Ball State University has experienced its fair share of deathsover the last five months. With a population exceeding 18,000people, student deaths are bound to occur over the course of agiven year, but the circumstances surrounding this year'sfatalities have drawn more interest than usual.
The deaths of students Michael McKinney, Karl Harford and, mostrecently, Kyle Trosky, serve as a painful wake-up call to thecampus and surrounding community, not to mention college campusesnationwide. On or away from this campus, students this year havebeen continuously reminded that life cannot be taken forgranted.
These lessons have been shared with other students, parents orrandom acquaintances. For many, Spring Break provided amplestorytelling time. Yet, it is important for everyone associatedwith this university to consider one thing when passing on thesestories: the respect for the emotions of others.
This year has provided an opportunity for students to turn theseunfortunate, deadly situations into laughing matters, if fornothing else but as their personal way of coping.
It might seem humorous to talk with others about "surviving" ayear at Ball State, amongst other racy punch lines that have beenheard floating about since late November. However, students shouldbe aware that such handling of these situations is neverappropriate, especially in public.
Regardless of how innocent a comment might seem, students needto remember that the subject of death is a horribly touchy topicfor many individuals, especially those directly involved.
Those who are left behind deserve the respect, care and supportof their fellow classmates, not an immature shower of shallow humorand raunchy puns.
After all, you never know who may be listening.
Jokes can be taken many ways, as can the loss of human life. Itis for this very reason that students must keep in mind afundamental rule of etiquette: Death is no laughing matter.
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