Editorial | Tragedy in Illinois

Last April, college campuses around the country mourned the shootings at Virginia Tech, which claimed 32 lives.

Only ten months later, five more students have had their lives cut short at a similar tragedy last week at Northern Illinois University.

Our deepest sympathies and prayers go out to the family members of the victims. Our thoughts are also with the faculty and students at NIU who must pick up the pieces and continue after this unspeakable tragedy. Finally, from one college newspaper to another, we offer our condolences to NIU's student paper, The Northern Star, for the loss of one of their staff members in the shooting.

From Columbine to Virginia Tech to NIU, our generation has had to come to grips with the reality that schools, colleges and universities aren't always safe havens.

And the idea that a person can invade the peace and tranquility of our classrooms and lecture halls with a blaze of gunfire is unsettling, to say the least.

Still, these all-too-common incidents serve as a reminder of the importance of campus counseling and peer-support services.

Here at Penn, students can get professional help through the University's Counseling and Psychological Service, by calling 215-898-7021 or visiting www.vpul.upenn.edu/caps.

Penn also offers an anonymous and confidential peer-support service called Reach-A-Peer Helpline at 215-573-2RAP, where students can chat with another student anytime from 9 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Most importantly, it's essential for us to reach out to fellow classmates and friends who are going through rough times. Ensuring that students get the help and support they need is the best way to prevent another NIU or Virginia Tech from happening again.

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