April 17, 2007
Vigil will honor victims of Virginia Tech tragedy
CARBONDALE -- A vigil set for 5:15 p.m. Wednesday, April 18, at Southern Illinois University Carbondale will pay tribute to the victims of Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech University.
SIUC Undergraduate Student Government leaders and senators are inviting the community to the vigil "in memory of those who have died and those who are suffering at Virginia Tech University." The vigil will take place at the steps of SIUC's Shryock Auditorium.
Giving students, faculty, staff and the community the opportunity to come together is an important part of the healing process, said Katherine L. Sermersheim, director of student development and undergraduate student adviser.
Specific details on the vigil are being worked out, she said.
"I think everybody has a reaction to something like this," she said. "Everybody has experienced some kind of loss, and loss of any kind — much less the tragic and severe nature of this tragedy — brings back a flood of emotions and reactions in all people."
Counseling is available at the University's Counseling Center for students who wish to discuss the tragedy, she said.
For more information on the vigil, contact Sermersheim at 618/453-5714.