In the wake of the tragic events that occurred at Virginia Polytechnic and State University Monday, about 250 Mississippi State students and faculty members came together at a convocation ceremony Wednesday on the Drill Field. After short planning, the Student Association and Residence Hall Association decided to hold a ceremony to offer support and encouragement to students.
SA President Jeremy Johnson began the ceremony with a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims at Virginia Tech and offered words of encouragement.
“Today we are all Hokies at heart,” Johnson said. “We are providing strength and solace to the campus of Virginia Tech here from Mississippi State University. Today, we are letting them know that even though your hearts are heavy and your tears will fall, Mississippi State University is here to help you recover.”
Kevin Shoemaker of Campus Crusade for Christ followed Johnson with a prayer for all those affected.
Associate vice president of student affairs Lisa Harris spoke as well, saying MSU is not very different from Virginia Tech University. They both have rich histories and traditions; they even share the color: maroon.
“We know that they are a sister campus and they feel many of the same things that we do,” Harris said. “We share with them in that grieving process.”
Harris encouraged students to continue on their paths while carrying the Hokie family in their hearts and prayers. She said she urges all students who feel stressed or just need to talk to use the campus counseling service. Harris encourages students not to be distracted and discouraged but to stay focused.
The RHA held meetings in the residence halls to discuss fears and issues that some students may be having earlier in the week. Information will continue to be updated on the MSU Web site.
Johnson announced that a banner will be placed in the Perry Cafeteria for students and faculty to sign that will be sent to Virginia Tech next week.
The SA is taking donations in its office at Herbert Hall.
Sending e-mail and text messages to members of the Virginia Tech family is one way for MSU students to reach out, Harris said.
Many students who came to the ceremony are also alumni of Virginia Tech University.
“The [MSU] faculty, staff and the campus in general have been overwhelmingly supportive,” Virginia Tech alumnus and associate professor of plant and soil sciences Brian Trader said. “I think that sending the banner to the university in Blacksburg is a very good idea.”
Kristin Nichols, a first-year veterinary student and graduate of Virginia Tech, said everyone in her class has been supportive.
She said the dean of veterinary medicine approached her to see how she was doing.
“You do not just get that support anywhere,” she said.
Some MSU students felt a deep connection to the students who lost their lives on Monday.
Senior communication major and Rice Hall residential adviser Simone Cottrell said she came to the ceremony because she knows that an RA was killed at Virginia Tech.
“This is the second time in U.S. history that an RA has been killed on campus,” Cottrell said. “We’re here to show our support to VT Housing and the Hokie nation in general.”
Associate professor in counseling, educational psychology and special education April Heiselt said she is especially impressed with the student initiative to reach out to another university.
“It just shows how important the student voice is and how it can create great solidarity on our campus,” Heiselt said. “It is about how we can support each other through a larger global community.