Crimson White

Issue date: 4/17/08 Section: News

Media Credit: Adam Smith UA students participate in a "lie-in" in remembrance of the victims of the Virginia Tech shooting and to promote stronger gun control laws.

Students gathered on the Quad Wednesday for the first anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech last April.

The event was organized by James Harb, Jacob Richie and Andrea David, after they were contacted by a victim's family member.

"This has been deemed National Lie-in Day," Harb said.

Thirty-two UA students, representing the 32 students killed at Virginia Tech, laid on the ground beside Denny Chimes for three minutes in silence.

"Three minutes is the estimated time it took the shooter to kill," Harb said. "A good friend of ours, Reema Samaha, was killed last April 16."

Samaha's sister contacted Harb and suggested that they host a lie-in at the University. Harb said over 80 places in 34 states are having lie-ins.

The purpose of the lie-in was to raise awareness for lax gun laws, Harb said.

"Certain loopholes make it easy for criminals or the mentally ill to buy a gun without a background check," Harb said. "We're not trying to take guns from anybody.

"This is very separate from the right to carry a gun or conceal a weapon, it's just too easy to purchase a gun."

Sister Madeleine Gregg, an education professor, said they were protesting the lax gun laws that allow people who are mentally ill to have guns.

"These kids aren't protesting gun ownership. There should be a certain degree of responsibility to have a gun," Gregg said.

Andrea David, a sophomore majoring in child development worked to gather attention about the lie-in.

"I sent an e-mail to all of my sorority sisters and friends and passed out flyers on the Quad," David said. "We just found out we were doing this a few days ago, and it's last minute. That's where it's going to hurt us when trying to gather 32 people to participate."

When the event started, the lie-in organizers counted exactly 32 people there to participate.

Banners behind the participants said, "Close the gunshow loophole," and "ProtestEasyGuns.com,"

Eleanor Ann Stulb, a junior majoring in public relations, participated in the lie-in because of her family and friend connections from her hometown in Virginia.

"It means a lot to me to be able to participate in this since it happened so close to home. It is a way for me to be close to my friends at Virginia Tech on this hard day," Stulb said.

Anna Wienckowski, a junior majoring in public relations, said she liked that it was happening all over the country.

"I think it's cool to be a part of something that is taking place all over the country," she said.

At Virginia Tech, students held a memorial to remember the victims. A sea of people clad in maroon and orange paid tribute Wednesday to the victims who died in the shooting.

The accomplishments of each of the 32 people echoed across the drill field, a litany of what they had done and planned to do before a student gunman killed them in classrooms and a dormitory.

The mourners gathered on the same field where a white candle lit at midnight began a day of grieving for the victims. Its flame was to be used to light candles for a vigil at dusk on Wednesday.

Some 20 people gathered in front of Norris Hall shortly after 9:30 a.m., the time one year ago that Cho killed 30 people in the building.

Protesters also held a "lie-in." About 50 people laid down in protest of Virginia's gun laws. The protesters stretched out on the grass for three minutes, to symbolize the amount of time they say it takes to buy a gun in Virginia. Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.

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