Would you light my candle?
OU students gather Wednesday night to mourn the deaths of Virginia Tech students and faculty
By Hannah Groah, Campus Life Senior Writer
Sarah Beth Hensley, Staff Writer
April 20, 2007 | 5:49 p.m.
The disaster that happened this week at Virginia Tech has affected our own campus as we mourned for their losses at the vigil that took place Wednesday night.
Monday morning, most students at Ohio University started the day the same as always: perhaps hit the snooze on their alarm one too many times, put on their Bobcat sweats and hustled to class. Students at Virginia Tech woke up to a much different atmosphere. Earlier this week, our nation felt the repercussions of the greatest school shooting to ever take place within the United States. With 33 dead, this nation grieves with the friends and family of those killed.
Ohio University grieves also. On Wednesday at 9 p.m., students gathered at the West Portico of Templeton-Blackburn Alumni Memorial Auditorium on College Green for a candlelight vigil in honor of the victims of this tragedy.
"It seems like everyone is mourning for those from Virginia Tech," freshman Michelle Sens said. "It is good for OU to unify and pay respect to those who died at Virginia Tech through the vigil."
"It is one of those things that could happen anywhere," freshman Natalie Pfennig said. "It seems bizarre that one person can take so many people’s lives in his hands and then destroy his own. It has changed the way the campus feels because people seem to be acting more cautious for the most part."
It was with mixed emotions and deep sorrow that students showed their support for the lives lost and the friends and families of Virginia Tech at the vigil. Life is precious, and OU students are doing what they can to demonstrate understanding and condolence during this time of grief for those at Virginia Tech.
View our Virginia Tech Slideshow, photographed by Dustin Franz and Shaena Mallet
“It’s important for college students to support other college students. All of us are trying to do the same thing. Get our degree.”
“I have a lot of sympathy for [the shooter]. A lot must have been going on in his head for him to do something like that.”
- Erial Ramsey, senior
“I’m from Virginia and a bunch of people I know went to Virginia Tech. It’s weird knowing something that tragic could happen so close to home.” - Stephanie Ramsay, sophomore
“What we proclaim tonight is our very heartfelt sympathy. We’re all about expressing ourselves as one.” -President Roderick McDavis
“There’s no shying away from it, Virginia Tech reminds me a lot of OU. It’s somber right now on campus.”
“We all are all Hokies. We are Bobcats and we are Hokies.”
- Steve, Athens resident and VT alum
“What’s scary to me are the news stories. They make it sound so much like here.” -Kevin Yurasek, senior