On any other night, the small campus of Pasco-Hernando State College would be a relatively lonesome venue, with only janitorial staff tending to some of the lovely new buildings. On Thursday, however, as thunder rumbled in the distance ahead of a coming storm, the PHSC West Campus Pride Club welcomed students and civilians from all walks of life to gather for a candlelight vigil to show solidarity with those affected by the mass shooting at Pulse, a gay nightclub in Orlando.
Anthony Joseph Alexander Avilla of Rock the Boat Productions, an alumnus of PHSC, gave a particularly moving speech alongside fellow representatives of the campus Pride club and faculty.
"I'm fortunate enough to explore through my studies the many facets of humanity," said Avilla, who is now a political science major at Arizona State University. "Being a gay man, a lesbian woman, a trans woman or man and any other facet of the spectrum that we defend…we have to be able to come together and see those differences and make sure they are represented."
The rest of his speech stressed tenacity in the face of adversity and the many ways in which a community can be tenacious in their love and in their tolerance. His audience was clearly moved.
The notion of love trumping fear and vitriol seemed to be a running theme throughout the vigil.
The event was less about arguing who was to blame for mass shootings or bigotry than it was about hugs and handshakes, smiles and nods, of amenities provided by the school and Pride club to make the event more comfortable. There was talk of life beyond the tragedy, of a willingness to work towards closure.
People talked about their dogs and their school work, their places of work and their church. Professors caught up with students. Some attendees brought their family for support and to take part in the healing. But there was no mistaking the wave of nausea, of emptiness comes with another recitation of the names and ages of the 49 victims who died in Sunday's attack.
Thursday's vigil and procession are one of many that have occurred in the wake not only of Sunday's events, but in the aftermath of dozens of shooting events in recent years. Some say gun violence has gotten so frequent that such somber remembrances are routine. But if such violence should continue to be routine, organizers of events like the one at PHSC say, so, too, will the vigils.
This article appears in Jun 16-23, 2016.