As another school year comes to a close, I find myself in a constant state of reflection.

As the 40th anniversary of the May 4 shootings approaches at Kent State, I think a lot of people connected to the university share the same state of mind.

This marks a time when we remember four students with aspirations and goals whose lives were cut short in an instant.

Yesterday marked the two-year anniversary of the death of my friend Loren, another young life cut too short.

Even after two years, not a day goes by that I don’t think about her. Not a day goes by that I don’t miss her.

Loren was such a beautiful person inside and out. She was always eager and willing to help anyone who might need it.

If something needed done, she just did it. She never complained or expected any praise.

Loren touched so many people’s lives in her 19 years. Everything she did, she did with her whole heart.

As I think about the four students lost in 1970 and remember my beautiful friend, I can’t help but think these were people around the same age I am.

As students, we often see May 4 as a bunch of bells and whistles. We forget that these four students were young people in the beginnings of their lives just like us.

Life is just a blink. There is no reason to put anything off or to hold back.

One of my favorite quotes:

“Too often we are scared, scared of what we might not be able to do, scared of what people might think if we tried, we let our fears stand in the way of our hopes. Why? There’s really no time to be afraid. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain.“

What fate has planned for us isn’t always what we have planned for ourselves. As history shows, one moment can change thousands of lives.

That’s why you can’t be afraid to make mistakes. Take risks when it comes to getting what you want out of life.

Not finding success right away doesn’t make you a failure, it makes you human.

Things don’t always work out right the first time. To be honest, things almost never work out right the first time. Sometimes things don’t ever work out the way we had wanted or planned for them to, but that’s OK.

Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t let other people’s opinions drown out your own desires. Your heart knows what you truly want. Listen to it.

Don’t be afraid of what other people think. Don’t be afraid of failure. Live your life for you, and along the way try not to forget those who have already left their mark.

Rabab Al-Sharif is a sophomore magazine journalism major and columnist for the Daily Kent Stater. Contact her at