2008 Woodie Awards
Letter to the Editor: Shooting Incident Apology
Issue date: 11/30/05 Section: Commentary
- Page 1 of 1
To the students, faculty and alumni of SMSU,
Homecoming weekend is supposed to be about celebrating the past of SMSU and looking forward to the future for everyone involved with the school. This year's "Back in the Saddle" celebration was tarnished by the actions of two drunken idiots, myself being one of them.
No campus deserves to go through what SMSU went through the day of this incident, the days that followed and may still go through today. I hope it will not diminish the great reputation that SMSU has.
If life had "rewind" and "redo" buttons, mine would be broke by now. There's not a moment that I don't reflect about my involvement and how moronic it was and still is. I am an educated person who made a very uneducated decision.
I truly loved being a student at SMSU, which makes this process that much more painful to go through. Last year participating in Miss Tootsie to being the Club and Entertainment Chair for SAC, I enjoyed it all. I formed friendships that have endured this huge mistake that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. Being a student gave my life a sense of meaning and accomplishment.
I will always be grateful for the opportunity SMSU gave me to pursue a higher education and to become an elementary teacher. I am also very grateful for those who have stood by me through this and have shown me support, knowing that this shooting incident is not reflective of who I am. It was a mistake, simple as that.
Although I did not shoot the gun, I want to take responsibility for my role. I shouldn't have allowed this to happen, but I did, and for that I am truly very sorry. I will always be grateful that no one was hurt, or even worse, killed.
I am sorry for disrupting homecoming, the Student Center Grand Opening and the 2005-2006 school year. I hope things are finally back to normal for everyone at SMSU.
Thank you.
Ryan Madland
Lyon County Jail
Homecoming weekend is supposed to be about celebrating the past of SMSU and looking forward to the future for everyone involved with the school. This year's "Back in the Saddle" celebration was tarnished by the actions of two drunken idiots, myself being one of them.
No campus deserves to go through what SMSU went through the day of this incident, the days that followed and may still go through today. I hope it will not diminish the great reputation that SMSU has.
If life had "rewind" and "redo" buttons, mine would be broke by now. There's not a moment that I don't reflect about my involvement and how moronic it was and still is. I am an educated person who made a very uneducated decision.
I truly loved being a student at SMSU, which makes this process that much more painful to go through. Last year participating in Miss Tootsie to being the Club and Entertainment Chair for SAC, I enjoyed it all. I formed friendships that have endured this huge mistake that I hope to maintain for the rest of my life. Being a student gave my life a sense of meaning and accomplishment.
I will always be grateful for the opportunity SMSU gave me to pursue a higher education and to become an elementary teacher. I am also very grateful for those who have stood by me through this and have shown me support, knowing that this shooting incident is not reflective of who I am. It was a mistake, simple as that.
Although I did not shoot the gun, I want to take responsibility for my role. I shouldn't have allowed this to happen, but I did, and for that I am truly very sorry. I will always be grateful that no one was hurt, or even worse, killed.
I am sorry for disrupting homecoming, the Student Center Grand Opening and the 2005-2006 school year. I hope things are finally back to normal for everyone at SMSU.
Thank you.
Ryan Madland
Lyon County Jail