"Peace" was spelled out on the Old Main patio in candles Thursday night.
The Association for India's Development (AID) hosted a candlelight vigil with more than 50 people in attendance, to pay tribute to the victims of the terror attack in Mumbai.
Students lined up in front and on the steps of Old Main with signs that read "Homage to the Victims of Mumbai Massacre," "United We Stand Against Terrorism," "We Salute Our Heroes," "Peace," and "Harmony."
Terrorists began a 60-hour attack in Mumbai, India on Nov. 26 where more than 171 people were killed, according to the Associated Press.
People in attendance gathered in a makeshift circle. After a few brief words, candles were passed out and lit with some difficulty due to wind. There was a two minute silence in memorial to the victims of the terrorist attacks in which everyone stood. The crowd was then asked to arrange the candles into the word peace on the patio.
Penn State faculty members Suchismita Sen and her husband Ayusman Sen, a Penn State chemistry professor, said they attended the event because they were deeply affected.
"You feel you really can't do much, so this is a way of remembering," Suchismita Sen said.
Ujjawal Gandhi (graduate-molecular toxicology) said he felt that it was his responsibility to his country to be at the event.
"As an Indian it's my duty to be supporting people who support this cause," Gandhi said.
Gandhi said he believed it was important to get the word out to people, to know there is a problem.
"Terrorism is not confined to one political country; it's spreading everywhere," Gandhi said.
Somesh Roy (graduate-mechanical engineering), one of the organizers of the event, said it was important that people know terrorism occurs all over the world.
"Something bad is happening. It's not only confined to one particular country or one particular nationality," Roy said.
It is not just region, but also religion that is varried in the targets of terrorism, President of AID, Simanti Banerjee (graduate-agricultural, environmental and regional economics) said.
"Terrorism affects everybody, not just from a particular religion. It's just the perpetrators of such evil that make it about that," Banerjee said.
Manaswini Bhalla (graduate-economics) said she noticed people from all different backgrounds and countries in attendance at the event.
"There were people from countries which weren't affected. It seems there were Indians and Jewish people but also others," Bhalla said.
