Over the weekend, at the home tennis match and football game against Northern Illinois University, a moment of silence was held in honor of Aaron Richardson.

The moments of silence came at the beginning of the events.

We would like to commend the football team for recognizing Richardson and his place on the team. Richardson, a walk on to the football team died less than two weeks ago during football practice. His death was attributed to complications from sickle cell anemia.

The tennis team more than likely did know Richardson, meaning they may had never met him. However, they felt it necessary to take time to honor the memory of a member of the BGSU community.

The 25,000 plus fans in DeKalb, Ill. who did not know who Aaron Richardson was, still took a moment to honor his memory.

President Ribeau continuously speaks about building community throughout campus. The various athletic teams set an example over the weekend of what community should embrace.

This is not the first time a similar event has happened. Two years ago, a women’s soccer player passed away. Again, all of the athletic teams took time before the game to honor her memory.

The University community continues to grow stronger. In 2001, the University held an extensive memorial service for six girls who passed away coming home from Spring Break and later built a memorial for them outside Founders Hall.

We would like to take the time to thank the University community, in particular the athletic department. The community has once again proved that no matter who you are on campus, you are still a Falcon, and with that, you are a part of us.