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As the bright day's sun set on the Virginia Tech Drillfield last night, thousands of students, faculty and community members were still recovering but hopeful.
They came together to commemorate and celebrate the lives of the 32 students and faculty who lost their lives a year ago.
The clear, bright blue sky was pieced by only a few faint stars. Students gathered in groups, chatting and laughing before the event started, with a much less sullen demeanor than was present at the same ceremony last April.
The event started with remarks from Student Government Association President Adeel Khan. He expressed the feelings of many after last year's events.
"In the midst of our sorrow we didn't know what to do," Khan said. "We just knew we wanted to be together."
Khan added that the despite last year's events, the community had grown in many positive ways.
"We stand here today stronger as a community and better as individuals," he said. "We are family and we will always live for 32."
Following Khan's remarks, SGA Community Relations Director Jen Vaziralli and senior Cadet Colonel Dustin Siddle read off the names of the 32 students who were killed in the shootings. As the names were read off, students and community members lit candles and carried them to each student's memorial stone.
A slight mix-up occurred when Vaziralli accidentally read off the name of survivor Heidi Miller as one of the deceased victims. About a half minute later, Vaziralli corrected herself, noting that Miller was carrying a candle for Leslie Sherman.
After the readings, a short moment of silence was requested.
Following a performance of "Echo Taps" by two Corps of Cadets members and "Walk Humbly, Son" by the Virginia Tech Chamber Singers, Kahn officially brought the event to a close.
But thousands were not ready to leave the spot where they supported each other last year.
As the masses of people stood in silence, a single person began, "Let's go..." followed by a collective, "Hokies" erupting in the candle-lit night. Crowd members laughed after realizing that the huge space separating them caused their timing to be off.
Afterward, the crowd cheered loudly and raised its candles.
"I thought it was going to be gloomy and dismal, but it's kind of uplifting at the same time," said Sean Bratton, senior residential property management major.
"It's important to take a minute and just remember all the victims," said Kathryn Caddell, junior advertising major at Radford University. "It's good to mourn, but ... I hope this can be a joyful point."
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The Student Government Association managed to offend many families and friends through their total lack of preparedness and respect for this event. Not only did she read a wrong name, which the entire crowd knew was incorrect (and she corrected herself about 5 minutes later), but both students could be heard whispering across the drillfield "How do you pronounce this name? Who did you just read?" The SGA also failed to give the loved ones of those who were killed the opportunity to light the candles of those they lost on several occasions, showing a total lack of respect for them and the victims. The SGA was a gross disappointment last night, and they should never be allowed to organize such an emotional event. They have shown the utmost disrespect and lack of caring on such a meaningful night.
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wow...you think the SGA organized it all by themselves?!?!?!? nooo..they helped organize it....you are pitiful if you think they did not respect last night...i am speechless...she accidentally read a name wrong..she corrected herself...do u have any facts for anything you are saying!!?!?!?! wtf
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She had a year to prepare for this event. It is completely inappropriate that she messed it up. If you read names wrong and don't know how to pronounce them, you are unprepared and shouldn't be doing it. Everyone could hear them whispering "how do you pronounce this?" I am 100% sure she didn't learn the day before that she was reading names...practice. Everyone knows the names of the 32. Not to mention her mistake took away from recognizing Leslie, as well as the entire ceremony.
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Jen should apologize to Heidi, Heidi's family and Leslie's family for her mistake. It was completely unacceptable given the importance of that day.
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She obviously didn't do it maliciously, but the whole thing was a disaster, a huge disappointment to the Office of Recovery and Support. SGA also rejected the wishes of some of the victims' friends to light the candles of the one they lost, that is a fact. It took away from the meaning of the night, and that is unacceptable. Leslie's family does deserve an apology, her sister was in the audience was very upset with the way it was handled. Heidi also deserves an apology, a very heart-felt and sincere apology, and her family. Imagine surviving the tragedy, just barely, and then stand to hear your name read as one of the deceased. That isn't to be taken lightly.
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and i love how the CT brushes it off as a "slight mix up." everyone on this campus knows the 32 names. and Jen also knows Heidi, which is so ridiculous she managed to botch that so severely
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I guarantee that if they had extended an invitation to the families and friends of the deceased to light the candles and perhaps even read the names, they would have been pronounced correctly and no one would have said the wrong name.
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3 words can sum it all up unsure unprepared unacceptable
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An apology absolutely must be made to Heidi, her family, and Leslie's. One does not walk into such an occasion unprepared. Whoever supervises the SGA must ensure that a sincere apology is issued to both families.
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