Hundreds of people gathered in Washington Square Park and Rutgers University on Sunday, 3 October to commemorate the death of Tyler Clementi, a Rutgers freshman who committed suicide after two of his classmates illegally transmitted a video of him having sex with a man over the internet.
In New Brunswick, students led by Rutgers University President Richard McCormack congregated to show respect for their classmate and to promote compassion and understanding.
“We grieve for [Tyler] and for his family, friends, and classmates as they deal with the tragic loss of a gifted young man who was a strong student and highly accomplished musician,” McCormack said, addressing the crowd.
“The silent vigil will be an opportunity to come together in this difficult time to reaffirm our commitment to the values of civility, dignity, compassion, and respect for one another.”
The 18-year old’s body was found in the Hudson River on 22 September, following his leap from the George Washington Bridge more than a week earlier. Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate, and Molly Wei have been charged with illegally filming the deceased having sex and posting it on the internet. If convicted, they face up to five years in prison.
Some students were shocked regarding the events which led to Clementi’s suicide.
“It hurts and upsets me to discover that some of my classmates can be so cruel,” said Katherine Gyantar, a 20 year old Rutgers junior who was present at the vigil. “It’s 2010. I didn’t think that kind of bigotry could exist at a liberal college like Rutgers. I think they deserve everything they get and more.”
However, others expressed a more sympathetic view toward the two responsible for posting the footage of Clementi online.
“I think Tyler’s death is terrible, but I kind of feel bad for them. I doubt they meant for Tyler to kill himself. Talk about a prank gone wrong.”
Meanwhile, hundreds of New Yorkers came together in Washington Square Park to observe a moment of silence for Clementi and to address the issue of teen suicide over cyber bullying and homophobia. Many held signs stating messages such as “You’re Loved” and “You’re Not Alone” in an attempt to show compassion for other closeted teens who may be undergoing a similar experience.
James Jordan, a 37 year old high school teacher and swim coach, expressed empathy for Clementi.
“I remember being gay at that age and being bullied. It was rough. Now the internet has taken it to a whole new level of viscousness. Something’s got to be done to teach kids the psychological ramifications of that kind of wide-spread hatred.”
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