Students offer sounds of silence in memory of victims

"And when the dark clouds arise," Ashley Thomas sang, fighting back tears, "I will stay by your side. I know we'll be alright. I will stay with you."

Thomas, a College junior, sang to the music of Penn alumnus John Legend as hundreds of students held softly glowing candles in the background.

Over 200 students and faculty gathered on College Green last night to mourn the 32 victims of Monday's shootings at Virginia Polytechnic Institute.

The candelight vigil, organized by 21 student groups, featured remarks by University President Amy Gutmann, Vice Provost of University Life Valarie Swain-Cade McCoullum and associate chaplain Charles Howard.

Howard opened the ceremony with a short prayer to the "God of the Universe."

"You bring light from darkness," he said. "You bring life from death. And as you hold us in your loving hands, please carry us from hurt to hope."

Gutmann urged people to "stay close and care for one another."

"These students and professors wore different school colors than ours, but their dreams, their spirit and their love of learning are indistinguishable from ours," she said. "No wonder we feel as though we have suffered 32 losses in our family."

After student groups offered Hindu and Jewish prayers, representatives from the organizations sponsoring the event - including honor societies,

religious groups and academic organizations - read the names of the 32 victims.

In contrast to previous memorial events held over the last few nights in Rodin and Harrison College Houses, McCoullum said this vigil was "a student-led initiative."

The Office of the University Chaplain and the Office of the Vice Provost of University Life also sponsored the memorial.

"From the moment that the members of the Penn community learned of the tragedy, there was an enormous outpouring of compassion and thoughtful strategies to support the Virginia Tech community," McCoullum said.

Thomas, one of the main organizers, said planning for the event started when she "sent out e-mails to contacts in other [senior] societies to see if there was anything we could do."

"It's pretty special that students were willing to mobilize and step up as quickly as they did," she said.

Outgoing Undergraduate Assembly chairman Brett Thalmann, a Wharton senior, talked with student-government leaders in other schools and worked with Thomas to set up a location.

"June Chu from PAACH was able to reserve us the space on College Green and get Perelman Quad to let us use a microphone and podium for free," he said.

Student groups and the Fresh Grocer donated over 300 candles and ribbons for the event, Thomas said.

College senior Raffi Cohn, who was at the vigil, said the event played an important role in the healing process.

"I was amazed at how many students showed up," he said. "Everyone just feels helpless and it's really scary. But by so many people coming together, it kind of lets you know that you're not the only one who's thinking that."

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