Hundreds of people gathered Saturday evening in the Martin Luther King Commons to commemorate the one year anniversary with a candlelight vigil.

After President John Peters opened the ceremony, one member from each organization the victims were involved with read off their name and lit a candle in remembrance. Peters said the candles represent both remembrance and healing.

“Tonight our flames burn bright if even for just a minute and let those lights send a message to the heavens,” Peters said. “We are here. We love each other. We will never forget. We are NIU.”

The crowd bowed their heads in a moment of silence as a bell chimed five times and the song “Taps” played as a reminder of the lives lost.

“One year later we are changed,” Peters reflected. “We light candles to chase away the darkness.”

Students, faculty, friends and family turned out in mass to reflect and remember the tragedy.

“I was here for the vigil a year ago,” said business manager Jim Mecklenburg. “It’s good to see everyone banding together.”

AJ Forbes, a sophomore political science major and Vice President of Sigma Alpha Epsilon, was proud of the Greek response. “We put our letters aside and became one as NIU,” Forbes said.

Former students returned to campus to take part in the event. Early education junior Ryan McDaniel returned to NIU after transferring to Wisconsin-Whitewater after the spring 2008 semester.

“It’s difficult to come back,” McDaniel said. “It’s hard to believe it’s been a year, but it’s good to be here with friends.”

As Peters invited the crowd into the Duke Ellington Ballroom, a chant broke out on one side of the crowd. The single word “red” was met with the resounding response of “black” as the NIU community confirmed Peters’ belief.

“NIU remains determined not to let an act of violence define us,” Peters said. “We are strong.”