“You’ll always have a special place in our hearts,” said a message on a banner at Columbine High School in Jefferson County, Colorado, talking about the NIU campus shootings.

The Rocky Mountain News is reporting that the school has created a banner to show support for NIU after the Feb. 14 shootings. The banner has both the Columbine Rebels logo and the NIU Huskies logo.

Columbine principal Frank DeAngelis told the Rocky Mountain News that the schools have a special connection because of the Columbine tragedy almost nine years ago.

Other messages on the banner include “Don’t stop believing” and “Our prayers are with you.”

The “Huskies for Hokies Candlelight Vigil” will take place at at 8 p.m. Wednesday, April 16, in the King Memorial Commons. All members of the NIU community are invited to attend.

The day will mark the one-year anniversary of the deadly shootings at Virginia Tech last April.

More than 1,000 students participated in a candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech on Feb. 18 to show support for NIU.

Candles and lighters will be provided at the event, which is sponsored by the Student Association and the Residence Hall Association.

In honor of Sexual Assault Awareness Month, Northern Illinois University’s Health Enhancement and Safe Passage will be co-sponsoring several events during the month of April. Safe Passage’s Clothesline Project, t-shirts made by survivors of sexual violence, will be exhibited at several campus locations during the month.

In addition, volunteers will present Silent Statistics at various campus sites.

The Fifth Annual Divas and Desserts will be held at 6:00pm Monday, April 21, 2008, at Neptune Hall’s Fireplace Lounge.

Highlighted will be information on women who have been instrumental in both the civil rights and sexual assault movements.

Topping off the evening will be a buffet of freshly baked, homemade desserts. There will be no charge for admission to any of these events. This event is only open to NIU students, faculty and staff.

For more information on any of these events, please contact Lincoln Gibbs, at 815-753-9767 or Cynthia Folgate at 815-756-7930.