Students, faculty and staff gathered in the University Student Commons Plaza Sunday evening in remembrance of those who lost their lives Sept. 11, 2001, as well as those who perished in Hurricane Katrina.
As flags between the Commons Plaza and the Business Building flew at half-staff, SGA President Edward O’Leary addressed those who came to show their support.
“We all have our individual ways that we deal with this,” O’Leary said to the crowd of almost 80 people.
“We were all doing different things on that morning (Sept. 11), but really this is a time for us all to come forward and kind of get together and share this with each other.”
Elizabeth Bennett, a 19-year-old pre-clinical laboratory sciences major, came to the vigil to show her support for those involved in both events.
“I think a lot of people have really come together to show support and love for their country,” she said. “We’ve all just kind of come together to help those who were lost or have lost in the tragedies.”
Although Bennett had heard about Sunday night’s vigil honoring both Sept. 11 and Hurricane Katrina victims, she said she had not seen a lot of opportunity for students to get involved with donations to benefit hurricane victims.
“I’ve seen posters and fliers and stuff for fundraising efforts,” Bennett said, “But I think they need something that would attract students’ attention to make them want to come out and do something like that because a lot of people just don’t really think about it.”
Jamal Batts, a 21-year-old mass communications and African-American studies major, was also looking for more ways to get involved.
“As far as events that are widely known to students around campus, this is the only thing I’ve seen,” Batts said. “I don’t know of anything to donate, any rallying of support, or anything like that. And maybe there is something like that, but I think that there should have been a greater effort to get that information out to students campus-wide and not just to the student government of VCU.”
The event, which ended with a candlelight vigil, featured poetry, a moment of silence and a Sept. 11 musical and spoken-word montage. Fliers about Taylor Behl, the missing VCU freshman were also distributed. O’Leary urged the audience to continue in the search efforts for Behl by posting the fliers where possible.
Reuban Rodriguez, associate vice provost and dean of students, said students wishing to help with hurricane efforts are encouraged to donate to the Red Cross.
He also said there will be a number of events on campus throughout October that will allow students to get involved.
Rodriguez also discussed a more specific way students can get involved to help those affected by Katrina.
“Starting Monday in the Shafer Court Dining Center,” Rodriguez said, “Students will be able to exchange a number of their swipes on their meal plan for cash equivalents that dining services and Aramark Corporation will donate as a cash contribution to the hurricane relief fund.”
“A lot of people didn’t realize it was 9/11 today. They really need to make it a pronounced holiday like Memorial Day.”
– Nicole Ingram, sophomore, pre radiation sciences, 19
“It’s just important I knew some people in high school who lost family members. I think it’s nice that we can all just kind of come together and pray for them and their families.”
– Elizabeth Bennett, sophomore, pre clinical laboratory sciences, 19
“I think the difficult part about tonight is one of our own students is missing. That’s a big concern for us locally and I think when we look at it on a local level we can see the national level to even a more extent as for why its so important for community to be part of a university experience.”
– Jason Cottrell, coordinator of supplemental instruction
“I came because 9/11 or Katrina never directly affected me, but just seeing how it affected others, I just wanted to come and fellowship with other people on campus who wanted to share.”
– Niall Jones, junior, dance and choreography, 21