There’s nothing quite like having your midterm-induced panic interrupted by the news that a man who made the personal computer shiny is dead. Plenty of things have been said about Steve Jobs’ death, and plenty of things remain to be said; all else aside, it’s hard to get an idea of what a person’s impact really was until you’ve seen what happens in their absence.

Last Wednesday night, there was a frenzy of activity across social networks memorializing Steve Jobs. He is, for our generation, the man who has had the greatest impact on our lives. As college students, his products are integral to our day-to-day lives. What would we do without our iPods or iTunes? How many of your friends have an iPhone?

O n Oct. 5, 2011, the Cardinals beat the Phillies 5-3, forcing a fifth playoff game and ultimately winning the series in a nail-biter of a finale. Awesome, right? Overall, I’d say Wednesday was a good day. Except for the big news that Steve Jobs died. I have to say, though, I didn’t really care. The guy had a particularly insidious form of cancer.

Last night, we heard that Steve Jobs, Apple’s former Chief Executive Officer, passed away. He had been sick for many years, suffering from a rare form of pancreatic cancer, which finally took his life. It is amazing how as average students, our lives were touched so greatly by a single innovator.

On Jan. 17, Steve Jobs announced a medical leave of absence, just months after a taxing liver transplant in early January. Jobs’ reprieve reflects the multiple operations that the CEO has undergone over the past several years, beginning in 2004 when he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.