Thursday, September 26, 1996
Eyes turn to victims
Saturday, a ceremony and
procession were held in memory
of Melanie Spalla. Jenelle
Lockard, friend of Spalla, lit the
candle that stands on the HUB
Photo by Michelle Gruendl
GIFTS OF MEMORY: This
tree is near the spot where
Nicholas Mensah was
wounded.
Personal Fea
A visit to
by Michelle Gruendl
with Jennifer V. Colvin
I feel very sheltered at college;
so sheltered that I’m scared to
death to graduate and head out
into the real world with real things
and real problems.
But my personal sense of
shelter was shattered last week.
For most at University Park, the
Letter to the Editor: iu
High school friend expresses
grief after shooting
Everyone on campus was
shocked after hearing about last
Tuesday’s shooting at University
Park, and I am sure that it has been
the subject of a lot of
conversations lately. But, I don't
think that very many people were
as shocked as I was when I found
out the name of the assailant.
Jillian Robbins was a high
school friend of mine, and at first I
was not sure if it was her because
she always spelled her name with a
“g”, so we used to call her Jill with
a “G.” But, that was only
something she did, her legal name
was Jillian, spelled with a “J.”
I really have mixed feelings
about the whole situation. My
sympathy goes out to the family
and friends of the victims, but I
have equal sympathy fix Jill, most
likely because I knew her.
We were not what you would
call best friends, but we were
together a lot in school. We had
some classes together and we both
had a love of horses. Actually that
is what we talked about most, was
horses.. Jill was an excellent artist,
she drew very well. I still have
several horse pictures that she drew
for me. Jill was strange, but she
was not psychotic when I knew
her.
It has been reported that she has
a history of mental problems, but
she was not like that when I knew
From VICTIMS page 1
lawn that bums as a constant
reminder of the pain that all
involved have endured. The
procession started at Schwab
Aduitorium down Pollock Road
to the HUB lawn where Spalla
dew her last breath. The
procession stopped at the spot of
Spalla’s death, as solemn and tear
stained faces stopped to pay their
respects.
There were also candles lit for
Nicholas Mensah, who was. shot
in the abdomen. asah w;>
transferred from Centre
“We need to have an
ending so we can
somehow try to
move on.”
-Randyn Hoffman
iture with Michelle Gruendl:
secuuty biankei was snatched
away Tuesday morning after the
blunt reality of the shooting set
But for me, my security blanket
fell away a few days later on
Saturday while visiting UP and
viewing the HUB lawn.
Though many may not think
this visit emotional, it was very
mud i iui me
her. These problems must have
started and escalated over the past
two years. She was a very nice
girl in high school, when I knew
her.
I definitely do not want her to
get the death penalty, she nr ds
help and she was “normal” at one
time, so I am sure she can get br-ek
to that way.
I guess most of all I feel badly
that I did not keep in touch with
her. I think a lot of her feelings
and psychotic tendencies stem from
the fact that she did not feel
accepted by society. From the way
it sounds she did not have many
friends.
If I would have kept in touch
with her, maybe she would’ve
known that she had a friend and
maybe it could’ve changed things,
but maybe it wouldn’t have, I don’t
know.
I do know that this incident has
left an impact on a lot of people
and I know there are mixed feelings
about what her punishment should
be.
This situation has really hit my
high school and friends hard. Chi
that note, I have one thing to say
to Behrend students about this,
next time you leave a school,
whether you are transferring or
graduating, think of Jill with a “G”
and try not to lose contact with
your friends, because you may one
day be in the same situation I am.
- Jennie Kuhue
Photo oy Michelle Gruendl
A VIEW ACROSS THE HUB LAWN: Looking across the lawn, the spot where Melanie
Spalla was fatally shot (pictured below with the wreath) is almost in the centerthe photo
Community Hospital to Albeit The longing for closure was
Enstein Medical Center in summed up by senior journalism
Philadelphia. He is listed in student, Randyn Hoffman, who
stable condition, however, his said. "We need to have an ending
physical condition has not so we can somehow try to move
changed on"
the HUB lawn
": n m the absence of the
l,.iui:om tape i amoved on the day
bctcre, tne entire campus was
somber.
The day of Melanie Spalla’s
funeral Saturday was real eye
opener for me.
THE HUB LAWN
On Saturday, I traveled to UP
to visit my best friend. While
there, we spent a few hours
walking around campus and
eventually ended up at the HUB
lawn.
All around me were people;
people studying, playing and
enjoying the sun.
I don’t know why, but I was
surprised.
I could not believe how four
days before, police crowded the
lawn their cruisers and yellow
police tape, and now there ar=>
people back on the lawn.
It’s good to move on, but I was
surprised that things were going
back to normal so quickly.
As I walked across the lawn,
people were setting up volleyball
nets and studying everywhere. ..
except near the flowers.
The flowers were not planted,
but left by people in memory of
Spalla and in honor of Nicholas
Mensah, victims of last Tuesday’s
shooting.
You can’t forget; it’s not
something you can forget - not if
you’re on that lawn... seeing the
flowers and candles, seeing the
ambulance and police car tracks in
the lawn.
Although there were a lot of
people on that lawn, the area
seemed to have an invisible fence
around it.
No one crosses the fence
because I think they are afraid to
remember. It may be their way of
trying to move oh.. . dealing with
the pain or emotion.
The one's that do cross the
Photo by Michelle Gruendl
MY STOMACH DROPPED: “Standing in the tire tracks
(below) you feel your stomach flop and it goes directly through
your heart.” - M. Gruendl
The flowers above are at the fence where Melanie Spalla died.
be their way of dealing with it.
When visiting a battlefield of
days gone by, you feel remorse,
but feel safe; it’s a detached
feel ng because it happened in
the past.
But the people who were
r. olved that day on the lawn
we i aft my age struggling with
ame things I am; it is easier
The Behrend College Collegi > i - Page 5
Information courtesy
The Digital Collegian located at
http://www.collegian.psu.edu
and University Relations at
http://www.ur.psu.edu.
killed yesterday than a victim of a
violent act 100 years ago.
Like everyone else, I question
over and over again why - but we
may never know.
What I do know is that this was
an unfortunate event which has
touched all of us in some way. I
will never forget my walk on the
lIUu ;... n that day.