SPRINGFIELD — The overall message of Thursday night’s vigil at Wittenberg University for victims of the Las Vegas mass shootings was “stand together, and lean on one another.”
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Students at Wittenberg University knew that people across the country were struggling emotionally in the aftermath of the deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history and urged everyone to come together to spread a message of peace and love.
“You could tell just the whole campus had a sad feeling to it so I thought we should come together and talk about this," junior Emma Lyons said.
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Some students spoke of getting involved in local government, while others simply shared prayers. The environment to commemorate those lost to the unfortunate event was that of love, while also letting victims know that they are not alone.
“As cheesy as it sounds, you're not alone and this happens a lot and it's really unfortunate that it's become so normalized that we hear about shootings, we hear about sexual assaults, we hear about bad things happening all the time. But I think we need to take a second, learn about it, educate ourselves about it and try to make a change, try to make a difference," said Hannah Brown, a junior.
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At least two Wittenberg students are from Las Vegas and individuals present at the vigil know others personally affected by the horrific act, which added to the vigil’s importance.
"I think we just want to be able to stand and support those who were involved or were traumatized by this event. We like to think Las Vegas is a far away place and there couldn't possibly be anyone connected to it around here but in reality, I’ve already talked to people who have had people involved in the situation," said Heath Queen, Coordinator for Engaged Learning for the Business Department.
Following the vigil for the shooting victims, another act of awareness continued with students taking part in a “Take Back the Night” event that acknowledges sexual assault victims.