Baruch mourns for VA Tech

Baruch students, faculty and members of the administration gathered in the Multipurpose room last Thursday to mourn the victims of the Virginia Tech massacre. Thousands of miles away from the pit of bloodshed, they comforted each other, prayed and signed posters with condolences to friends and families of the 32 people who died three days earlier when an enraged student opened fire on the Blacksburg, Va. campus.

"[However many] miles away we are, we still want them to know we are thinking of them," said Prijo Thomas, vice president of Intervarsity Christian Fellowship, which sponsored the memorial service. Several students played guitar and sung mellow songs on the stage. Light snacks were served to the attendees.

The shooting rampage, the deadliest in modern U.S. history, made some students question the safety of our campus. "[The memorial service] reminded me how unsafe you [can be even] in school, how much more careful you have to be even as a college student," said Charisse Holder, 19, a marketing major.

"It is difficult to understand what motivates someone to do something like this. This scenario has become much too common and we need to change society to prevent another one of these murders from happening," said one message on a poster that now sits in the second floor lobby. Director of Student Life, Carl Aylman, addressed the issue in his note to Virginia Tech's mascot: "All hokies are in our thoughts and prayers. Stand strong," it reads.

President Kathleen Waldron also attended the memorial. She expressed pride and happiness toward the event's organizers. "It's important for students to share their concerns, fears and passion to students in Virginia Tech," she said.

Alyssa Wick contributed reporting to this article.