Michael McKinney's fraternity brothers no longer share a house,but they continue to come together to comfort each other and hisfamily.
"We're a whole lot closer," Pad Edger, graduate student andpledge brother, said. "We all kind of had to open up to oneanother. We had to trust each other."
Fraternity members of Delta Chi, which disbanded a few monthsbefore Michael McKinney died, went down to his hometown of BedfordSunday and today to remember their friend with his family.
REMEMBERING MIKEY
Like his fraternity brothers, Michael McKinney is still presentin his family.
"There's no way he'll ever be forgotten by any of us," KatieMcKinney, his sister, said.
Ryan McKinney said he could never forget his brother.
"It's not something that will ever go away," he said.
The family talks about Michael McKinney constantly, KatieMcKinney said, and wears green ribbons in his honor. Green was hisfavorite color, she said.
"They symbolize that we recognize what a great person he was,"Katie McKinney said.
For his family and friends, the loss of Michael McKinney hasbrought a hole they find hard to fill.
"We're a very close-knit family, and there's a huge chunk thatis missing," Katie McKinney said.
However, his fraternity brothers have supported the McKinneysthroughout the past year, calling his parents and visiting for hisbirthday, Katie McKinney said.
Nick Koesters, senior and Delta Chi member, said the fraternitybrothers decided to visit the McKinneys over the anniversary tocatch up with them.
"We wanted to make a point to be with his family," Koesterssaid. "We're more worried about that than getting something done oncampus."
Ryan McKinney said the support of his brother's friends havehelped the family.
"They've been really gracious," Ryan McKinney said. "It's one ofthose things that help you through the week."
Despite the support, the McKinney family has changed.
"We kind of had to figure out who we are," Katie McKinneysaid.
The lives of Michael McKinney's fraternity brothers have beenchanged along with his family.
"It's a struggle to move forward with this incidence," Koesterssaid. "It makes me appreciate what I have in being here. When I dogo out and party, it makes me think twice about my actions."
Rich Lentz, alumnus and pledge brother, said Michael McKinney'sdeath changed his view of the university.
"It took away the innocence of college and made me think aboutmortality," Lentz said. "A year later, you still don't know what tothink or how to feel. You can't put it into words."
UNRESOLVED FEELINGS
Michael McKinney's death also made Lentz feel angry toward BallState, he said. Lentz lost respect for Ball State because it hasn'taccepted responsibility for his death, he said.
"They may say they have reached out, but they haven't," Lentzsaid.
Lentz felt so strongly against the university he did not want tocome back, he said.
Edger said he felt the university made positive steps in thechanges it made in the University Police Department, but he hasmixed feelings about the university's actions.
Lentz said he did approve of the steps Ball State has taken toimprove the police force. Lentz talked to police officers inIndianapolis who told him Ball State's police force has become oneof the hardest programs to get into, he said. However, Lentzquestioned the need of certain weapons.
"Ball State is not a war zone," Lentz said.
The McKinney family has also pushed for changes at theuniversity. They called for an FBI investigation to look into thedeath and sued the university in a civil-rights lawsuit.
"We feel the lawsuit is necessary because there has to be someaccountability in this so Mikey's death is not in vain," KatieMcKinney said.
The investigation and lawsuit continue to remind the McKinneysabout the death.
"We're still very much in the thick of it," Katie McKinney said."There's been absolutely no closure."
LAST IMPRESSION
However, Katie McKinney said she would prefer students focus onher brother and not the events that followed his death.
"I hope they remember ... what an amazing person he was," shesaid. "Throughout all this ugliness, it's important to remember whoMikey was."
She said her brother was always a clown with a good heart whoappreciated life.
"We always knew he would do great things," she said.
Lentz said it was important for all students to remember MichaelMcKinney, even if they didn't know him. However, he said studentsneed to remember he was a person, not a topic.
Edger described Michael McKinney as a charming man who saw thelighter side of life.
"In the past, I tended to get mad at people for little things,and I held grudges easily," Edger said.
Michael McKinney would tell him to resolve the problems, though,Edger said, advice he now takes to heart.
"I try to take things less serious on a social level," hesaid.
Koesters said people could always talk about their problems withMichael McKinney.
Whenever people remember his friend, though, Koester said theyshould focus on his life, not his death.
"Try not to think about the tragedy, but his outgoingpersonality and how he could turn anyone's day around," Koesterssaid.
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