Thousands gather at NIU for five slain students

Thousands of students, teachers and community members gathered Thursday afternoon to commemorate a loss shared, and felt, by all.

"We are all wounded in spirit," NIU President John Peters told the crowd at the Martin Luther King Commons. "We are alone in our thoughts, but we listen together."

Then, at 3:06 p.m. -- exactly one week after the first deadly shots were fired -- bells began to toll.

Campus bells chimed in unison with bells at neighboring churches. The bells rang for five minutes.

Each minute marked the loss of one NIU student.

Catalina Garcia.

Dan Parmenter.

Ryanne Mace.

Gayle Dubowski.

Julianna Gehant.

"Where we stand now is forever hallowed ground," Peters said. "We will transform that space (Cole Hall) into a vibrant learning environment that will honor Catalina, Dan, Gayle, Julianna and Ryanne."

More Coverage Slideshow Five minutes of remembrance at NIU

People held hands and hugged. Not a single wireless phone rang. Afterward, five red balloons were released and floated northwest into the light snow.

Many students wore red and black ribbons, pausing to write their thoughts on message boards or light a candle at the base of a five-cross memorial.

Marissa Wilkinson, an NIU senior, had ironed "We Will Never Forget 2-14-08" on her Huskies sweatshirt.

Wilkinson said she wanted to support her sorority sisters who knew some of the wounded and dead. She said coming back to campus was tough at first.

"When I first drove back on campus, I felt sick. The first time I heard a siren, it was really hard," said Wilkinson, of Thompson, Ill. "There's really never closure. No matter what, there's always something that will open the wound again."

Justin Kurylin, an NIU sophomore and DeKalb native, hoisted a large red NIU flag up on a handheld, 10-foot pole.

"I'm just showing my support. I've never been more proud to be a Husky. Everybody has come together," he said. "It's important that we all come together and lift each other up. Good comes from bad."

Faculty members said it was important now to focus on how they could help their students.

Stephanie Kummerer, an English instructor whose office overlooks Cole Hall, said the first thing she did when she returned to campus this week was look out her office window.

"Last week, it seemed so much farther away when I watched all the events unfold (on television afterward)," she said. "Now, it's right there. In some ways, you have to get back here to heal."

Kummerer's colleague, Lori Lawson, agreed the experience has been "surreal."

"We've had (grief and counseling) sessions all week. We're working through it," Lawson said.

"I still feel really sad and concerned with the students and how to start helping them when they return," Lawson said, emphasizing how the university has united since Feb. 14. "I think it's really bringing out the best in everyone."

Paul Gruca, a senior from Peotone, was at nearby Davis Hall on Feb. 14. He said the tragedy has started to set in after a week.

"You hear Virginia Tech, but when it happens to your school it's a reality check," Gruca said, adding he is thankful for the community support, but, "it will still be a weird feeling to go to class (next week)."

Rachael Cully, a sophomore from Jacksonville, Ill., didn't attend the service, but paused at the five white crosses on a berm at the King Commons area. Cully was on her way to work at the university bookstore -- the same place she was a week ago when the shooting started.

"It's not like it's getting better. You're just learning how to live with it and accept it. It's still hard to believe it happened here," Cully said, adding that she, too, had an uneasy feeling as she pulled into town Thursday. "It will be OK, it will be OK. I know it will. We're strong."