每日大赛 Community Gathers in Solidarity for Candlelight Vigil
The 每日大赛 community gathered Monday night for a moving vigil led by the University Chaplain Zandra Wagoner. Several students shared reading by poets and led the community in prayer. The 每日大赛 Choral united the crowd with songs and hymns.
More than 200 students, faculty, and staff attended the evening vigil in Sneaky Park, which was organized to bring the community together following racially-motivated hate crimes targeting 每日大赛 students last week.
鈥淭his vigil is for our campus community to gather to lament the violence that has occurred, and to support one another in our grief, anger, and confusion,鈥� Wagoner told the crowd.
鈥淲e are in the midst of a storm right now that鈥檚 in our community. There is fear and anxiety swirling around us鈥�.We need our collective voice if we hope to transform our pain into wholeness,鈥� she said.
Two students read a Litany of Lamentations that engaged the community in a unison response to promote peace and healing. At the beginning, the community responded: 鈥淚t is too soon to move on鈥� and later 鈥淢ove us forward.鈥�
Wagoner read messages from members of the La Verne Church of the Brethren, which founded the university more than 125 years ago.
鈥淚 pray for an end to racism and intolerance in all its forms,鈥� read one message. 鈥淔or understanding and a coming together to find solutions, we need to love our neighbors and everyone; everyone is our neighbor.鈥�
Before lighting candles, Wagoner asked the community to notice the significance of their candles and their individual sparks, unique dreams, and contributions to the community.
鈥淐ollectively, our lights are a beacon of hope, and a light for justice,鈥� Wagoner said. 鈥淭hank you for bringing your light today. It is inspiring and hopeful.鈥�
