STAFF EDITORIAL: A death in the community

The death of Sung Woo Yang, a freshman in the Wharton School, is a tragedy that touches each of us. Today is and ought to be a day of mourning and reflection for the entire University. We have lost a fellow member of our community of students, all of us united by time, space and purpose, each of us harboring as yet unfulfilled goals and unrealized potential. But Yang will never have the opportunity to chase his dreams. And we will never know what he might have accomplished had his life not ended so prematurely. That is reason enough to mourn Yang's death, irrespective of whether he was a friend, a classmate or simply a fellow student you never had the chance to meet. And that is reason enough to take from Yang's death an increased appreciation for life, a renewed determination to achieve your goals and to respect the goals and potential of others. Let that measure of meaning emerge from the tragedy of a life cut short. Of course, Yang's death comes in a larger context, one that cannot be ignored in the long term. This is now the second time in the space of two weeks that we are confronted with the unnatural death of a member of the Penn community. But before we begin to consider what can be done to prevent further tragedy, we cannot lose sight of the lives already lost. Before we act and discuss, we must pause and reflect. We join the community in extending our condolences to the Yang family. Your son was a friend to many and a valued member of our community, and we all mourn his untimely passing.