Students mourn lost lives

Members of the UB community gathered for memorial services Wednesday and Thursday in remembrance of the devastating tragedy that struck South Asia just one month ago.

Speakers at the services, which were held Wednesday in Harriman Hall and Thursday in the Student Union Theater, encouraged those in attendance to maintain hope while mourning the lives lost.

"It's a time for reflection, grief and sadness, but also a time for hope," said Mary Clare Fahey, community service coordinator for the Leadership Development Center. "It's important to remember what happened. Events like this allow us to remember the lives lost, help keep hope alive, and spread peace to everybody."

Thursday's event included interfaith readings, a short presentation on tsunami disaster, and a speech from UB President John Simpson.

"We need to remember the lives lost and affirm our solidarity with others whose lives are still impacted," Simpson said. "There are many ways to respond to global need and I'm proud of our students, faculty, and staff for their participation in community service and tsunami relief efforts. As a community, we need to maintain our commitment to public service and global outreach. We look ahead to renewal and regrowth."

The services also included a presentation from Joseph Atkinson, director of the Great Lakes Research Center and professor of structural and environmental engineering. Atkinson explained the origins of tsunami waves and illustrated the speed at which they travel and the effects a tsunami can have.

Although student attendance was low, a handful of students opted to express their own thoughts about the month-old disaster.

"I just wanted to express my feeling of appreciation for life. We all take life for granted. Why not help who you can? Every little bit helps," said Carlos Hoyos, a senior environmental studies major. "I tried to get more students to come to the service, but most wouldn't even listen to me, unfortunately. I still think it's important to have services like this, though, because it encourages people to have hope. People are gathering together, and it lets us know that we're not alone in this world and that everybody cares in some way."

Fahey said she had hoped for a bigger turnout, but those who did attend seemed to appreciate the service.

"I would have loved to have seen more students but I understand that they have other commitments," Fahey said. "I just hope that they're with us in their thoughts."

"It's not about students donating money," Fahey added, referring to the $1,000 collected for UB's relief fund since last Thursday. "It's about allowing students to express themselves and support others. This expression is a part of the healing process. In some ways, caring is worth so much more than the money that gets donated."

Dennis Black, vice president for student affairs, said he was pleased with the services and hopes to see more of their kind.

"For me, it's a mandatory time out. A program like this makes you stop what you're doing, put down the cell phone, the BlackBerry and the fountain pen, and think about something else, someone else, someplace else. It's a really healthy thing for us to do," Black said. "I think we should do more of this, not less. It's a combination of reflection, thought, and education. Where else can you do this? You get a religious perspective and an educational perspective. We should respond more often in this manner to things that trouble us in the world."

President Simpson said he was equally pleased with the memorial services, and said they were "well done, dignified, and respectful of the tragedy."

"It's good for the community to come together as part of a healing process in response to a tragedy like this," Simpson said. "Even though it happened half a world away, the results were very real and very horrible and were felt in our community."