AU students gathered throughout the day April 16 to participate in moments of silence in solidarity with victims of the April 15 Boston Marathon bombings.
The bombings occurred at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, killing at least three people and injuring another 176, according to the New York Times.
Kay Spiritual Life Center held a vigil at 5 p.m. on April 16 to honor the victims as well as comfort AU students who were shaken by the events of the previous day.
University Chaplain Joe Eldridge opened the vigil with a quote by Martin Luther King, Jr.
“Anything that affects one of us directly, affects all of us indirectly,” he said.
Many of the campus chaplains as well as students and alumni directly affected by the bombing gave words of condolence and support. Students were also encouraged to contribute their personal stories and feelings on the bombings.
Moment of silence held
Lorraine Magee, a sophomore in the College of Arts and Sciences who is originally from Natick, Mass., organized a moment of silence in front of the Kay Spiritual Life Center at 2:45 p.m. April 16 for the victims of the bombings
The minute was meant to bring the AU community together, she said. She held a sign labeled “Boston is my home” and said she was pleasantly surprised by support she received from the AU community.
“I received a number of messages and friend requests from people letting me know they could not attend the event, but was extending their support … a lot of them were people I did not know or had only spoken to a few times,” she said.
Tenaya Kenner, a Muslim freshman in the School of International Service, drew personal connection from the almost immediate allegations that the bomber shared her faith.
Kenner overheard students in the Ward Circle Building claim that they had warned Muslims would act again, in reference to terrorist acts. Kenner felt the statement did not help grievers or aid the progress of finding a suspect.
“My heart hurts for those killed and injured in Boston,” she said. “But you cannot fight hate with hate, and you cannot blame an entire religion for an event, especially before there is a single viable suspect present. The answer is to grieve unconditionally and then get back up again with a resolve to make the world a place in which acts of such violence no longer exist.”
Other students connected to the tragedy as runners. Patrick Kelly, Student Government president-elect, said he was especially distraught by the event as a regular marathon participant who hopes to someday run in the Boston Marathon.
Kelly attended the moment of silence organized by Magee and was impressed by the support of the AU community.
“Students from New England are showing their love for the city of Boston and are proving we all will be resilient in the wake of this event,” he said.
sgaber@theeagleonline.com
