...today is the day to tell your loved ones how you feel about them so they know...because you never know when you will lose the chance. ♥ Forward, Together Forward ♥"

A former classmate posts:

2.14.08 God Bless the Huskies in Heaven 

Jessi, over at The Girl with Kaleidoscope Eyes, who, while not a Huskie, has been and is part of the community of DeKalb that was affected by the tragedy, writes:

"Today we are all Huskies. 2.14.08"

Another former college newspaper co-worker posts:

"Happy Valentine's Day! Tell someone you love them, and never forget this day at NIU in 2008. I know I won't."

And I'm sure there will be more to come as the day progresses.
There is also a memorial service tonight as well.

Forward, Together, Forward - we will never forget.