Feature photo by Noah McLane
Story by Noah McLane
Nearly 40 community members gathered in front of James E. Walker Library Monday night for a prayer event, organized by Raiders for Christ and UKirk Collegiate Ministries, following the death of a student that afternoon.
Dean Dunning, RFC’s campus minister, led a group of students from the organization’s headquarters on Bell Street to the library courtyard, where they scattered into small groups.
People passing by were respectful of the nature of the event, occasionally gliding past on longboards or bicycles. Others walked quietly through the scene with their friends.
Students organized the event after someone sent a message in their group chat asking for prayers for the community.
“Somebody had originally put in there, ‘Hey, be praying, this happened,’” RFC member Sarah Anderson said. “And then somebody said we should go pray together, and Dean was like, ‘Yeah, let’s go.’”
RFC typically holds a weekly devotional on Monday nights, Taylor Anderson said.
“Instead of doing that, we came here to pray for the campus. That’s what all this is centered on. We believe in the power of prayer,” Taylor Anderson said.
While in small groups, students listened to and shared their stories underneath the glow of floodlights.
“It’s one thing to privately pray, and that’s a very good and powerful thing. But coming by and being together, and making sure we are supporting each other is very important,” Sarah Anderson said. “This is not about religion, it’s us, coming out and showing love in the best way we know how.”
As people wrapped up their group sessions, they quietly left the courtyard as Dunning requested.
MTSU counseling services are available in the Keathley University Center, room 326-S Tuesday from 8 a.m. to 4:40 p.m.
The mobile crisis number is 1-800-704-2651 and is available 24 hours a day.
The national suicide hotline is 988.
Noah McLane is the lead news reporter for MTSU Sidelines.
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