As a columnist, and one who tries to specialize in somewhat humorous stories, I usually look for examples of stupidity in the world and riff on it. That's the easiest way for me to write, and the way I feel I'm best at.

So forgive this one, if you will, because its coming from a completely different direction. By now you've heard the story of Mike Drauch, a freshman who was hit by a car while walking home along East College Avenue early Saturday morning. You probably know that he's fighting for his life at Geisinger Medical Center.

It didn't hit me until my mom called me and asked me about it. I wondered why she was making a fuss about it because, as I told her, "horrible stuff like that has been happening a lot here recently."

She replied with, "He went to St. Sebastian's."

I went to St. Teresa's, my mother is a teacher there, and for anyone who doesn't understand why this is significant, just know that there might not be two Catholic grade schools in greater Pittsburgh with a more fierce rivalry.

With that in mind, "horrible stuff like that" became something close to home. I don't know Mike Drauch, but I know people who do, and it makes me ache for them, and most of all for his family.

This story has yielded something positive, however. There has been an outpouring of support for Drauch, as many Penn State students have joined the Facebook prayer chain for him. There has been criticism of the obviously dangerous area where Drauch was struck. Voices are ringing out, demanding changes and improvements so this doesn't happen again. But most of all it's about the prayers and support.

Penn State students seem so conditioned to expect bad things to happen that at times they seem desensitized to incidents like this.

But not this one, and not the story of Aaron Stidd and Richard Smith. No, recently there has been a groundswell of support. More than usual, it seems, Penn State students have been galvanized by these tragedies.

One of the criticisms that I hear every time I tell someone that I go to Penn State is, "Oh, well you must feel like a number at a school that big."

My favorite reply is to say that there isn't a smaller school of 40,000 students anywhere in the world. Whenever I walk around campus, I'm amazed at the number of familiar faces I see. Even if you don't know someone here, when you see them enough, you get that quick knowing glance of recognition. I can't help but believe that people at smaller schools don't experience the same kind of connection.

That connection is manifesting itself now. It manifested itself in the spaghetti dinner benefit for Stidd, and I can only hope that some kind of similar undertaking is in the works for Drauch. Prayers and support are great, and I truly believe they work. But there are 40,000 potential Mike Drauchs, potential Aaron Stidds out there, so students need to do even more to ensure that their voices are heard loud and clear. Something needs to be done. The tragedies have to stop.

In the meantime, I'd ask everyone's continued prayers for Drauch and Stidd. It's easy to say, "That's a terrible story, but it won't happen to me." I wouldn't be surprised if Drauch thought the same thing when Stidd was hit. The fact of the matter is, when something like this happens, it affects the entire extended family of 40,000, shared by Drauch, Stidd and everyone else.

Whatever creed you abide by, whether you believe in a god or not, I'd ask that your prayers go out to these two. In a lot of ways, the world we live in today is cynical and cold. I've seen more signs of warmth on this campus in the past month and a half or so than I can ever remember seeing. Keep it going, give whatever you can of yourself or your resources.

Two families need it now more than ever.