A candlelight vigil, hosted by the DU Student Peace Alliance, took place on Driscoll awn last week to remember those who perished in the shootings at Virginia Tech and to show support for peers and colleagues at the university.
According to Jeffrey Graves, president of the DU Student Peace Alliance, approximately 200 people attended the event, which he believed to be a large turnout for such short notice of the planned event.
The vigil began with a statement from AUSA Senate President Aaron Schwarzberg, who stated the importance of students’ support for one another.
“We want everyone [in Virginia] to know that we feel what they feel. In a time like this, we have to be here for each other and everyone on campus,” Schwarzberg said.
Choir members of DU’s Idiosyncrasies group sang various songs while students, faculty and staff held candles and stood in silence.
Guest speaker Deb Adams, who was a sophomore at Columbine High School during the April 20, 1999 shooting, also attended the vigil. Adams recalled the colossal grief she experienced after losing three friends in the Columbine massacre.
“Nobody can describe how it feels to lose a friend to a school shooting. We can’t look at who is to blame, rather, we have to look at our friends and family and be so grateful for them because you never know when they won’t be there anymore,” said Adams.
Adams stated that one of the friends she lost was Dylan Klebold, one of the two gunmen who were responsible for the 1999 shooting.
“I never told [Klebold] that I cared about him. It is important to take the time to show people how much you love them,” said Adams.B
Following Adams’ comments, students volunteered to read the names of the 32 people who were shot in the Virginia Tech shooting.
The event concluded with students who spoke about their feelings regarding the tragedy. Several students talked about peace and hope, including junior Megan Snead. Snead discussed the importance of refraining from racial discrimination, especially with regard to the nationality of Cho Seung-Hui, the gunman police said was responsible for the Virginia Tech deaths.
“I studied abroad in South Korea and I can assure you all that South Koreans are peaceful people. Please do not discriminate against them. All we can do be kind to one another during this time,” said Snead.
A student from Virginia said that the families of the victims at Virginia Tech are asking for
ple to not feel sad but to help them on their first steps towards recovery.
ery.
A graduate student from the School of Education said, “It is not violent guns, violent video games, or violent movies. It is violent people. We must reflect on peace and kindness.”
The Office of Campus Activities and AUSA Senate sponsored the vigil. Representatives from the Interfaith Alliance and counselors from the Health and Counseling Center also attended the vigil in order to assist students who may have been struggling with emotional grief.
DU Student Peace Alliance President Graves said, “The vigil allowed us to take a step back and reflect about the tragedy, its implications, and the impact on the DU community, especially as a city and community that knows too well the toxic mix of gun violence in schools.”
The DU Student Peace Alliance is planning to organize other events in the future dealing with this incident and more broadly building a nonviolent community, according to Graves.
