Over 40 students and staff members attended the French Club’s candlelight vigil Monday night to commemorate the terrorist attack that killed 129 people in Paris over the weekend.
Sophomore secondary French and Spanish education major and French Club president Lindsay Westwood said the French Club chose to do a vigil because the club felt it was important to remember the lives lost, and those who were wounded in the Paris attacks. She said that the vigil was not solely focused on the Paris attacks, because the club wanted to be inclusive of all the tragedies that had happened.
“Instead of focusing solely on the attacks on Paris, we chose to include all the people that have lost their lives over the weekend due to ISIS activity in our thoughts and prayers,” Westwood explained. “Although, most of the testimonies and reactions that we read were of those from the Paris attacks.”
Music education major and vice president of the French club Katie Steele facilitated the vigil.
“What happened in Paris on Friday and the other attacks that happened along the world were all very tragic events, but tonight we are gathered not to discuss these events, but instead to remember those affected by these attacks,” Steele said at the the event. “Tonight, we are gathered to remember the people and to provide some support to those who need it.”
Steele said it is important to remember that these attacks could have happened to anyone.
“We may have also heard about the attacks that happened in places other than Paris,” Steele said. “There were a lot of lives lost and a lot of people to mourn.”
At the vigil, students read testimonies, a prayer was said and students decorated luminaries to show their support.
“The vigil was very successful for an event that was planned the day of and taking into consideration the smaller size of French Club,” Westwood said. “We were very happy with the turnout.”
