Cedars, January 2018

January 2018 14 OFF CAMPUS creased education and awareness of men- tal health issues, which both Clauson and Parvin believe is the most effective way of combating gun violence in a world where the issue is the depravity of man, not the lack of laws. Parvin argued that mental health reporting and mental health edu- cation is essential to gun violence preven- tion. “Sutherland Springs is a good exam- ple,” he said. “The Air Force knew of mental problems, they knew of instability, and they didn’t report it.” One effect of media sensationaliza- tion of these events is how routine they have become — we rarely react to mass shootings on a personal level. Gun vio- lence became a highly personal issue for Cedarville student Leah Cole on Jan. 20, 2017, when her brother Logan was severe- ly injured in a school shooting at West Liberty-Salem High School in West Liber- ty, Ohio. As Leah was leaving a class, her mom called her to tell her that it was her brother, Logan, who had been shot. She and her boy- friend drove home immediately. Logan was shot twice by fellow student Ely Serna but survived. Logan was able to talk to Serna and offer him forgiveness, even saying that Serna should not commit suicide. “Logan did talk to the student, saying, ‘You don’t have to hurt anyone, no one’s died, you don’t have to hurt yourself,’ and that’s basically what they discussed when the principal and the vice principal came in,” she said. “I think Logan very much attributes this to being a God-thing, even having the clarity to say that when he was not in the right mind to be talking neces- sarily.” Leah expressed how grateful she was that Logan was able to pull through, and how inspired she was by his courage in the moment. “Just one little thing changing and it would have been a completely differ- ent day,” she said. “The shot on his back was a 1/16th of an inch from his spine and 1/16th of an inch from his heart, and that was mid-spin. It taught me to real- ly respect life, and realize things change literally in an instant. There will still be times when I drive by the school and I think, ‘I’m really blessed to not have to have gone to my brother’s funeral when he was 17.’” Though the incident was heart-rending for the Cole family, Leah expressed how en- couraging it was to see her community come together after the event. “The way that people responded was absolutely incredible. They held a prayer vigil, and I think four or five hundred peo- ple showed up to our small church that holds maybe 50 or 60 people. That was really encouraging to see. I remember our freezers and fridges, there was no room from how much food people were bringing. And Logan’s hospital room was really filled to the brim with gift baskets and generous things.” Perhaps the hope in stories of gun violence are the stories of communities coming together. After the mass shooting in Las Vegas in 2017, hundreds gathered on Las Vegas Boulevard to pray and hold a candlelight vigil. Hundreds of citizens flocked to local hospitals to donate blood for the victims in intensive care. Across the world after the Orlando shooting, thousands of Facebook users changed their profile pictures to say “We Are Or- lando” in solidarity. Tragedy has a unique way of bring- ing communities together. The worst of humanity and the best of humanity is dis- played in incidents of gun violence. Leah described how what happened to her brother changed her perspective on gun violence. Though she does not believe in stricter gun control — believing that the issue is with the people, not the guns — she has a unique heart for the situation now. “It’s made me much more sensitive to other mass shootings. We live in such a broken world, and God gives us goodness, which we’re undeserving of, but He even turns badness into goodness, which we’re extra undeserving of. He didn’t have to let this situation turn out as well as it did, and He would’ve still been good. He chose to spare Logan in this scenario, but not only spare him but counted him worthy of us- ing him, and counted our family worthy of using us, in whatever way that He has been able to. It’s really awesome.” Breanna Beers is a freshman Molecular Biology and Journalism double major and an off-campus news writer for Cedars. She loves exercising curiosity, hiking new trails, and quoting The Princess Bride whether it’s relevant or not. Alexandria Hentschel is a sophomore In- ternational Studies and Spanish double major and the Off-Campus news editor for Cedars. She enjoys old books, strong coffee, and honest debate. “We live in such a broken world, and God gives us goodness, which we’re undeserving of, but He even turns badness into goodness, which we’re extra undeserving of.” Leah Cole Cedarville Student Infographic by Tasha Peterson