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Student Government Association President Connor McCarthy reads the names of those killed at Virginia Tech shootings a year ago Wednesday during a candlelight vigil held at the Arch.

Univ. students remember Virginia Tech tragedy

SGA proposes alert modifications

By: AMANDA WOODRUFF

Posted: 4/17/08

Ryan Clark, Reema Samaha, Emily Hilscher, Brian Bluhm, Waleed Shaalan, ... though the names may seem unfamiliar, these students and 27 others who were gunned down last year in the Virginia Tech massacre were remembered and honored Wednesday evening by University students.

More than 100 students, cradling candles and wearing Virginia Tech's school colors, gathered at the Arch in a vigil that marked the one year anniversary of the tragedy.

"We wanted to let Virginia Tech know we haven't forgotten," said Mary Catherine McLean, a senior from Moultrie, who coordinated the event with the Student Government Association. A friend of hers attends Virginia Tech, and his friend was fatally shot on April 16, 2007.

"It's so hard for us as a college campus to reconcile with this massacre," she said. "At the same time, we can't refuse reality and deny that it happened."

Members of the Airforce ROTC presented the colors, and as the ceremony progressed, passersby stopped to light candles as well. Singing "Amazing Grace" above the noise of downtown traffic, the a cappella choir Noteworthy provided a unique soundtrack as the list of 32 names were read aloud.

At the close of the ceremony, participants posed for a photograph to be placed on a Web site for other universities to share in memoriam.

"I think it was a great way to memorialize those students' lives," said Matt Suber, a senior from Perry and former SGA vice president. Suber spoke during the ceremony, urging the University community to "stand united" to show the "resilience of Virginia Tech."

"To prevent [another tragedy] is a near impossibility," he said. "We need to focus on our ability to react."

"We were so moved by [Mary Catherine's] passion," said SGA President Connor McCarthy, who read the names of the deceased students. To ensure student approval of campus safety, McCarthy said SGA hopes to have more students involved in the process.

Holding a student forum would be "a good possibility," he said, in light of the recent controversy when security officials did not alert the campus to bomb threats via UGAAlert. Two SGA members are already looking into a proposal for the system and plan to get student input as well, he said.

"We want to make sure students are aware every step of the way."