Jaclyn Imondi
Copy Editor
Grief is hard. Loss is sometimes unbearable. And the only way to get through it, is to live through it.
This past weekend, the Springfield College class of 2016 and the PA class of 2017 lost a classmate in Annie Nguyen. There have been reflection sessions hosted as well as offerings to speak with representatives from the Counseling Center. The entire student body also received an email from President Cooper offering condolences and also providing positive remarks about Annie from the director of the physician assistant program.
Sometimes, there is a loss so great that you feel as if you have been hit in the chest with a wrench or as if your stomach has been replaced with a brick. You cry yourself into a headache or you become so overwhelmed with feelings that you feel as though you cannot even formulate any real response to the worst news you could have received.
The key is to stick by one another. Misery love company; that’s why services exist. Funerals aren’t for the passed, they’re for the ones who were left behind. Funerals are so the people who are left with the burden and pain of losing a loved one can bond with those who are feeling similar pain. Sure, the services can be uncomfortable and heartbreaking, but there is also a strange sense of comfort in knowing that you’re not the only one hurting.
With a small school like Springfield College, you’re given the chance to get to know a grand number of unique individuals, and you’re likely to have more in common than just the college you both chose to attend. At Springfield, there is a special sense of community all the time that was built beginning the very first day students reach campus. The college pushes us together from the start, forcing us to learn about each other, fostering awkward friendships and allowing them to blossom into sister and brotherhoods. There is no family quite like the Springfield College family, and that is just one thing that makes this institution so incredible.
From what I know about Annie, she was a person who had the ability to bind groups and bring people together. For one last time, she is bringing the Springfield College community together in her passing. At this difficult time, allow yourselves to be with each other and accept the support from others.
My deepest and sincerest sympathies go out to anyone and everyone who was lucky enough to know Annie.