Just over a year after the death of Jono Krystiniak, fellow students and friends are still feeling the effects.
The recent sentencing of his attackers has been a topic of many conversations on campus.
The five young men involved in the attack received reduced sentences after Krystiniak's mother decided to work with them rather than their lives be ruined by jail time.
Senior Evander Williams, a friend of Krystiniak's for five years, has mixed feelings about the reduced sentences.
"It just doesn't seem fair from the outside looking in. I respect her decision but I don't know if I would've been able to do the same thing," Williams said.
Anna Owens, who was in the courtroom for the sentencings in January, also finds herself straddling the fence on the verdict.
"I'm conflicted because I've heard Jono's mom's story, that's really noble and I wish I could completely agree with her. But these guys took my friend's life. Regardless of drunk or not, they still made a big mistake," she said.
In addition to confusion about the sentences there is still a lot that isn't understood about the night of the incident. Williams and Owens both wonder about the night club's involvement.
"I would just want to know why and how they could let it get so out of hand. A lot of the pieces don't fit together yet," Owens added.
Despite these questions, the sentences have been handed down and senior Travis Herod hopes that the five men will gain a new insight into their own lives.
"Hopefully they were genuinely sorry and they actually do come to realize their errors and mistakes, " Herod said.
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