The Vanderbilt community will continue to respond to Monday’s deadly massacre at Virginia Tech with a memorial service, a day of remembrance and individual shows of support.
A memorial and candlelight service sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association will take place at Benton Chapel Wednesday at 7 p.m. Vanderbilt chaplains will lead the service, and representatives from TSU, Belmont, Lipscomb and Fisk University have been invited to speak.
Vanderbilt Student Government President Cara Bilotta said the university is planning a day of remembrance for Monday, April 23 that will include ribbons in Virginia Tech colors and a moment of silence.
Bilotta said students, faculty and staff will be able to write messages in a book for Virginia Tech Thursday and Friday from 11-1 p.m. on Sarratt Promenade and Monday from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The book will be available at the Sarratt Welcome desk for people who can’t come by during those times but wish to sign.
Chancellor Gordon Gee issued a statement to the Vanderbilt community Monday night expressing support for the people of Virginia Tech and urging Vanderbilt to "continue to create and support conditions in which acts of violence like these are less likely to arise."
Gee said the Psychological and Counseling Center, Office of Religious Life and Affiliated Ministries, and the residence life staff are standing by to help students.
Phi Kappa Sigma fraternity hung a banner from its balcony Tuesday that said “We send our prayers to the victims + families of Virginia Tech.”
Students formed Facebook groups such as “Vanderbilt Supports Virginia Tech,” and some changed their profile pictures to logos with the Virginia Tech and Vanderbilt symbols.
Students, many of whom have connections to Virginia Tech, expressed their shock and sadness at the shootings.
“I’m so sorry that this happened to them, and I can’t even imagine what it would be like to be in class and to know people were shooting outside or to come in and be in that situation,” said sophomore Jessica Keener, who has a cousin at Virginia Tech.
Keener said her cousin was unharmed, but she is praying for her cousin’s friend who was critically injured.
Sophomore Rachel Sinaiko found out through Facebook that a friend from high school, Mary Read, was killed in the shootings.
“I had seen that a lot of people had been asking about Mary, because no one had heard from her. And then, tonight [Monday], I found a Facebook group called ‘Praying for Mary Read.’”
“I think that it’s going to take a while for it to really sink in, but the fact that someone I know and someone that a lot of my friends were friends with, is gone, that makes it sink in faster because its more direct,” Sinaiko said. Sinaiko is a reporter for The Vanderbilt Hustler.
“One of my roommates, her best friend, the guy she took to prom, goes to Virginia Tech and was in a class in the Engineering building at the time of the shooting. He was the only kid in his class that didn’t get shot,” junior Jill Coish said.
“(My roommate) was bawling all day yesterday,” Coish said. “It’s been really hard, especially for people from that area. I have lot of sympathy for them.”
Some students said the events in Virginia make them question their safety on campus.
“It makes me feel like something could actually happen. I mean, we have VUPD, but they have police officers, too, and nothing happened after the first shooting,” said freshman Zachary Gilbert. “It shows there are cracks in the system.”
Coish said she still feels safe on campus, however.
“I think we have a lot of police here at Vanderbilt and since the shooting last year (in Morgan House residence hall) I think they’ve done a good job to prevent anything like that from happening again,” Coish said. “So I feel safe, but I know my parents are a little worried, especially since my little sister is coming next year as a freshman.”
Katie DePaola contributed to this report.
