Groups Gather Money, Good Deeds for Tragedy

Orion, CA — Students stepped up on campus to show their support for those affected by the Virginia Tech shootings.

Social fraternity Phi Delta Theta and the Chabad Jewish Center tabled April 23 to 26 in front of Glenn Hall to encourage students to donate money or do good deeds.

Drew Lewis, president of Phi Delta Theta, organized the Virginia Tech Support Fund at Chico State. He got the word out by advertising through Facebook, he said.

The fraternity raised $1,800. Member Stephen Nordman said it doesn’t matter that the fraternity didn’t reach its $2,000 goal.

“It’s all for a good cause,” he said. “We set goals that we want to reach, and one of those goals is to always push for more.”

The fraternity had originally intended to raise $2,000 in coins, but a lot of older people, such as faculty, started giving $20 bills, Nordman said.

“We didn’t expect that,” he said.

Lewis said a few people opposed the support fund and approached the table throughout the week.

“One guy said no one should donate money because the families will sue and get money anyway,” he said.

Every cent will be donated to the Virginia Tech Family Fund regardless, Lewis said.

Most students and faculty responded well to the members who asked for donations, Lewis said. Many stopped to contribute money from their pockets.

Students also promised to do good deeds to honor people affiliated with Virginia Tech.

Jewish students and the Chabad Jewish Center teamed up to bring the “Hearts to Hokies” campaign to campus, said Chana Zwiebel, the center’s director.

The international project was organized in memory of Jewish professor Liviu Librescu, who was killed in the shootings while he barricaded his classroom door to save his students.

Students and people from the Jewish community handed out forms for students to write down a good deed they intended to do. The forms were mailed to the Chabad Jewish headquarters in New York to be distributed to victims’ families and Virginia Tech students to show national support.

The campaign concluded Friday with a special Shabbat candle lighting ceremony in memory of Librescu. The Jewish ceremony of girls lighting candles was his favorite, Zwiebel said.

“In Judaism, we are taught that a little light dispels a little darkness,” she said. “There’s a time to mourn, but we also need to be active.”