Candlelight brightened the night on Hayden Lawn Thursday as more than 500 ASU students, faculty, staff and visitors showed their support to the victims and families of the Virginia Tech tragedy.
ASU's Undergraduate Student Government hosted the candlelight vigil to honor the victims who were killed Monday during the deadliest shooting in American history.
The vigil was a way for the community to come together and offer support and mourn the loss of those who passed, said Dean of University Student Initiatives Patricia Arredondo.
"A vigil is a ritual," Arredondo said. "A way of sharing and giving to ourselves and others."
Many students like secondary education freshman Cara Holly attended the vigil to show respect to the families that lost people they love.
"All we can really do from this far away is show our support," Holly said.
Father Fred Lucci of the Catholic Newman Center said this event brought about the realization of how short and quickly life can come to an end.
"It reminds me of what a gift my life is," he said.
The tragedy of VT really wakes people up, said tourism management senior Matt Lantz.
"It brings about an awareness of the unknown possibilities of things that can happen on a big, open campus like this," Lantz said.
This awareness can be frightening, said history junior Brad Tenney.
"It's very scary because it can happen anywhere, even here," Tenney said. "Especially at such a big university."
The tragedy at VT makes people stop and think about others, said biomedical engineering senior Allen Shepard.
"I thought tonight was very symbolic of the care everyone has inside of them that surfaces at tough times like this," Shepard said.
Some who attended took a few minutes to write notes of condolences on a banner that will be sent to VT. The banner will be in the Memorial Union today for anyone that would like to add to it.
USG spokesperson James Quinn invited the entire campus to wear maroon on Monday, the color ASU has in common with the Hokies.
Lucci said people could learn from this tragedy.
"The only thing that can make this more tragic is to waste this life that we have," he said.
Reach the reporter at: kyle.snow@asu.edu.
