On Monday, February thirteenth, 2023, tragedy struck the campus of Michigan State University; a shooting, leaving three dead and five others wounded. While time has moved past this horrific event, the effect of the shooting still lies heavy on many. We can do our best to remember the lives lost at Michigan State by learning from this tragic event and enforcing precautions and regulations to make the campus a safer place for its students and staff.
Allison DeMare, a student at Royal Oak High School, plans to attend MSU this coming fall. Having been to Michigan State’s campus a multitude of times, DeMare chose to attend the university mainly due to it offering a sturdy education to its students all while embracing the famed college experience. Knowing one of the victims, Alexandria Verner, from her childhood, news of the shooting came personally to DeMare.
“I would rather have a person than five million dollars,” she said. She was upset by the university’s response to the tragedy, giving each of the victims’ families a large sum of money in return for the lives lost.
MSU’s response to the shooting included upgrading campus security by adding locks on classroom doors, which the campus did not have prior to the tragedy, and cameras to academic buildings, as well as strongly recommending active violent intruder training for everyone. The MSU police force also has been expanding since this incident to ensure staff is readily available to handle routine and campus safety.
“I think, if anything, the shooting will make my experience a safer experience,” said DeMare. As of right now, because of the regulations being put into place, DeMare does not have any major concerns about attending Michigan State and instead intends to look at it as a new, exciting experience.
DeMare, like many others, is looking forward to having the “college experience” and having the opportunity to focus on personal interests in her studies. Attending college should be a new beginning, a chance to give young adults authority over their schedules and lives for the first time. With the addition of new precautions around campus, those attending Michigan State will have a safer experience, surrounded by a protected environment where students can hopefully live risk-free.
