Thirty-three candles were lit beneath the ETSU bell tower on Monday. Each candle represented the life of a student or faculty member killed in the shooting at Virginia Tech. A second vigil was held Tuesday.
Elliott Cennamo, a resident of Blacksburg, Va., organized the vigil soon after hearing of the events in his hometown. He sent out Facebook invitations and a fairly large crowd of students began filing in around the bell tower at 9 p.m.
The 33 candles were placed on the ground in the shape of a “V” and a “T”. Together, the group of students crowded around the candles to shelter them from the wind.
The group effort to help light the candles mirrored the actions of students across the country. Everyone wanted to do something to help, whether that meant going to Blacksburg or gathering locally to pray for the victims and their families.
After attempting to light the candles on the ground, candles were passed out to the students. Lighters were passed around the group as everyone tried to illuminate their candles.
Silence fell over the crowd of students as they began praying. After a few minutes, audible prayers were spoken by students and the Lord’s Prayer was begun by one, and before long, the entire group followed suit.
“I thought in the meantime I would pray and give people an opportunity to show their respect and support,” Cennamo said.
He found out about the shooting from one of his classes and decided that he wanted to do something. Cennamo’s mother teaches at Virginia Tech and all the incidents happened right outside her office, he said. She was not in the office at the time of the shootings.
Some ETSU students at the vigil said they knew students who attended Virginia Tech. Tears were shed and hugs were given while students gathered together to remember the people who were killed.
Pete McClain helped Cennamo organize the vigil. “He told me around 6 p.m. that he needed help. It came together really well,” he said.
McClain is not from Blacksburg and doesn’t know many people who attend Virginia Tech, but he said, “It’s something that needs prayer for everybody, the victims and the families.”
During the past couple of days, many ETSU classes began with discussions about the shootings in Blacksburg.
The question, “What if that happened here?” has been asked multiple times.
At the vigil, many people spoke about how these shootings made them realize what things are important in life and the overall value of life.
Those who were murdered did not wake up in the morning thinking to themselves, “This is my last day on earth,” one student said. They woke up and went about their day-to-day activities.
Yet, like the candles that were blown out prematurely by the wind, the lives of 33 students and faculty were cut short.

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