Two last photos from NIU...

By Josh Harrell

I have two final photos from the time we have spent here in DeKalb.




The U.S., Illinois, and university flags fly at half-mast on Sunday, Feb. 16, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily




Flowers and items lie below crosses Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. There were various events and memorials throughout the weekend honoring the victims of the NIU shootings. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Empty

By Ross Boettcher



DeKalb,Ill. — Naturally, when a balloon loses pressure, it deflates. The same laws applied to DeKalb, Illinois after the Thursday, Feb. 14 shooting that claimed the lives of six individuals, including the gunman, Steven P. Kazmierczak.

During our time here on the NIU campus and in DeKalb, there has been one common trend — a lack of student presence.

On Friday, when we first arrived to campus, there was an outpouring of support as students and community members packed the Duke Ellington Ballroom at the Holmes Student Center to hear speeches from state political figures and Rev. Jesse Jackson.

The vigil and speech, drew more than 3,000 individuals. A mark that put the building over capacity.

But, as the weekend has gone on, dorms, churches and establishments of social activity have been baron, at best.



The Grant Towers Residence Halls sit mostly deserted on Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb, Ill. Most students went home to be with friends and family. Classes are scheduled to resume on Monday, Feb. 25. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

As of fall 2007, 25,254 students were enrolled at NIU. Now, compare that to the 24,445 students enrolled at Iowa State University, and things aren't that much different.

On Saturday, we attended a benefit concert at a local watering hole, Otto's, where fewer than 20 individuals attended. The bands scheduled to play publicized the event as a "fund raiser" for the NIU Memorial fund.

Normally, about 1,200 students inhabit each tower of Grant Hall, but on this weekend, only an average of 20 students stuck around, per building, according to the Northern Star, NIU's campus newspaper.

Though a long weekend may have sufficed, a week-long break seemed much more fitting, given the events that have taken place the last few days.

In interviews, we have had gathered mixed feelings— "should I stay? or should I go?" Unfortunately, it seemed as if the people have chosen the latter.

This max exodus of the NIU campus has left events vacant. Gatherings that may have once aided the healing process have been discarded for the comfort of home and family.

During our last night here in DeKalb, we scoured the city for emotion and activity among students. On a day (Sunday) best known for religion and spirituality, all we were able to obtain was a stone wall.

When we arrived at the church that was scheduled to hold a memorial for NIU faculty and staff, we were turned away by pastors, who cited spirituality and peace.

Though I'm sure the professors and staff in attendance would have been willing to talk to us on an individual basis, the simple fact that they were at the religious outpost to seek refuge was a point in itself.

On a coffee table in front of the main sanctuary, there were fliers that documented the recovery process of a violent act and the steps to take when those acts were encountered.

There weren't more than 30 people at Westminster Presbyterian Church on Sunday night, but the emptiness we felt entering the sanctuary, and being turned away was the same as the emptiness felt by those sitting in their dorm rooms alone, thinking of the violence and tragedy that has fallen into their laps.

"This world is so fucked up"

By: John Askew
We found Evan D'Orazio, junior at NIU, at a concert in downtown DeKalb. He was friends with the Chicago-based band Strange Arrangement, and had come to the show to see his friends and hopefully take his mind off the recent shooting at NIU that he experienced. The following interview took place in a back room of the venue, Otto's. Parts have been cut where Evan went off topic. Below you can find a story written by Ross Boettcher.

The Cole Hall janitor

By Josh Harrell

On Sunday, I was going to get a photograph of the lecture hall where the shootings happened so that, as a photojournalist, I was covering all my bases. Consequently, I happened to run into a custodian, Pete Scoffield, who works at Cole Hall.

He was not working Thursday, Feb. 14. Instead, he was sitting in class in the next building down from Cole Hall.

During our conversation, Scoffield explained to me some of the things he had heard from his co-workers, who were woking in Cole Hall, about what had had taken place on that fate-filled day.

The shooter, Steven Kazmierczack, paced around between two buildings with his guitar case, waiting...

He walked through the back doors of the building. Kazmierczack then slipped onto the elevated stage overlooking the lecture. From his vantage point, it gave him the "ideal" area to shoot from. Scoffield said the circumstance gave the the shooter a perspective that was like shooting from a tree stand.

"Bird shot spreads. First person, it hit and kills. Second person it kills. Third person it maimes them. The fourth person is wounded," said Scoffield.

What I heard after that took me by surprise. Scoffield said, Kazmierczack, once he ran out of ammunition for his shotgun, began to chase students around Cole 101, firing at them with his handguns.

...


After hearing this testimony, then talking with my colleagues documenting this event, it really made me think about what had to be going through Kaznierczack's mind to get to this point. It had to be so much more than we could comprehend.

Myself, I suffered through the death of my father before the start of my freshman year of high school, I understand some of the pressure that he went through. It had to be so intense to get to the point that he reached to feel that he, along with other people, had to die to feel that he would be relieved from the pain that he was going through.

I feel for these families and friends that were affected by this event.

I will never truly understand the extent to which this event will touch them, but I can definitely tell that this will resonate with college students across the country.

Iowa State alumna reflects on NIU shooting

By Pat Shaver

“Don’t go to class,” read a text message.

Elissa Stowell, Northern Illinois Univeristy teaching assistant in political science and Iowa State alumna, started her car to go on campus around 3:20 p.m. on Thursday February, 14, when she got the text message from a friend.

“Why?” she replied.

No response.

A few minutes later, her roommate came home from work. She said something was happening on campus, people were running and there were police everywhere.They turned on the TV, and didn’t see anything.

Stowall got on the NIU Web site and saw the campus alert that said there was a reported gunman on campus. The site told students who were on campus to go somewhere safe and for off-campus students to stay away.

The university also sent out e-mails to all students, faculty and staff. Stowall got both the faculty e-mail and the student e-mail. She said the e-mail into her T.A. account came in around 3:20 p.m. and the e-mail into her student account didn’t get to her until 4 p.m.

Stowall and her roommate spent the rest of the afternoon watching the news and calling and texting friends.

“It took a while, but we were able to get ahold of everyone,” Stowall said.
Stowall is a teaching assistant for political science 100.

On Fridays, she leads discussions with a smaller group of about 50 students from a much larger class.

“I have to stand up in a class. It is kind of hard for me, what if something like that happens to me,” Stowall said.

Stowall said she normally arrives on campus at noon or 1 p.m., but she stayed up late the night before working on a paper and decided to sleep in on Thursday.

“You can’t believe it happened on your campus,” Stowall said. “I think everyone is in complete shock. Everyone is trying to figure out how to deal with it and move forward.”

She said she can understand how people on campus may feel unsafe for a long time. Everytime a door opens in a classroom, students will be thinking about what happened, she said.

“I think it is going to be a while before things will be normal,” she said. “I think it is going to be a healing process. The whole point of carrying on is so that the people who did this don’t win.”

Stowall said she thinks a situation like this is unpreventable, and she doesn’t feel unsafe.

“I feel safe because the campus response was so quick,” she said.

A night of music

By: John Askew
For our Sat. night we all went down to Otto's, which is a bar and venue for local musicians in downtown DeKalb. We were hoping to catch a benefit concert there, which we found out about by digging through the garbage on campus the night before, and hopefully some video and a story or two. But that didn't happen.

After talking with one band who had no idea that there was a benefit, we tracked down the manager-who also had absolutley no idea that the bands wanted a benefit concert. So the manager let us in the upstairs venue where the headliners were playing and said to figure it all out.

Note, that it's 20 minutes to showtime now and not one other person is in the bar. Seriously, no one. I ended up going down to the merch. table and chatted up a guy who was in the opening act, Strange Arrangement. After a 10 minute interview that ended up turning into a conversation on society's responsibility with events like NIU. Towards the end of the interview I ended up meeting another member of the band who told me he had a friend that was on campus, outside the building, when it happened. And the best part? He was coming to the show.

I ran upstairs to the balcony where we had set up basecamp and told Ross we had found our source. That one source who would make this trip worth it.
For the next hour we waited out Strange Arrangement's set by transcribing and updating the blog and when it was over, we scrambled down to try and get the source.
I found the lead singer and talked to him a bit more before Joe, the guy who knew the source, came over.

"Hey guys, you want to talk with Evan?"
Us: "Yes."
Joe: "How about I talk to him and make sure he's okay with it, because it's a tough thing, you know?"
Us: "Sure, that works, we'll just wait here."

And wait we did. For about 20 minutes while Joe circulated from the bar, to fans, to the back room where weed smoke was trickling out of. Finally he rushes by us and motions something. Turns out Evan, the source, was standing just 15 feet from us the entire time, and now with the next band starting their set it was going to be difficult to record the interview.

The two hurry over to Ross and I and we finally get an up-close view of Evan. He's about 25, slightly balding, and is drinking a Newcastle Brown Ale (immediatly i like him). Joe starts yelling that it's too loud in here, and there is a quieter place to go in back.

When we walk into the back room, it's just like out of a movie - a huge sagging couch, stained floors and the leafy smell of freshly smoked grass.
We're comfortable, Evan's comfortable.

And for the next hour we talked. Well he talked. He talked about seeing his first bullet wound, about hating the people who do this.

Really, what started as a doubtfull night turned into the best interview of the trip.

Memories Solidified

By Ross Boettcher
DEKALB, Ill. — It doesn’t matter that Evan D’Orazio wasn’t in the room when it happened. It doesn’t matter that he didn’t see the shooter open fire on a lecture hall full of his Northern Illinois University classmates. It doesn’t matter that D’Orazio feels lost in the emotions coming from the six deaths that took place as he watched from a safe distance — from this day forward, those feelings may never change.

At 3:05 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 14, D’Orazio, a 24-year-old junior at NIU, stepped out of his parked car, flicked the butt of his cigarette and started walking to his class in DuSable Hall. As he made the short trek from the parking lot to his fourth-floor classroom, small groups of students stood paralyzed around Cole Hall with faces full of shock and disbelief. Until he found out exactly what was going on, D’Orazio could have sworn he was walking through a dream.

When he finally asked what had happened, the blank face of a female bystander delivered the news that immediately etched itself into his memory bank.
“Some guy just came into our classroom and started firing a shotgun,” she said.
At that point, hysteria normally takes the place of D’Orazio’s paranoid demeanor, but not this time. This time was different.

After shaking the freeze that immediately took over his body, D’Orazio left the scene and walked to DuSable Hall where he spread the word about what had taken place.

“I walk in and head up to the fourth floor of DuSable and all these students are coming out, two to three hundred students just getting out of class, so obviously they have no idea what’s going on,” D’Orazio said. “I literally just stopped all of them…everyone just kind of paused with open faces, shocked looks.”

Naturally, there were skeptics.

“Some of them [students] were like “yeah right” telling me flat out like “whatever, man I don’t believe you,” he said.

The next person to doubt D’Orazio wasn’t a student, but the professor of his next scheduled class. When he got to the classroom, he sat down with his professor and showed her the NIU homepage. Her reaction immediately solidified what had happened.

“She looked like she was going to cry, it got very serious very quickly,” D’Orazio said.
“This whole time, everything got so surreal, I can’t say that enough. I was in a dream world the way I was thinking about it at that point.”

As the news raced by word of mouth around campus, the thoughts of what had happened begin to pace through D’Orazio’s mind.

“I remember mumbling to myself the whole time, “this world is so f- - -ked up” this is not happening. What’s wrong with people that they have to fight with other people?”
Since Thursday, D’Orazio has mulled over the what-ifs, even when it’s against his will.

During his drive home from campus that day, the world seemed to change. A certain grey energy, he said, has cast a looming shadow over not just over D’Orazio’s life, but also on the communities of DeKalb and Sycamore.

To get his mind off of what had happened, D’Orazio spent his first night alone watching movies and television to get his mind off of the “war zone” he had experienced. Even then, the thoughts of death and the violence that had taken place permeated his every thought.

“Every 5 minutes it just kept coming back, even though my mind was trying so hard to block it out and what not.”

The continuous thought of the attacks had D’Orazio torn as to what actions he wanted to take. After seeing his first bullet wound on Thursday afternoon, the severity of the event began to take its toll.

“It wasn’t very serious but it was enough to be like oh my god, ‘this is really real,’” he said. “At that point I was, I don’t know, part of me was like, ‘I don’t want to be here anymore,’ another part of me was like, ‘I should be around my fellow students’ but the subconscious part of my brain was like ‘leave, you have to go, just try to forget about this.’”

On Monday, Feb. 25, the memories of death and tragedy will no longer be memories as D’Orazio and the rest of the NIU student body will reluctantly go back to class and face the reality of what took place.

Since NIU officials have closed Cole Hall for the rest of the semester, D’Orazio won’t be walking into Cole 101 to take notes and listen to lectures every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Instead he will be battling the photographic memory that has allowed the events of Thursday, Feb. 14 to be embedded in his mind.

“Personally for me, just knowing I have this class and already having a visual type of memory…I knew exactly what the setup of the room is like, the smell of the building, the color of the seats, everything, so vividly. And just imagining putting myself in those peoples shoes…just imagining that someone else was going to come in during this moment and without even saying a word just unloading.”

Though he said the effects haven’t yet set in, time will only tell what the future hold for D’Orazio and NIU.

“I guess reality hasn’t exactly hasn’t set in yet, I don’t know, it’s so odd how the brain works, even when you watch these things on the news you’re just like “that’s my school.” I know I’ve got memory burn from this, years and years from now it’s always going to remind me that, like, you were there and let alone, that close, during all of this chaos.”

Publicity kills

By: Ross Boettcher

According to Officer Ron Alcock of the DeKalb city police, gun control, better security and increased support for students are not one of the "underlying factors" for the campus shootings that have culminated since Columbine, in 1999.

His reasoning behind the recent increase in on-campus violence — publicity.

"Not publicizing it as much probably would be one way [to prevent these acts]. If they knew they weren't going to get the publicity of doing it they probably might not do it," Alcock said of the shootings and their relation to the media.

He mentioned briefly that gun control could work in favor and against circumstances where an active shooter is opening fire, but when asked what other factors may have played a role in these acts of violence, Alcock resorted back to blaming the media.

"I think that [publicity] would be about it," he said.

While Alcock portrayed the media as a scapegoat, he did have other explanations as to why there aren't many direct solutions to the active shooter situation.

"With the amount of people who were involved it's hard to control, it's hard to control a large area with a large amount of people," he said. "It's just a situation you have to deal with."

On the topic of gun control, Alcock said allowing guns may help deter an active shooter, but at the same time could increase the amount of gun-related violence.

"Having everyone with a weapon doesn't solve anything, having everyone without a weapon leaves some people vulnerable," he said. "It's just a situation we have to deal with."

Primary colors

By: Ross Boettcher

DEKALB, Ill. — The colors of a rebuilding community came out during senior night at a DeKalb High School varsity basketball game on Saturday.

In any other hardwood match up between the Barbs and the visiting Sycamore Spartans, the atmosphere would be thick with tension because of the game at hand. But after the shooting that took place Thursday, Feb. 14 at Northern Illinois University, both teams shed their own colors for NIU’s black and red scheme to pay tribute to the victims and their families.

“At first this was just a varsity basketball game between Sycamore and DeKalb, it’s a huge event anyhow because it’s senior night,” DeKalb Athletic Director Dan Jones said. “When the tragedy hit, we thought we should make this a community event because the DeKalb and Sycamore communities are so intertwined with NIU community.”

Both squads took the floor donning red and black warm-ups while the bleachers on both sides, home and away, were littered with fans sporting their NIU Husky apparel.

“I never thought I would see the kids wearing red and black on senior night,” said Dan Thompson of DeKalb and father of senior basketball player Travis Thompson.

Thompson said he had always expected Travis to represent his team by wearing DeKalb High’s usual orange and black, but the red and black combo of NIU was a pleasant surprise.

Another Barb parent, Josephine Moran, who is also an associate professor of nutrition and dietetics at NIU, had a different perspective of the event as a NIU staff member. When she first got word of what had happened, Umoren said the feeling was one of numbness, instant shock.

“Oh my gosh, I couldn’t believe it,” Umoren said. “The first thing I felt was disbelief. Normally when I get home from a day of work I change out of my work clothes, but Thursday I couldn’t do anything, I just sat there.”

Dylan Blaum, a senior at DeKalb, had friends who were close to Cole Hall when the shooting took place. With a red and black letter “N” painted on his chest, Blaum remembered the first conversations he had with his friends as “bizarre.”

“At first I didn’t know how to feel,” Blaum said. “They are all acting so much different now. I mean, nobody got hurt, but it’s just bizarre.”

Saturday’s game was one that will be remembered, not only by DeKalb as their seniors’ last home game, but by all as the first game the community played together.

“Just being around friends and being around other community members really helps with the healing process and makes it feel like we’re all going through the same thing,” Jones said, as fans wearing red and black poured into Chuck Dayton Gymnasium. “You hear that all the time, you always think it’s going to happen somewhere else, I never thought it would happen in DeKalb.”

DeKalb basketball game photos

By Josh Harrell

We stopped by the DeKalb varsity basketball game today. Here are a few shots of what was going on. If there is one thing I'm noticing as I document the events here, it is the community pulling together.



DeKalb High School senior Ashley Schrader writes "NIU" on DeKalb High School senior Adam Main's arm Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, in Chuck Dayton Gymnasium. During the basketball game both high school's fans wore red and black to honor the victims of the shootings at Northern Illinois University on Thursday. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



A sign directs attendees to the basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at DeKalb High School. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



Right, Adam Main paints a superman "S" on Zach Milroy's chest as Michael Billibs, all seniors at DeKalb High School, tries to dry it on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at Chuck Dayton Gymnasium in DeKalb. In honor of the NIU shooting victims, crowd members wore red and black, Northern Illinois' school colors, instead of the colors of the school they would usually support. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



The student section for DeKalb High School displays "In our heart" on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, in Chuck Dayton Gymnasium. The message was directed toward the victims of the NIU shootings. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



A basketball player warms up Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at Chuck Dayton Gymnasium in DeKalb. Players for both teams wore Northern Illinois University shirts to honor the victims of the shootings on Thursday. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



DeKalb High School Pep Band bassist Ryan Chamberlain plays "Crazy Little Thing Called Love" on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, at Chuck Dayton Gymnasium in DeKalb. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



American Legion Post #66 acts as color guard before the start of the basketball game in Chuck Dayton Gymnasium at DeKalb High School. Before the start of the game there was a moment of silence for the victims of the NIU shootings. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

NIU students back in school on Feb. 25

By: Pat Shaver

NIU President announced, on Northern's Web site, that classes will resume on Monday February 25. However, Counseling services will continue to be available throughout the week.

"Healing has many components – time to mourn, opportunities for expression, and ultimately, the return to teaching and learning," Peters said, in a letter to students, faculty and staff on the NIU Web site.

Faculty and staff are asked to return to work on Tuesday February 19. They will be trained on how to help students through returning to classes. This means that classes will be extended from May 10 to May 17.

All university events, including sports, will start up again on the 25 also.

On Sunday, February 24, the university will hold a memorial service at the NIU Convention Center.

"That service will initiate a set of activities and services aimed at community recovery that will continue throughout the semester," Peters wrote.

There will also be a more noticeable security presence on campus

"In the weeks and months ahead, all of us will experience a rollercoaster of emotions," Peters said in the letter. "We need to take care of ourselves and each other, reaching out to those among us who are struggling and taking advantage of the many support services available to us in this difficult time."

Community raises money for NIU memorial at HS basketball game

By: Pat Shaver

DEKALB, Ill—The DeKalb High School basketball game went on like normal on Saturday night.

However, community members turned out in support of the victims of the shooting that happened on Thursday February 14.

“I’m glad to see the way we came together,” said Sue Petras, DeKalb resident and Barb booster member. “It has just been a huge turn out from the community.”

High school administrators asked for people to show up to the game wearing NIU’s colors—red and black.

“I think that 75 percent of the people have red and black on,” said Tammi Davis, DeKalb resident and Barb booster secretary. “Sycamore is one of our biggest rivals, it is just really nice to see the support.”

Members of the Barb booster club were selling “50-50” raffle tickets to people attending the game. Of the money they made from selling tickets, they planned to give 50 percent of of the total to the winner and the other half to the NIU memorial fund.

The DeKalb Barb Booster club normally has raffles at high school and junior high sporting events to raise money to use on equipment for some sports.

Saturday night was different. Instead of raising money for the teams, they were raising money for the NIU memorial fund.

The DeKalb Barb Boosters are volunteer groups that raise money for sports programs at DeKalb High School, Huntley Middle School and Clinton Rosette Middle School.

“Hopefully, the winner will donate at least a portion of the winnings,” Davis said.

The DeKalb Chamber of Commerce set up the fundraising event at the game.

“I think it has devastated everybody,” Davis said. “It has brought the entire community together.”

She said she never expected something like this to happen so close to home.

“You never really think something like that will happen in a town this size,” Davis said. “You just take everything for granted sometimes.”

Davis said she has a friend who is a nurse who worked on some of the victims. She operated on the first student who passed away.

“She was so upset, she left town for the weekend,” Davis said.

Veterans of the DeKalb American Legion, post 66, presented an honorary flag ceremony between the junior varsity and varsity basketball games.

“One of the main reasons we are here is to support the community,” said Donald Bolt, member of post 66 and DeKalb resident.

Before the flag ceremony, Lindsey Hall, DeKalb High School principal, addressed the people at the game.
“An unimaginable tragedy has effected the NIU community,” Hall said. “I hope that that we can all move forward.”

Hall thanked the opposing team’s players and fans for their cooperation and support. She also said that Saturday’s game was a “tremendous” example of the community coming together in hard times.

“We had people calling in from all around making sure we are alright,” said John Bardh, member of the American Legion and DeKalb resident. “It is such a horrible situation.”

In a killer's nightstand

By: John Askew

Three days before Steven Kazmierczak killed five students and injured more, he checked into a Travel Lodge motel near the NIU campus. The hotel manager said that Kazmierczak paid with cash and signed in with only his first name.
In his room they found:
-Laptop
-duffle bag glued shut (contents unknown)

This is a picture of Kazmierczak's nightstand. In it you can see a couple red bulls, a pack of newports and some other drinks.


(AP Photo/Nam Y. Huh)

Day Two in DeKalb

By Ross Boettcher

After working into the wee hours of Friday morning (5 a.m. to be exact), we woke up today and started researching leads and possible events that we want to get covered during our stay here in DeKalb.

While we were digging around on the Internet this morning, we found two items of interest in relation to Northern Illinois University and their use of communications. As we were looking for contact information for students and staff members we noticed that the information on file at the school's homepage (niu.edu) was both lacking and confusing in regards to telephone numbers and e-mail information.

According to some students we spoke to last night, NIU's emergency alert system sent e-mails to students, and campus phones were called and had emergency messages left. At this point, we're not sure if the procedures were effective or not, but it is something we will continue to look into during our time here.

While we were turning over a few rocks we found students were relegated to using facebook and other online social-networking means instead of using their cell phones immediately after the shooting. During the time of the shooting on Thursday, Feb. 14, cell phone activity on the NIU campus and the surrounding area was 13 times higher than its average, according to reports from the Chicago Tribune.

This high volume of telecommunications use led to jammed signals and left students scrambling for a means to communicate with classmates immediately after the shooting took place around 3 p.m. in Cole Hall.

One a side note, there is something I have noticed with this act of violence that can be seen as a positive and a negative. During a conversation with three NIU students last night, they spoke about themes of togetherness and support. The only issue was that this togetherness they spoke of was different than friends being with friends or peers supporting one another.

Their comments flirted with hints of segregation in the DeKalb community. One student said that it was the first time he had seen members of so many racial sub-communities come together at one time and support one another.

While it's great to see these racial and social barriers being torn down, it is also disappointing to see this action come on the cuffs of such violence. It shouldn't take events such as this to unite a community and bring a sense of togetherness, this is something that, as Americans, should already resonate in our lifestyles. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Not just in DeKalb, Illinois, but in many regions across the United States.

Our schedule for the rest of Saturday:

- 4 p.m. DeKalb High School varsity basketball game. (DeKalb High School officials have invited NIU students to attend the game and the DeKalb squad will be donning NIU's colors, Red and Black, instead of their own black and orange, in remembrance of the Feb. 14 shooting.)

- 5:30 p.m. Otto's Night Club. (One of NIU's local watering holes is hosting live entertainment to help raise money for the families of the victims.)

DeKalb community unites in remembrance

By: Ross Boettcher

DEKALB, Ill. - Northern Illinois University students and DeKalb community members joined together Friday to cope with the deaths of five students and the gunman, who opened fire during a lecture in Cole Hall.

More than 3,000 people packed the Duke Ellington Ballroom of the Holmes Student Center to listen to leaders from the local, state and national levels speak in memorial of the shooting victims, Daniel Parmenter, Catalina Garcia, Ryanne Mace, Julianna Gehant and Gayle Dubowski, who lost their lives during the Feb. 14 attack.

Guidance and words from NIU President John Peters and Executive Vice President Eddie Williams opened the vigil before giving way to Ill. Senator Brad Burzynski, R-Dist. 35, and state Representative Bob Pritchard, R-Dist. 70.

Before long, the stage then belonged to Rev. Jesse Jackson.

While the vigil provided an avenue for students and community members to come together, NIU student Jeremiah Moauro, said the DeKalb community didn't need a full 24 hours to bond and rally behind one another.

"Any petty differences you may have had with someone have vanished at this point," Moauro said. "It just matters that people are safe and you can reconnect with everyone and cherish what you have."

As audience members exited the Holmes Student Center, a number of candle-lit memorials were placed around the perimeter of the building in remembrance of those who passed.

Lincoln Gibbs, health educator at NIU, passed out candles to passers by as signs and flowers were placed at each memorial.

"Our response teams are here to help students grieve and make sure their needs are met."

Although emotion had instilled its roots into the core of the DeKalb community, there was a common realization among some NIU students and citizens on Friday - things may never be the same.

"While things may never return to normal, they can hopefully, from here, get better," Moauro said.

Gibbs, through his experiences in the past 24 hours knows at some point NIU will get back up on its feet, but it's the when that remains to be seen.

"I'm not sure what's next, I just know NIU will forge on and overcome this," Gibbs said.
For some, life in DeKalb has switched from their normal day-to-day operations to focusing on the here and now.

"Right now we literally go each hour-by-hour," said NIU student Robert Graff. "We're just doing whatever feels like the right thing."

Immediately after the shooting, Graff said his instincts led him toward those he holds closest to his heart.

"My first action was to find everyone I care about immediately," he said. "It's not the kind of thing you think would happen to you at your school."

Other students, who gathered with classmates and peers immediately after the shooting, were amazed by the reaction of the student body.

"It's been incredible, how fast people got together," said NIU student Brett Owens. "As soon as this happened, some of us were close [to where the shooting took place], walking to other classes, as soon as it happened everyone buckled down and strapped in and got together."

NIU student William Sharif said the speed of the entire event left him awestruck, but also amazed that a population could regain its composure in such a steadfast manner.

"It's just remarkable, being an NIU student, that we can cope so quickly," he said. "It didn't take us any time at all to know that we need to come together and know that we needed to form a community."

Photos from Friday night's vigils 2

By: Josh Harrell


Here are a few more photos from Friday night. Enjoy.



Thanh Nguyen, junior in accounting, lights two candles on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at a memorial for the five victims of the shooting at Northern Illinois University. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



Michelle Goldie, junior in psychology, writes on a memorial Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, behind Holmes Student Center at Northern Illinois University. The message Goldie left on the board was "Always remember, never forget." Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily




A memorial sits behind Holmes Student Center on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at Northern Illinois University. The memorial included five crosses with the names of the five victims that lost their lives during the shooting and one unnamed cross. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



NIU students and DeKalb community members light candles at a memorial Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, at Northern Illinois University in memory of the victims that lost their lives during the shootings Thursday on NIU campus. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Response by NIU police saves lives

By: Ross Boettcher

DEKALB, Ill. - A unique relationship between Northern Illinois University students and its police officers may have prevented additional fatalities during an on-campus shooting on Thursday, Feb. 14.

NIU Chief of Police Donald Grady said officers on the scene were able to give immediate attention to victims because all NIU officers are certified emergency medical technicians.

The overall effectiveness of the officers' responses during the shooting will never be known, since five lives were still lost. Despite the fatalities, Grady said his officers' expertise helped provide aide to the wounded NIU students.

"I would like to say we saved, or at least prolonged the lives of four or five individuals," Grady said. "We didn't tell them to hold on while they were bleeding out, we took action."

Grady also said the immediate medical attention provided by his officers allowed for flexibility while the rest of his team made sure the scene was secure. Before any emergency medical personnel were allowed into Cole Hall, officers had to be certain that the area was secure.

While security and life preservation are top priorities for Grady and the rest of the NIU Police, they take more of a hands-on approach in their roles. Each NIU officer is assigned to a dormitory or on-campus housing building to do more than just enforce the law.

Grady said students and officers have a "friendly and cordial relationship," that is much different from other universities around the country.

"If they [students] have a problem they can come to us," he said. "We're not just enforcing the law…we are able to spend a lot more time then other student-officer relationships."

Grady said he sees each NIU student as an individual who is away from their family and needs security. He said it is his duty, and the duty of the NIU Police to act as parental figures and treat students as if they are they were their own.

Grady said the job of the NIU police now is to re-establish security on campus and make sure students are confident in DeKalb's atmosphere.

"We will continue to work hard," Grady said. "Our presence is absolute."

Candlelight vigil video

By: John Askew

Here is a video of the candlelight vigil held on NIU's campus late Friday night. There wasn't much time to collect a lot of different interviews, but the vigil itself says more than words. Also, the music you hear in the background is from a group of guys who got together for one song.

Photos from Friday night's vigils

By: Josh Harrell

These are a couple of photos I snapped while at the candlelight vigils on Friday night. I was amazed to see the number of people out despite the very cold weather. Several of the students were surprised and glad to hear that journalists from Iowa cared enough to travel as far as we did to cover the recovery process the student body at NIU is/will be going through.

I will be updating this blog with photos throughout Saturday and Sunday, so keep checking back.




NIU students and DeKalb community members leave signs and flowers on Friday, Febuary 15, 2008 in front of Holmes Student Center for the victims of the shooting at Northern Illinois University. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



Lincoln Gibbs, health educator for Northern Illinois University, lights a candle during a candlelight vigil on Saturday, Feb. 15, 2008, in front of Holmes Student Center. Candles were provided to all who wanted to participate in the memorial for the victims of the shooting at Northern Illinois. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



NIU students pay their respects Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, during a candlelight vigil in front of the Holmes Student Center at Northern Illinois University. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



A participant of a candlelight vigil lights a candle on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, in front of the Holmes Student Center at Northern Illinois University. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily



From right, Zach Rapp, freshman in physical education, looks on while Alex Miller, freshman in fire science, holds Breanne Liebbman, freshman in nursing, during a candlelight vigil on Friday, Feb. 15, 2008, in front of Holmes Student Center at Northern Illinois University. Photo: Josh Harrell/Iowa State Daily

Just arrived

By: Pat Shaver

In a spur of the moment decision, a group of Iowa State Daily reporters/photographers drove to DeKalb, Illinois to cover the effects of the shooting that took place on Feb. 14.

It is not often that news like this happens, especially news that directly affects college students. As student journalists, we are constantly learning. We have to throw ourselves into situations and learn as we go. Having the opportunity to cover a major news event is something that we will all remember for a very long time.

We rushed out of Ames at 5:30 p.m. on Friday, hoping to make it to DeKalb in time for the 9 p.m. vigil in remberence ceremony. Of course, we didn't make it quite on time.

When we arrived in DeKalb, the small college town seemed vacant. As we drove closer to campus we saw police sirens, news vans and people walking to and from a building. We continued driving and saw a candlelight vigil in front of the Homes Student Center.

Athough we missed the official vigil in rememberence, there was plenty more to see outside the building.

All around the Homes Student Center, there were five memorials. Four had candles and signs and one was a large board where people could write down their thoughts.

"An eye for an eye will make the world blind," one note read. Some of the notes expressed extreme sorrow, and others stressed unity among the community.

The other vigils had people crowded around them. Some people were taking pictures, others were comforting friends to their side. One thing is for sure though, it is amazing to see how such a horrible event can really bring a community together.

Watching the Northern Star's Web site throughout this process has also been extremely motivating. As journalists, they are really doing their jobs well. They have information that is relevent to NIU students, but also interesting to people from outside DeKalb.

Check back throughout the day on Saturday for updated coverage.