Artifacts from Feb. 14 represent rememberance at art exhibit

By NICOLE SOSZYNSKI

Photographs, collages, letters and works of art represented remembrance and condolence of the five victims from the Feb. 14 tragedy.

“Today we are all Huskies” art exhibit was held in the Holmes Student Center art gallery and lounge Saturday.

James Brunson, assistant vice president of Student Affairs, said the exhibit displayed a variety of items from artifacts to art.

“We received letters from other universities and from politicians who sent their condolences to President Peters,” Brunson said.

Among those were condolences from former President George W. Bush and Mayor Richard M. Daley.

The exhibit held collages made from newspaper headlines and articles from the community members of Roscoe, Ill. Photographs were displayed from last year’s memorial services and vigils and from around the community.

Cindy Ditzler, the director of the regional history center, said the glass cases held items from a variety of memorials.

“The items in the cases came from the memorials that students put on campus,” she said.

Paper cranes from the Japanese crane display that was outside on the trees of Cole Hall sat in the glass case next to the white cutout of one of the five Huskies that was also outside of Cole.

Stuffed animals, hearts, candles, flowers, poems, ribbons and letters were displayed as remembrance from student memorials. The Virginia Tech Hokies for Huskies displayed photographs, signatures and letters, which gave support for the Huskie viewers.

Viewers walking around the exhibit held onto one another as they watched video footage from last year of President John Peters speaking about the tragedy and footage from the therapy dogs visiting campus.

Silence and small conversations of remembrance filled the room as viewers walked around.

Wearing a red and black ribbon and a “Forward, Together Forward” T-shirt Kelsey Borg, freshman communicative disorder major, said she felt sad as she looked at the photographs and displays, but also felt strong to be a part of the NIU community.

“I feel it’s important to remember the five that were lost,” Borg said.