Although the damp weather last night caused the vigil held by Penn for Peace and Penn Students Against War in Iraq to relocate from College Green to Houston Hall, the rain seemed appropriate to their cause.
"Tonight, the world cries," College junior Spencer Witte said.
The event was an open forum for members of the Penn community, and emotions were expressed through poetry, song, words and silence -- the cozy crowd of around 50 in the over-packed Benjamin Franklin Room waged peace.
Participants noted how the current war must inevitably alter their current lives.
"War is not something that just happens over there," College senior Arshad Hasan said. "War happens here."
College freshman Marissa Vosper reinforced that sentiment by vowing to change her daily life "in order to contemplate the gravity" of the war.
"I cannot pretend to live normally tomorrow.... I will not attend any parties, I will not watch the Oscars, I will not disregard the death taking place, I will not go about my life as usual."
And part of that change includes forging networks for support.
"I'm at a breaking point," College senior Francey Hart said, "but when you're around other people, it helps."
Hart and College seniors Shira Yevin and Jana Carrey fed off each other to narrate the alterations they have already made in their personal lives.
"Protesting, marching, crying, flyering, countering violence with love -- lots of love -- art, music, standing in the rain, calling my mom, spreading awareness, taking deep breaths," they said.
The peace vigil was not dictated by a structured agenda, and expression was without bounds.
For example, College senior Dan Fishback, a Daily Pennsylvanian columnist, sang a solemn and lingering version of a song written by Lloyd Stone to the music Finlandia.
"Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine, but hearts in other lands are beating with hopes and dreams as pure and high as mine," he sang.
The peace vigil was part of a series of events that have been taking place in Houston Hall. Since 8 p.m. Wednesday evening, students have virtually been camping out in Houston Hall, finding similar outlets to release frustrations and anxieties about the war.
"Everyone is just taking it all in right now," Vosper said, adding that she expected similar events to materialize in the future. "This is not over."
