Remembrance

Upon arriving to work, the rumor I heard over the weekend ended up being true. A student of Penn College died in a car accident over the weekend. The whole campus is feeling pain right now. She was a really involved student and close with a lot of people, including the Residence Life staff. I never met her and didn't know a thing about her but I can relate to what the campus is going through as I had three friends pass away from smoke inhalation in a house fire.

I couldn't find the original article but here is an article that remembers the incident. Here's the story how I remember it:

During my First Year of college in 2002, I lived on the 3rd Floor of East Wing at Bailey Hall on the St. Paul campus of the University of Minnesota. The people I lived around were all different but a lot of fun. Over the course of the year, everyone seemed to have a connection with each other and we seemed to be like one giant family, not always happy, but a family no less. We all went our separate ways after the year ended, some people living in Bailey again, some to off campus housing. I returned to Bailey Hall with 2 of my neighbors from 3East, John and Tim.

September 20th, 2003 did not start out to be a normal Saturday. John usually spent his Saturdays in the Fall out hunting but for some reason he decided to stay. Tim usually spent the night with his girlfriend but he did not on this day. John and I had plans to attend the Gopher football game against Louisiana Lafayette later that night. The three of us were watching some football pre-game that morning when our neighbors, Kellen, Joe, and Eric (all three residents of 3East with us), knocked on our door and asked if we heard what happened. We said no and they told us Liz Wencl, Amanda Speckien, and Brian Heiden, members of our family, had died in a house fire. They were visibly upset as they were much closer to the three of them than John, Tim, and I. Between that moment of shock and going to Liz's funeral, everything is a blur. I remember bits and pieces but everything happened so fast.

Liz's funeral was first and time seemed to slow down. I had been close with Liz. We had a couple French classes together and I talked her a couple days prior to the accident. She always lit up a room and made everyone feel like they would always have her as a friend. Amanda's funeral was a couple days later and on the same day as Brian's. I went to Amanda's so I was unable to attend Brian's funeral. The finality of it all was unlike anything I had ever experienced. All I knew was how much I would miss them.

I can't claim to be their best friends like others can. I don't know if they considered me a friend. What I do know is they had an impact on my life. We shared the common experience of living in the Residence Halls of Minnesota and the trials of navigating our way through our first year of college. They taught me not to take any friendship for granted. I strive to make everyone feel welcomed, even if I know nothing about them. I strive to live life to the fullest, just as they did. I continue to remember.

There is no comparison to a fire and a car accident except that both are tragic. However, I can't help remembering what it was like. I feel for the faculty, staff, and students here at Penn College for what they are going through. I hope their wound will heal with time. Take care Penn College.