Closeness of Wittenberg:
The shocking news of the death of Karl Fazli
Jocelin Baker
Issue date: 2/22/07 Section: Opinion
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The debate over small town versus big city living is age old. Some people look at a small town and think, "How could you ever have any privacy in a town where everyone knows your name and your life story?" Other people look at the big city and think, "How could you ever feel like home in a place so big, everyone you pass on the street is a total stranger and no one ever gets to know who you really are?"
Me, I'm a small town girl, and while I spent a majority of my adolescent and teen years loathing the town I grew up in, by graduation I knew that I couldn't be one of those kids who headed off to a big campus like Kent or Ohio State and ended up lost in the crowd. So I came to Wittenberg which, for me, was the best of both worlds. A small campus meant a close-knit campus, but at the same time it was a school full of 2,000 kids I had never met before.
Now, some people may say that Wittenberg is too gossipy and cliquey, more like a high school than anything else. But for me it will always be more like a small town. And, no matter how much I hated growing up in my small town, the one thing that never ceased to amaze me was how quickly and how strongly it rallied behind those in need. It didn't matter if someone had lost a job, a house, or a loved one; my town was there to offer as much support as possible. They held bake sales and food drives; churches gathered donations, people brought dinners, and families opened up their homes- anything they could do to help someone who was down and out. And now, it's Wittenberg's turn to do the same.
The death of Karl Fazli came as a shock to all of us and the Wittenberg community should be rallying behind those mourning the loss of one of our own. Many already have. A group of Gamma Phi Betas got together and made dinner for the Delta Sigma Phis, Karl's fraternity, and I hope that others are taking note and offering their support, too. It's time for Wittenberg to prove that although we may be a small campus, we are most definitely a strong one.
For those of you who pray, do so. Pray for Karl's family, his brothers, and his friends; that they might find peace in their time of grief. For those of us who don't, find another way to express your condolences. Tell the Sig in your class that you're sorry for his loss or reach out to one of his friends. Just do something that lets them know that the whole campus is behind them, offering our support and mourning their loss.
Until next time,
Me, I'm a small town girl, and while I spent a majority of my adolescent and teen years loathing the town I grew up in, by graduation I knew that I couldn't be one of those kids who headed off to a big campus like Kent or Ohio State and ended up lost in the crowd. So I came to Wittenberg which, for me, was the best of both worlds. A small campus meant a close-knit campus, but at the same time it was a school full of 2,000 kids I had never met before.
Now, some people may say that Wittenberg is too gossipy and cliquey, more like a high school than anything else. But for me it will always be more like a small town. And, no matter how much I hated growing up in my small town, the one thing that never ceased to amaze me was how quickly and how strongly it rallied behind those in need. It didn't matter if someone had lost a job, a house, or a loved one; my town was there to offer as much support as possible. They held bake sales and food drives; churches gathered donations, people brought dinners, and families opened up their homes- anything they could do to help someone who was down and out. And now, it's Wittenberg's turn to do the same.
The death of Karl Fazli came as a shock to all of us and the Wittenberg community should be rallying behind those mourning the loss of one of our own. Many already have. A group of Gamma Phi Betas got together and made dinner for the Delta Sigma Phis, Karl's fraternity, and I hope that others are taking note and offering their support, too. It's time for Wittenberg to prove that although we may be a small campus, we are most definitely a strong one.
For those of you who pray, do so. Pray for Karl's family, his brothers, and his friends; that they might find peace in their time of grief. For those of us who don't, find another way to express your condolences. Tell the Sig in your class that you're sorry for his loss or reach out to one of his friends. Just do something that lets them know that the whole campus is behind them, offering our support and mourning their loss.
Until next time,
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