Vigils held for victims of Va. Tech shootings

Battling cold winds that flickered candles held in remembrance, between 50 and 80 students attended a late-night vigil Wednesday evening outside Eigenmann Hall in memory of the victims of Monday’s shootings at Virginia Tech.\nStudents clutched the cups holding their candles close to their chests, hands covering the flickering flame trying to do all they could to keep the light – the memory – burning.\nThe vigil, organized by the Eigenmann Student Government, was open to any students who wished to honor the Blacksburg, Va., community.\nFreshman Kelley Mellinger, Eigenmann Student Government’s president, said there was no question the student government wanted to do something in remembrance, they just did not know what.\nStudents watched from the windows as the crowd gathered outside Eigenmann. The luminaries placed around the circle drive flickered and burned out due to the wind.\n“If the candles burn out, it’s OK – that’s not what we are here for,” Mellinger said. “It’s not about the candle flame and the luminaries, but it’s about so much more – praying in awesome sight in support for the peers at Virginia Tech.”\nEigenmann wasn’t the only residence hall on campus to host a vigil for the Virginia Tech students, as Collins Living Learning Center held a vigil Tuesday. Collins Residence Manager Wil McCall and Student Services Assistant Lauren Weinberg planned the vigil. Weinberg estimated about 70 people attended and 55 candles were used.\n“I was overwhelmed,” she said. “Looking up and seeing all the people in the candelight I felt so comfortable to know a community can come together. Even if they don’t know anyone that was affected, we still feel part of the community being on a university campus.”\nWeinberg said McCall talked about the Virginia Tech students and all those affected. \n“I felt confident that our community did what we could to support one another knowing what was going on miles away,” Weinberg said. “It made me realize you really have to be aware, it’s something to think about never knowing what could possibly happen.” \nAt Eigenmann, four freshman stood huddled together with their candles still burning by the edge of the dorm’s circle drive.\n“It’s something positive,” freshman Bart Geise said. “I’d want other schools to do the same if this happened here.”\nMellinger recalled the moment she found out about the tragedy.\n“Stunned,” she said. “I was stunned. My sister called and I was numb at first. These kids are our peers and our age.” \nA white banner was available at Eigenmann for students to sign with messages of support and condolences. Some read “God bless.” Another said, “On that day, the whole nation of college students were Hokies.” \nThe banner will be sent to Virginia Tech.\n“I felt angry,” freshman Kristie Rzepka said. “Really angry. I felt safe but felt anger that someone could do that to someone else, that it was even possible to do something like that.”\nGeise said he had similar thoughts.\n“They’ve said Virginia Tech and IU have the same makeup of students, so it makes you think,” he said.\nFifth-year senior Marcia Jones led three of her friends in singing “Amazing Grace” as they stood by the flagpole in the circle drive.\n“‘Amazing Grace’ seems just so fitting,” Jones said. “It’s just amazing grace that we are here able to live.”\nJones said that as long as “we come together to breathe,” people can work to build a better future so such tragedies can be prevented. \n“If I died or was even injured or something ever happened to me, I would want someone and other people and families that may not know (those affected) care, because it affects us all in a ripple effect,” Jones said. “It may not hit us quite as hard, but we still feel the crash.”