CRLS Holds Vigil for Victims of Uvalde Shooting
Students gathered to honor the victims of the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas.
June 25, 2022
On Wednesday, June 1st, CRLS students gathered at the entrance of the Rindge Building to commemorate the lives lost during the deadly school shooting in Uvalde, Texas. 19 students, ages nine to eleven, and two teachers tragically lost their lives, making it one of the deadliest school shootings in the United States in the past decade.
Organized by the Student Government, the vigil’s main purpose was to celebrate the lives that were taken away, allowing attendees to process their emotions; it was decided that the frustration regarding societal problems and government regulation of firearms would be put away for the night. Student Government advisor Rachel Williams-Giordano, explains to the Register Forum, “The goal was to give students and members of our community the opportunity to pay tribute to the people who were killed in a space that will avoid the politics but instead focus on the victims.”
Each attendee of the vigil carried a candle and crowded around the front of the school where empty chairs were set up, each one representing a brave soul that was killed in Uvalde. Patrick Colleran ’22 recalls to the Register Forum, “It was very powerful to have the empty chairs there to truly convey and put into scale what was lost that day.”
The night commenced with a speech by Ms. Williams-Giordano who thanked everyone for coming and made clear the intentions of the event. Shortly after, Keefer Glenshaw ’22 played the cello, attracting those passing by to join the group as the night went on.
Due to the small size of the crowd, attendees were able to vent their feelings through a group conversation. Annabel Abbott Howe ’24 describes to the Register Forum, “[the vigil] really allowed me to access my emotions about the tragedy.” Many students emphasized that these shootings happened way too often and that the prevalence of these incidents desensitizes the fact that people are being killed.
Abbott Howe, however, highlighted the importance of viewing the victims as more than just numbers, but as real children. “Those kids might’ve had plans to play with their friends on the weekend, or go to [the] park after school, and just get to be kids, and it’s so painful to think of what was taken from them.” Kate Berelowich ’25, another attendee, echos to the Register Forum, “The conversation at the vigil helped me feel less alone in all these feelings and it felt so important to do something to work through our feelings instead of just letting ourselves become even more desensitized.”
Toward the end of the night, Ms. Williams-Giordano announced that trees were planted in national forests on behalf of CRLS as living tribute to victims of recent shootings. Along with worldwide support for the families that were affected by these tragic events, the CRLS community will continue to foster an environment to help each other grieve. “Creating community, finding ways to cope with grief, and never stopping to talk about any of this is so important,” Berelowich comments. “How could the world let this happen to … kids?”
This piece also appears in our June 2022 print edition.
