I want to offer a secular perspective on why there were six crosses at memorials around campus.

Whether we have religious leanings or not, the events on Valentine’s Day affected everyone affiliated with NIU. The memorials were for us to process our own responses in meaningful ways. Five of the crosses had names on them; these were to remind us of those five victims so unfairly affected that Thursday.
At some memorials, there was an additional cross without a name. This cross was not to glorify or in any way justify the actions of the gunman, but served to effectively point lingering thoughts, after paying respects to the victims and their loved ones, toward thinking about how so many people were, and still are, affected.

The gunman had a family. The gunman had friends. The gunman was, at one point, an important and positive part of many people's lives. Now, he will be remembered always negatively as the gunman and always raising questions far different from those that come to mind when considering the lives he took.

Those arguing that having a sixth cross is insensitive: I urge you to consider the questions the people that once loved the man who did something so horrible will now always be asking themselves. The sixth cross is for them. It is to let them know that we acknowledge the difficulty and senselessness of everything that happened.

Perhaps it is difficult for some to imagine looking at things from that side. However, I think it is greatly important to ensure we all consider how that Thursday changed us and to remember that we are all humans, fallible, imperfect — capable of great evil and capable of showing so much good in response.

Sean Jensen
senior, English and philosophy

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