Can you guess what common thread exists in the following incidents?

In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play at Ford’s Theater in Washington, D.C.

In 1966, a gunman stood atop the famed University of Texas Tower, killing 16 and wounding dozens more below him.

In 1999, 12 Columbine High School students and a teacher were killed, with many others injured, most losing their lives in the school’s library.

In 2001, American Airlines Flight 77, overtaken by terrorists, slammed into the Pentagon, killing 125 on the ground and 59 on board the plane.

Last year, 32 students were killed and scores more injured in Virginia Tech’s Norris Hall.

Although momentarily overtaken and marked by violence, the above buildings – each fatefully visited by tragedy – still stand today. Many have undergone a thoughtful metamorphosis, becoming educational tools as well as living memorials; others have reflected the human will to thrive by quickly reverting to their previous use.

Ford Theater is today both a working theater and a museum.

The University of Texas Tower still stands, housing the school’s administrative offices. Rebuilding of the fire-, fuel-, smoke- and water-damaged Pentagon began quickly, and less than a year after the attack, employees began moving back into the space.

While Columbine’s second-floor library was torn out to expand the commons below, the building itself remains in use. Norris Hall also remains a place of study, infused yet again with the life and relevance that defined it prior to its darkest day.

Opportunities for reflection exist in both buildings today, along with promise and hope for the future.

Clearly, decisions regarding the fate of such spaces were not easy to make. And so, they were made deliberately, decided by the many and not the few. For example, in the weeks and months following the incidents at Columbine and Virginia Tech, committees were assembled and convened to ultimately decide the fate of the affected buildings.

In contrast, last week’s announcement of the intention to see Cole Hall razed by Governor Blagojevich and NIU President John Peters (who deserves great respect and regard for his warm and steady leadership) made many on campus flinch. Disbelief at being left out of the process was palpable.

Facebook groups sprang up. “Preserve NIU’s Cole Hall” is largest, with more than 600 members to date. Both faculty and students alike could be overheard noting their displeasure with both the speed at which the decision was made and the fact that their feelings on the matter seemed, well, not to matter.

While best intentions may be at heart, neglecting to tap into the feelings of those most affected – NIU’s faculty and student body – is problematic. Their opinions must be better addressed if we are to continue moving Forward, Together Forward.