Despite the biting wind and drizzling rain, Duke students and members of the Durham community gathered in front of the Chapel at 8 p.m. Wednesday night in a candlelight vigil to mark the 48-hour deadline set by President George W. Bush for Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein to leave the country.
Some candles flickered in the wind and others went out, but attendees remained undaunted as they came together to think and to pray, just minutes before coalition forces began a strike on Baghdad.
About 75 people attended the half-hour vigil, said senior Kathryn House, who organized the event. Of those, about two-thirds were students, she said, and the rest were faculty and other community members.
"I was pretty amazed [at the turnout] for the conditions and the concert that's going on," she said. "I feel encouraged that there is a mindfulness... that [the war] is interrupting what's going on enough for people to be out here tonight."
House said she planned the event to provide a nonpartisan atmosphere for people to express their concern about the inevitable war with Iraq.
"It was an open, non-intimidating place for people who are concerned but maybe aren't sure how they feel, but want to show they are aware of the magnitude of the situation, as Duke students and as world citizens," she said.
Although the vigil itself was nonpartisan, many of the attendees, like freshman Ramsey Mesyef, plan to walk out of classes today.
"[I came because] I wanted to show my solidarity and to help make [the vigil] more of a statement," Mesyef said.
Some students attended simply to stand together with others who share their concerns about the upcoming war.
"I can only speak for myself, but I've been having a hard time thinking about anything else," freshman Emily LaDue said. "I don't understand how people can just close their eyes. Part of it's because it's so far away, it seems like another world. A lot of people are very sad at this time, and being together helps."
As participants dispersed after the 30-minute vigil, some lingered to continue pondering the situation. "It's really humanizing to be with people who care about life," senior Jeff Wu said. "When people are thinking about war it's about life and death - the people here are for life. For me it's uplifting.
"In part I want to change and grow and bring peace," Wu added. "I hope that one day this will make a difference in the big picture. [I hope] in the next couple of hours or minutes people will smile at each other - not just smile, but really listen to each other. Maybe the little interactions in my little world will somehow affect the world."
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