An emotional crowd mourns her death College Green was packed yesterday afternoon, but the beautiful weather had nothing to do with it. The crowd was filled with students whose lives had been touched by College sophomore Emily Sachs, who died May 24 of complications from a severe asthma attack. More than 150 people, hugging and comforting each other, gathered for the 3 p.m. vigil. Quaker Notes, an all-female a cappella group, started off the ceremony in honor of Sachs' love of music. College sophomore Marla Snyder and College junior Kim Stern were the first to address the crowd. Standing at a podium in front of the Peace Symbol, Snyder remembered her close friend as someone who never took a minute of life for granted. "Her amazement for life sparkled in her big, big eyes," she said. "It was this sparkle that made all of her hugs tighter, all of her toe-points straighter, all of her smiles wider and all of her giggles louder. "And it was this sparkle that drew me to her, made me love her and keeps me loving her," Snyder added. Stern, who was Sachs' big sister in the Chi Omega sorority, spoke of her sister's talents, calling her "the little engine that could." "Emily knew and understood what was really important in life and lived her life to the fullest," Stern said. "She accomplished more in her 19 years than many could hope to accomplish in a lifetime." Sachs was an accomplished dancer and singer. She was a member of the Arts House Dance Company, and had won both the Miss Dance Pennsylvania and the Miss Teen Dance New York City titles. She also had the talent to make the people around her feel important. "I can't count the times that Emily told me how lucky she was to have met the friends she made and how special they were to her," Stern said. After Snyder and Stern spoke, about 30 members of Sachs' pledge class approached the podium, each carrying a carnation dyed periwinkle -- Sachs' favorite color. Four of the sisters took turns reading The Giving Tree, by Shel Silverstein. "Like the Giving Tree, Emily unselfishly shared herself with each and every one of us," Wharton senior and Chi Omega sister Holly Fogle said. Chi Omega, Arts House Dance Company and members of Sachs' former residence hall are raising money to plant a tree outside the Annenberg Center in her honor. Wharton senior and Chi Omega President Niki Adler said she expects the tree to be planted by the end of October. After the reading, the podium was opened up to anyone who wanted to share their memories of Sachs. College sophomore Stacey Heller, who had known Sachs since the sixth grade, shared the story of how the two rekindled their friendship last year after losing touch in middle school when Heller moved away. "Emily used to tell the story of our friendship," she said. " 'We were destined to be friends,' she would say. How lucky I felt to have her so proud to be my friend." Sachs' parents also addressed the group. "Emily loved this place more than anything, and would thank us every time we saw her for sending her here," her father Jimmy said. "My father was Class of '38, my wife did her graduate work here and, as far as I am concerned, Emily is Class of '98." Sachs' mother Jo-Ann then invited the entire group over for a home-cooked meal. Then Snyder and Stern took the podium, arms around each other, to say some final words before a cappella group Off The Beat closed the ceremony with Cindy Lauper's "Time After Time."
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