On Monday I was in class when I got a text that every other student on campus got. "A student died on campus this morning after falling from Nash Hall." Nash Hall is where I live. My home. Someone in my home died. DIED. I can't really explain what went through my head, because it all happened so fast, but it included panic, confusion, crying, and anger.The text didn't say who it was. There was no information in the text. But I knew it was someone from my home.
I didn't like Nash when I got back from class. It was quiet, for the first time ever. It was dark and everyone was crying and hugging. Before long, we knew who it was. Tim Crossan. Tim, just 19 years old, lived just one floor above me on the third floor, and he moved in only three weeks ago. On Monday morning, he went to the seventh floor, onto the sundeck and took on the incredible task of climbing onto the roof. One newspaper described this as being like "climbing the Space Needle." He then jumped to his death, landing 8 stories down on the concrete tennis courts.
Tim moved in just three short weeks ago and I met him last Thursday. We had an awkward introduction. Little to my knowledge, he was on the phone when I introduced myself to him. He had to tell whoever he was on the phone with to hold on, so that we could have our conversation. Let me tell you. It was really awkward. Walking away, I knew it was something that we would look back on later and laugh about. I never expected that what happened would go on just a few days later.
Nash is a community. Sometimes I complain about it, but in the end, it's beautiful and I love it. Since Monday when I got back from class, Nash has been different than it ever was before. It's quiet. There's a difference in the building that I don't know that I can explain with words. On Monday afternoon, the building felt heavy with grief. So heavy in fact, that along with my 4 other best friends, Matt, Alexander, Maddi, and Caroline, we left the building. We went to the park so we could be silent, we could laugh, and hug, and be there for each other. I am so thankful for all of them and I love them lots.
Tim's death was a terrible thing. However, there have been so many incredible things that have come from it. Over 200 people came to the "community event" that happened in Nash on Monday Night. People did whatever they wanted. They sang if they wanted to sing, prayed if they wanted to prayed, were quiet if they wanted to be quiet, but we were all there together and all there for each other.
Another incredible thing. Tonight, there was a ceremony with Tim's family and then a candle light vigil. Tim's mom spoke at the ceremony. She volunteered to do so and I don't think there was a dry eye in the room. At the candle light vigil in Red Square, Tim's sister thanked everyone for coming and said "it meant everything to them."
The most beautiful thing. The support from campus has been incredible. I'm lucky enough to get to walk past this every day:
Tonight, Nash is finally turning back to normal. It's not silent anymore, doors are slamming, and pretty soon the boys upstairs will be playing basketball indoors again. To be honest, I have no idea why everything happened on Monday. I don't know what Tim's thoughts were. I do know that there was a reason behind it, I know that we are SO much stronger because of it, I know that the The Nash community is better than it was before. I love the people that live here and honestly, I'll probably even miss it a little bit next year.
Well said Sierra . Death is never easy, but it is part of life.
ReplyDeleteThis is really powerful Sierra.
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