After the killings of 13 people in the United States from two separate events, both reportedly hate crimes, the Ball State community came together around candlelight to remember those affected.
More than 100 people attended the candlelight vigil on 4:30 p.m. Friday at the Beneficence statue.
Tears were shed, hugs shared and voices sang together while bright orange leaves stood behind Beneficence. Ball State President Geoffrey Mearns shared his thoughts.
“[Beneficence] serves as a reminder to all of us that we are one community,” Mearns said in a speech. “We also pause to gather, to remember women and men who have been the victims of hate-filled violence .”
Mearns said he wanted the community to honor and remember the victims from the attacks.
These two incidents occurred within a week, both reportedly hate crimes.
In Jefferson, Kentucky, Gregory Bush was charged with killing Maurice Stallard and Vickie Lee Jones as a possible hate crime, AP News states.
In Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Robert Bowers has been charged with killing 11 people in a synagogue because of his hatred. Two others in the synagogue were wounded and four officers were injured in the attack, AP News states.
Mearns wanted to not only remember these events, but have the community commit to make the world more peaceful.
“It was important not to remember them, but to also pledge to one another to continue to do the work together that’s necessary to bring peace and justice,” Mearns said in an interview. “It is important for us to come together renew our pledge, to renew those commitments and to restore our faith.”
Because of this, attendees of the vigil shared a moment of silence, read the Beneficence pledge and sang “Imagine” by John Lennon.
Alumnus Anurita Sarin came also to do something in support of the victims and against hate crimes.
“We should all live shoulder to shoulder, open arms, tied to together,” Sarin said. “You can see I am an ethnic minority and it just makes you look over your shoulder more. … You have no idea how it really feels.”
Sarin said she believed it is important to do the “right thing” for the victims and coming to this vigil was a way she could do that.
For freshman Kylie Roby, she said she wanted to pay her respects because she has family from Kentucky.
“I have a lot of family in Kentucky, so hearing about it made me stop for a second,” Roby said. “And just hearing the stories of the people in the synagogue… I literally can’t get that out of my head.”
Contact Liz Rieth with comments at ejrieth@bsu.edu or on Twitter @liz_rieth.
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