Candlelight Vigil for VTech tragedy

This photo was captured at the Ohio University vigil for the Virginia Tech victims.

Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/bond159/465093635/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/bond159/465093635/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Cuong Nguyen

Cuong Nguyen

2007-06-28

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Cuong Nguyen
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bond159/465093635/

eng

32 killed in Virginia Tech massacre

<i>200 miles away, Duke students hold vigil, admins offer support</i>

By: Anna Lieth
Posted: 4/17/07

After violent shootings shook students and administrators on Virginia Tech&#39;s campus Monday, members of the Duke community gathered last night to mourn and come to terms with the tragic events of the day.

Just 200 miles southeast of Virginia Tech&#39;s home in Blacksburg, Va., Duke students said the news sent a shock wave through the campus. For some, the shock was followed by fear for friends and loved ones in Virginia, but for others fear was displaced by disbelief and worry that a similar event could take place at the campus they call home.

And for one group of students, the natural response to the news was to pray. About 30 students gathered on the steps of the Duke Chapel for an emotional vigil and prayer session for the victims of the shooting, their respective families and the gunman Monday night.

"[The vigil is] not just to console people, but also to know that there is a community that is here to support people and that as a community we need to act together," said sophomore Ashley Dunfee, who attended the event. "We have a root that we act from and that ultimately should be the source of what we do and where we&#39;re going."

President Richard Brodhead, in a statement released to The Chronicle, recognized the magnitude of the events at Virginia Tech and emphasized efforts the University is making to reach out to members of both the Virginia Tech and Duke communities who were affected by the tragedy.

"This is the deadliest campus shooting in United States history and a profoundly sad day for everyone directly affected-and the nation as a whole," Brodhead said. "On behalf of the entire Duke community, I express my condolences to those who are grieving at Virginia Tech. They are enduring a time of unspeakable loss this evening."

John Burness, senior vice president for government affairs and public relations, said Brodhead also reached out following news of the event to Charles Steger, Virginia Tech&#39;s president, to offer his sympathies.

Brodhead said the University is working to provide support for students on Duke&#39;s campus who have been personally affected.

"Student Affairs is in the process of trying to identify every Duke student with Virginia Tech connections and to make personal contact and to offer counseling," he said. "Our Religious Life staff is also available for counseling and the Duke Chapel will be open as always for those who wish to seek a quiet place to reflect."

The Duke Chapel and the Duke Religious Life staff have organized an interfaith prayer vigil to be held on the Chapel steps at 2 p.m. today.

"This vigil is a small gesture at being in solidarity with those in Blacksburg," Craig Kocher, assistant dean of the Chapel and director of religious life, wrote in an e-mail to the student body last night.

Kocher said the vigil will include a time of silence followed by prayer and a bell toll for each person who died yesterday and will conclude with an open session for students to speak about the experience. Virginia Tech will be hosting a similar event on its campus simultaneously, Kocher said.

--

Original Source: <a href=http://media.www.dukechronicle.com/media/storage/paper884/news/2007/04/17/News/32.Killed.In.Virginia.Tech.Massacre-2846222.shtml> Duke Chronicle - April 17, 2007</a>

Anna Lieth

Duke Chronicle

2007-06-24

Sara Hood

David Graham <david.graham@duke.edu>

eng

Tragedy hits close to home

<b>Campus comes together to mourn victims of shooting</b>

By Cornelia Hall
Princetonian Staff Writer

Photo by Gabriela Aoun

Students gathered in Richardson Auditorium last night for a service in memory of the victims of Monday&#39;s shootings at Virginia Tech. With solemn faces, some stained with tears, they listened to musical performances, prayers and speeches.

Associate Dean of Religion Life Deborah Blanks took the podium first, addressing the assembled students with deliberate, heartfelt remarks. She emphasized the renewed interconnectedness of the student body, calling the Princeton community "united in heart, spirit and solidarity."

"We dare to affirm that there is strength in community," she said.

In addition to the sense of unity on Princeton&#39;s campus, Blanks spoke of its tie to all academic institutions. "When tragedy touches one life, its universal reach reminds us of the fragility and the vulnerability of all life," she noted. She closed her remarks with a prayer.

USG president Rob Biederman &#39;08 also stressed the transcendence of the college experience, bringing the events at Virginia Tech closer to the Princeton campus. He spoke solemnly as the audience kept their gazes fixed on the podium.

"Every college campus should be a place apart; I imagine Princeton and Virginia Tech are no different in this regard," he told the gathering. "Here at Princeton, some casually refer to this as the Orange Bubble. At Virginia Tech yesterday, the bubble was ruptured, and we felt the shocks of that rupture here."

Monday&#39;s gunshots reverberated across the country, with President Bush seeking to console an appalled America and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) offering a moment of silence on the House floor.

"Those whose lives were taken did nothing to deserve their fate," Bush said at a memorial held at the Virginia Tech campus yesterday. "They were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Now they&#39;re gone, and they leave behind grieving families and grieving classmates and a grieving nation."

One reason why Princeton felt the repercussions of the tragedy, Biederman said, is the similarity of all students&#39; campus experiences. "As college students, we can feel for their tragedy because we too know the sense of safety and security they felt that morning. We must give our thoughts and prayers to them because we are the same."

For some, the tragedy hit especially close to home. Misan Ikomi &#39;08, from Leesburg, Va., said about a third of her high school class attends Virginia Tech. After Monday&#39;s violence, she contacted a close friend to check in on her and was assured of her safety. "She said it&#39;s been pure chaos, like being in a movie and not really understanding what&#39;s happened," Ikomi said.

Jeff Hall &#39;08 has a brother who attends Virginia Tech. Hall reflected on the conversation he had after calling to make sure his brother was okay. "He didn&#39;t really talk about it too much," Hall said. "He was in a building nearby when it happened, and he saw people running out the door when it happened. I didn&#39;t really get much of a reaction from him."

"Even for those of us without friends or relatives in Blacksburg," Biederman said, "it&#39;s nearly impossible to feel unaffected by what has transpired," he said.

Students clapped sporadically during the service, seemingly unsure of the appropriate response to the speeches. Applause was subdued and brief.

The speakers also offered a sense of optimism, encouraging students to look toward the future in evaluating how they go about their daily lives.

President Tilghman was traveling and could not attend the service, but Vice President for Campus Life Janet Dickerson, Provost Christopher Eisgruber &#39;83 and several officials from Public Safety were in attendance.

At an Episcopalian memorial service in the University Chapel earlier yesterday afternoon, Princeton community members remembered the victims of Monday&#39;s attacks while searching for higher meaning through religion.

"I would hope that this would be an opportunity to develop habits of prayer and ongoing awareness of the transient nature of life and what that means for us in terms of our relationships, with one another and with God," Rev. Stephen White, an Episcopal chaplain, said after the service.

Eisgruber offered similar advice at the memorial. "Take the time to honor and value your own life and the lives of the people around you," he said.

Biederman suggested the University community address the issue of personal safety not with increased security but with increased trust.

"We should work daily to deepen and strengthen the bonds that make the college experience so special," Biederman told the gathering. "We need to look out for each other."

--

Original Source: <a href= http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/archives/2007/04/18/news/18128.shtml> Daily Princetonian - April 18, 2007</a>

Cornelia Hall

2007-06-22

Sara Hood

Kavita Saini <ksaini@Princeton.EDU>

eng

UCSD Virginia Tech Vigil

UC San Diego students attend a somber vigil to express their concern for the Virginia Tech community.

Original source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465523043/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465523043/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Hydie Cheung

Hydie Cheung

2007-06-17

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Hydie Cheung
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465523043/

eng

UCSD Virginia Tech Vigil

We are all Hokies today. Our prayers are with you, Virginia Tech. RIP.

Original source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465537083/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465537083/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Hydie Cheung

Hydie Cheung

2007-06-17

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Hydie Cheung
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465537083/

eng

UCSD Virginia Tech Vigil

UC San Diego students attend a somber vigil to express their concern for the Virginia Tech community.

Original source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465509952/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465509952/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Hydie Cheung

Hydie Cheung

2007-06-17

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Hydie Cheung
http://www.flickr.com/photos/flyingpillow/465509952

eng

UCF Vigil

A Candlelight vigil held for the victims of the Virginia Tech killings. University of Central Florida students gathered at the reflection pond to show their respects to the dearly departed.

Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728726/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728726/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Gregory Territo

null

2007-06-11

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Gregory Territo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728726/

eng

UCF Vigil

A Candlelight vigil held for the victims of the Virginia Tech killings. University of Central Florida students gathered at the reflection pond to show their respects to the dearly departed.

Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728740/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728740/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Gregory Territo

null

2007-06-11

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Gregory Territo
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30142076@N00/463728740/

eng

Vigil for VTech @ Mason

Last night, a vigil was held at George Mason for those lost in the terrible tragedy on Monday at Virginia Tech.


Original source: <a href=" http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466573792/"> http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466573792/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Nicolas Tan

Nicolas Tan

2007-06-08

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Nicolas Tan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466573792/

eng

George Mason

Last night, a vigil was held at Mason for those lost in the terrible tragedy on Monday at Virginia Tech.

Original source: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466582147/in/photostream/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466582147/in/photostream/</a>

Photo Courtesy of Nicolas Tan

Nicolas Tan

2007-06-08

Chad Newswander

Permission:
Nicolas Tan
http://www.flickr.com/photos/wirelessnic/466582147/in/photostream/

eng