Remembering Sandy Hook Elementary Victims

Posted by on Friday, December 21, 2012 in News.

The Office of Religious Life invited the Vanderbilt community to observe a minute of silence at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, December 21st—a week after the deadly shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary School. In memory of the victims, Vanderbilt community members also had the opportunity, at any time during the day, to light an electric tea light in the Benton Chapel sanctuary and share written condolences and notes of sympathy in a remembrance book at Benton Chapel. This book will eventually be sent to Newtown, Conn.The Kirkland Hall bell tolled 26 times – once for each victim in the shooting.

Since the shooting took place on the last day of finals for Vanderbilt campus, the Office of Religious Life will offer a second service on the one month date in order to allow students to have an opportunity to grieve and contribute to the memorial book that will be sent to Newtown. The service will be on Monday, January 14th in Benton Chapel from 9 am until 5 pm. This will be a walk-in memorial service for people to come and go as they please. Candles and the memorial book will be available. The memorial book will be circulated through religious groups, as well as the Greek system to give as many students as possible the opportunity to send a personal message.

Let us remember:

Charlotte Bacon – 6, Daniel Barden – 7, Rachel D’Avino – 29 behavioral therapist,

Olivia Engel – 6, Josephine Gay – 6, Dawn Hochsprung – 47 principal,

Dylan Hockley – 6, Madeleine Hsu – 6, Catherine Hubbard – 6,

Chase Kowalski – 7, Jesse Lewis – 6, Ana Marquez-Greene – 6,

James Mattioli – 6, Grace Audrey McDonnell – 7, Anne Marie Murphy – 52 teacher,

Emilie Parker – 6, Jack Pinto – 6, Noah Pozner – 6, Caroline Previdi – 6,

Jessica Rekos – 6, Avielle Richman – 6, Lauren Gabrielle Rousseau – 30 teacher,

Mary Sherlach – 56 school psychologist, Victoria Soto – 27 teacher,Benjamin Wheeler – 6,

Allison N. Wyatt – 6