Should colleges have access IDs?

I have been reading many of the articles about the NIU tragedy and just like most readers, I've had a lot of emotions about them.

Some readers are blaming different people or reasons for the tragedy, and I can understand the need for that. People want answers and want to hold someone responsible for allowing this to happen.

I am a former elementary school teacher and when I was teaching, the only way to enter the building was to swipe a key card to unlock the door. This is the case in many, if not all schools, in our area.

What if all college staff and enrolled students had an I.D. card that would grant them access to school buildings?

When staff and students went to class, they would have to swipe their card to enter the building.

There has been a lot of talk about what to do with Cole Hall and I hope that officials take their time deciding what is best for students, staff, and the university.

Sadly, tragedies happen often in today's world and we aren't knocking down every structure that has a tragedy happen in or around them.

I know this won't prevent every possible tragedy, but possibly it could be a start. Maybe we could all shift our energy into ways to prevent something like this happening again, or at least minimize the chance.

I certainly won't assume what the victims and families are feeling. I can't even begin to imagine the loss they are feeling. One thing I hope we can all agree on is we need to try to prevent anyone from going through a tragedy like this again.

Julie LaFrenere

Schaumburg