From the Editor

As I write these words, D2B�s Apichit Kittikorncharoen (Big) remains in a coma with little chanced of full recovery. I am no fan of D2B, but the popularity of this young singer means his condition has sent a shockwave of grief running through the lives of many Student Weekly readers, and for that I am very sad.

However, amid the grief is the chance to reflect about the value we place on a life. About 6 years ago in France, the UK�s Princess Diana was killed in a car crash. Two sons lost their mother and a nation lost its princess. The impact of the death sent ripples throughout the world. The same week, Saint Mother Teresa died, although you may have missed the news because the world was caught in a �Diana frenzy.� Mother Teresa worked all her life in India helping the poor and the sick. She never had the cars, the dresses or the glamorous lifestyle that Princess Diana had. Instead, Mother Teresa had nothing other than a commitment to help the needy. Was Princess Diana�s death more important than Mother Teresa�s?

A year ago, I witnessed a bus crash  in which seven people lost their lives. That�s seven mothers, fathers, brothers and sisters. During this year�s Songkran, about 600 people died in traffic-related accidents. For the relatives of those killed in these two examples, is the fate of Big worse than the death of their loved ones?

These questions do not demand immediate answers but instead should direct us to think about why the fate of a young singer has caused so much sorrow. That said, the commitment and genuine care that Big�s fans have shown means that he was well loved while he was alive. And in the end, that�s what counts.

Matt Leppard, Editor
[email protected]