Dressed in maroon and burnt orange, Victoria Cornwell, a Sacramento State freshman nursing major , approached the microphone at a candlelit vigil for the victims at Virginia Tech University.

Cornwell told her story about what is now the deadliest college shooting in U.S. history.

Half of her high school graduating class went to Virginia Tech. On the day of the shootings, it was difficult for Cornwell to be so far from home without knowing what had really happened and whether any of her friends were victims in the tragedy, she said.

In the aftermath, Cornwell found out that she had lost a friend. Ryan Clark, an avid band member and triple-major with a 4.0 GPA, lost his life to the gunman on what initially seemed to be an average day at school. He was one of 32 victims reported dead.

Cornwell was united with more than 200 students and community members who filled the Library Quad at 8 p.m. on April 24.

ASI held the event for students to recognize that the victims of the shootings were also college students, and to try to imagine the pain this caused for them, said Curtis Grima, vice-president of Academic Affairs.

“Sometimes the good die young. Hopefully some lessons will be learned, and we can all work to understand each other better,” he said.

The organization supplied a candle for everyone present. The participants provided a mood to set the flame.

That mood was distinguished by tears, but also by hope.

Following her tearful confession about Clark, Cornwell came up to the microphone for a second time to share her hopeful views about the tragedy. She also has a friend who survived the shootings. Her friend Heidi Miller was shot three times, once in the spine, and may never walk again, but she survived.

“Our mothers were talking the other day. All my mom wanted to do was hold me and kiss me,” Cornwell said.

“Heidi may never walk again, but she’s alive, and her mother is happy because she can still hug and kiss her till the day she dies.”

In the wake of this tragic situation, many students took the opportunity to attend the vigil as an inspiration to convey their newfound thoughts of wisdom to remind others to celebrate life.

“I smile a little brighter, I hold my friends a little tighter and listen a little longer,” said Joshua Phillips, a graduate student studying social work.

Father George Wanser of the Sac State Newman Center for Catholic Students, came to the event to communicate his uplifting message as well.

“We’re called upon to step up?to believe in human righteousness of human beings?let us raise our hearts and minds in Arabic, Hebrew and English?no matter religion,” he said.

Although not everybody participated in the prayers and songs, everyone still maintained the sense of community exemplified by the speakers and company present at the event. That communal feeling brought about a wonderful sense of comfort on campus, one that many students had never experienced before.

“In five years, this is the first time I feel like the campus is united. I definitely feel the love,” said graduating senior Laura Cadranel, a kinesiology major and member of ASI.

When all of the candles were blown out, ASI asked students to take one extra moment to sign a card to express Sac State’s condolences for the victims and community of Virginia Tech. The card was sent April 25.

“My hope is that they know other schools care and that (Sac State’s) thoughts are with them,” said Dominique Moore, a senior studying ethnic studies.

Melinda Guzman, a Board of Trustees member for the California State University system, ended the event by acknowledging the time and cares that ASI invested in the evening, as well as the families and friends of Virginia Tech victims.

“This is an opportunity to learn, not just a tragedy. A time to embrace each other and recognize that everyone has a spirit and individual needs,” she said.

Overall, the night exceeded the initial expectations. ASI was more than satisfied with the student support, having a member of the CSU board of trustees present, and a clergy member and the media coverage was great, Moore said.

Bailey Mannisto-Iches can be reached at [email protected]