He Was One Of Our Own
By Amy Z. Quinn
The Donnie Project
Why Donnie Farrell? 
As the students in my Investigative Journalism class this semester have done research and conducted interviews to try to bring new attention to the unsolved murder of Donnie Farrell, we’ve faced our own share of questions.
Why focus on this case, this kid?
And why now?
Good questions, all, but also easy to answer. Let’s work backward: Why now? Because with the fourth anniversary of Farrell’s death approaching, it seemed a natural time to examine this case again. Since the murder, nearly the entire Rowan student body has turned over, leaving few students on campus who knew him.
Why Donnie? Well, the simplest explanation is that we’re journalists, and “cold” cases are always good for a meaty story. Beyond that, though, Donnie Farrell was part of our community. He is, at once, just another student but also a precious member of the Rowan family, taken from us.
He’s one of our own.
A heartfelt thanks to all those who think about my Donnie everyday.