A day to remember

April 16, 2007, was a day to remember.\nA small group of students and community members joined together Wednesday in Dunn Meadow to commemorate the one-year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre, where more than 30 students lost their lives in the deadliest school shooting in United States history.\nIU alumnus Jeffrey Schauss, who organized the vigil, wanted to use the memory of the Virginia Tech shooting to spread awareness about inflicting stricter gun control laws, as well as keeping guns off of IU campuses.\n“I believe in peace and a safe community,” Schauss said. “When I found out all of the statistics (about guns), I knew I had to take action.\nThe massacre hit home for IU junior Shina Ellingson.\nHer friend Trey Perkins, a Virginia Tech student, was in the classroom where gunman Seung-Hui Cho opened fire. Ellingson said when Cho entered the room, Perkins ran to close the door while Cho tried to get back in.\n“After he left, the three people that were not shot went back in to help,” Ellingson said. “It has been difficult for him after being traumatized while dealing \nwith everything.”\nAs students around the country set up vigils, Schauss talked about the effect that the massacre has had on the witnesses and survivors of the shooting.\nWhile holding a banner that read “ProtestEasyGuns.com,” students and community members each held signs around their necks, symbolizing a name of each one of the victims in the shooting. Schauss emphasized the necessity of making sure that this never happens at IU. “Virginia Tech could have easily been IU,” said senior Matt Wells.\nThe ceremony included the reading of victims’ names followed by the ring of a bell and a moment of silence for each victim. Schauss read a letter from the mother one of the surviving students, Laurie Haas.\n“A truly heartfelt thanks to all ... this has been a painful journey for us all.”\nWhile speaking to the crowd, Schauss reiterated that it’s harder in America to get a job at McDonald’s than to get a gun. \n“The state needs to pay attention to make sure dangerous people cannot get guns,” Schauss said. “People who are mentally ill can easily get guns. Does that shock anyone?”\nClosing the vigil, Schauss read a prayer in remembrance for the victims.\n“We want to lift up IU from prohibiting guns on campus and to lift up all policies,” Schauss said. “We don’t want to worry about someone that has a gun.”