The 32

The vigil began tonight at 8:20 p.m. in the Drillfield, a massive field in the middle of campus. Hundreds upon hundreds of people came in maroon and orange to honor those who died. As the sun set, everyone picked up candles from the nearby tables and moved towards the memorial site. As the ceremony began, a hush fell over the crowd. A short inspirational speech took place and then each name of the 32 who died was read aloud to the crowd as a candle was lit for them. The candles were then passed around in complete silence, until the entire crowd had a burning flame. I was in utter shock of so many things at this point. Up until then, I had been so stressed and busy that I honestly didn’t have time to take it all in. They showed such compassion, dignity, respect, and grief, that I was truly in awe. The candles lit together with the perfectly clear, perfectly starry night….it was absolutely breathtaking.

As the music ended and everyone raised their candles to salute and started chanting “Go Hokies,” it made me think about a lot. It made me think of everyone in my life and how you should never wait to tell someone how important they are or how much you love them. It made me think how life is short, and as cliche as it is, to make sure to live it up. It made me realize that I should truly not take a moment for granted, because I can’t control what’s going to happen, so I might as well make the best of it. But more than anything, it made me have even more respect, which I didn’t think was possible, for the Hokies of Virginia Tech.

-Liz Segrist, Assistant News Editor