By LYDIA EARHART

lee003@latech.edu

 

Not even a hurricane can blow out a candle standing for support from the Tech family.

The student government association will host a vigil at 1 p.m. today at the Lady of the Mist to honor the victims of Hurricane Katrina.

“[SGA] is inviting all the residents of Caruthers Residence Hall,” Lindsay Mencacci, SGA president and a senior biology major, said. “We invited all of the Tech community as well.”

Mencacci said Rev. Freddy Franklin, a Caruthers’ resident from New Orleans, will lead the service. The ROTC will present the colors and some of the Chamber Singers will sing at the vigil.

“The vigil is modeled after our memorial service the SGA holds in the springtime,” Mencacci said. “We are going to light a candle in memory of the people who died as a result of Katrina and recognize the other victims.”

Mencacci said she wants the victims to interact with the students on campus.

“I just want them to know that we are thinking about them,” Mencacci said. “We are praying for them. [The victims] are a part of our community, and we just want to recognize the fact that we are all in this together.”

Ann Gassen, a member of SGA and a senior graphic design major, said she is happy to be honoring the evacuees of Hurricane Katrina.

“I’m from Luling, which is 20 miles from New Orleans,” Gassen said. “If I was in the same situation as the evacuees, I would want them to do the same thing for me.”

Gassen said the evacuees are in their prayers and thoughts.

“My heart totally goes out to them because I was right there in the middle of cities that were affected. I hope the evacuees know that we really care about them. Tech should be more to them than just a place to live.”