I considered writing an end- of-the-year column. I would have filled it with insight, wisdom and tales of all my exciting adventures as a freshman here at Iowa State. Then I realized that would be a pretty short and perhaps less-than-exciting story.

However, it does seem to have been a year of sad stories. From the current battles in the Middle East to the thousands of citizens killed on American soil last fall, the world has been an almost gruesome place during my first year of college. Even the lives of talented young people have been at the mercy of unfortunate situations.

One of those was lost all the way back in August when singer/actress Aaliyah’s plane crashed, killing her at the tender age of 22. Now the month that we started school has come full circle for us in the end. Right as we are preparing to leave school for summer, another young talent has left us too soon.

Last week TLC’s outspoken rapper Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes was killed in a car accident while vacationing in Honduras. Unlike Aaliyah’s crash, Left Eye (as I have always called her) was the only person to die in the wreck.

Yet there was another huge difference for me between the two deaths. Do not get me wrong, Aaliyah was incredibly talented, but the loss of Left Eye has had a completely different impact on me.

I grew up with TLC. In fact, it was the first CD I ever owned. My best friend and our sisters even pretended we were the group. It was endless summer fun for us as we tried to sing along with the group; I was always Left Eye. I did my best to keep up with her fast words and witty rhymes. I was always a bit behind, but hey, I was only 10 years old.

Those role-playing games provided some really good memories. There were endless fights about who got to be which member of the group. I am spoiled so I always got to be Left Eye. Then there was also the time when my sis was dancing to “Shock dat Monkey” off the first CD by the group. She was using a flashlight as a microphone. Of course, this formula could only spell out disaster. Yep, she certainly did hit herself, right in the head. It was classic.

Left Eye and all of TLC were an integral part of my childhood. It feels like there is a piece missing now. I do find it odd that a star could have such an effect on me, but I cannot deny that it has. I suppose it just goes to show how the entertainment industry can reach us even when we do not expect it to.

Yet no matter the loss, there always seems to be something negative to follow it. Often lawsuits arise for issues of wrongful death. I think it is too soon for any lawsuits to be firing up about Lopes’ death, but this one too has had the terrible afterthought.

When I was talking with my friend in Florida the other day we discussed the loss. She told me she nearly dropped to her knees when she found out. Then she gave me a Web site. My Internet was temporarily down so I had to ask what it was. She told me it was a photo of Lopes body after the accident. I was outraged and disgusted.

Some things should just never be displayed for the sake of family and friends of the victim.

I think the deaths of young stars can teach us all something. We know we have lost many of them in many different ways.

There was Kurt Cobain who ended his own life. John Lennon and Selena were both murdered. Now we add Aaliyah and Left Eye as casualties of unfortunate accidents.

All these people will be remembered for the things that they brought to us during their lives, even if those lives were prematurely cut short. These deaths show us one thing – no one is immortal. Things can happen that we just do not have control over. That is why we live life to the fullest while we are here. For many of the young stars who have left us I believe they can say this.

I hope they would have been able to say this even if they were not stars. It is not just about who you are, but how you live.

Ayrel Clark is a freshman in pre-journalism and mass communication from Johnston.