In response to the racial vandalism that occurred on campus on October 14, student leaders on both the Lawrenceville and Princeton campuses, supported by University officials and Rider’s chaplains, held Unity Vigils on October 17 in the Cavalla Room of the Bart Luedeke Center and the Playhouse on the Princeton campus to reaffirm Rider’s Community Values.

Groups that organized the vigils included the Student Government Association (SGA), Center for Multicultural Affairs and Community Service, the Women’s Center, and the Princeton Student Government Association. “We are here to work together as a community,” said SGA Diversity Chair Davendra Brijlall, whose leadership in coordinating the Lawrenceville vigil resulted in the support of all student groups on campus. “We are all one race, the human race,” he said.

Among the more than 300 people in attendance were Don Brown, director of the Office of Multicultural Affairs and Community Service, and Tony Campbell, dean of students. It was a teaching moment, according to Brown. “There is no place for hate here at Rider,” said Brown. “This kind of occurrence on campus can split a campus apart. It’s not about hate, it’s all about community.” Campbell concurred: “We needed to say as a community that we do not tolerate this.”

A moment of silence was held at both vigils in memory of Dr. David Rebovich, managing director of the Institute of New Jersey Politics, and Justin Warfield, a Westminster Choir College freshman, whose untimely deaths have shocked the University community.

Pictured are (Ieft) Kalima Billups, a freshman general liberal arts major, and Kareem Brown, a freshman music education major, who reflect as they listen to one of the presentations.