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Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: News

Media Credit: William Felix Guest books along with personalized letters and notes written by students and staff were sent to Virginia Tech. University.

Flowers left by mourners outside the LRC.

Media Credit: William Felix Dr. Violet Pezeshk writes in one of the guest books.

A memorial placed outside the LRC mourned the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech University. Students were offered support and the opportunity to write thoughts which are to be sent to the Virginia Tech campus.

" We wanted to be able to help the students," said Dr. Violet Pezeshk clinical coordinator of student health services. " Process this tragedy and let them know that the counseling center and student health services are here to help them with the fear and with the grief process to deal with this tragedy."

The memorial was part of "In-fellowship with the Students at Virginia Tech," a two-day event that included a group healing process and a discussion by the Mesa police chief on emergency policies and procedures.

During the day-long memorial, students and staff were able to leave flowers and written thoughts on guest books which were sent to Virginia Tech later that week; personalized letters were also accepted. One on one support was available to students by Pezeshk, Tammy Fletcher and Zue Shrader.

The main idea behind the memorial was to offer help to any student who had difficulties dealing with Virginia Tech shooting.

"Tragedies like this work as triggers in a lot of us to bring back difficulties in the past and make it more difficult for us to deal with them. It is really important for them to ask for help, try to understand the situation and get through it," said Pezeshk.

Students gathered around the two tent memorial throughout the day, signing guest books asking for support and leaving sentimental artifacts such as flowers and notes.

" I had a personal reaction to the massacre," said student Steve Sandifer. "I have a younger brother who attends Virginia Tech and takes his biology courses in the same building where on of the shootings took place. My family could not get a hold of him. It turned out that he has no Monday classes and he was working at a drug store at the time."

Sandifer along with other students and faculty attended the daylong memorial.

"Experiencing certain physiological symptoms as well as physical symptoms is natural or normal after a tragedy like this, the point we are trying to get across is to seek help, we are here for you," said Pezeshk.

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