A Colleague Lost

This past Friday morning George Washington University lost one of its own, a sophomore from New York named Laura Treanor. Treanor worked at the Hatchet, and while I did not know her nearly as well as others on staff her presence will no doubt be missed by all who she interacted with.

Friday, January 23rd will be a memorable day for me. I woke up to several emails already piling up on my phone about a student death in my own building, Ivory Towers, and was the first to respond to the floor where she lived. I found MPD officers, administration officials, and EMeRG medical responders on the scene. It was only an hour later that I was told in passing by a University Police Officer that the student who had passed had worked for my own newspaper.

Being a young photojournalist I've had limited exposure to covering things that deal with mortality, yet I feel like anyone who enters this business learns eventually how to cover and deal with those experiencing emotional pain. Oftentimes we are viewed as snakes or as exploiters, and while my subjects may never look at me favorably, I still believe these photos are perhaps the most important to take. If anything it reminds us how much Laura was loved and how much she will be missed within the GW community. She will definitely be missed between the walls of the Hatchet, where we will keep putting out news, no matter how tough it may be to cover.