Bad weather postpones MSU gathering on one-month anniversary of mass shooting
EAST LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) – The inclement weather on Monday postponed a gathering at Michigan State University's Demonstration Field to mark the one-month anniversary of the mass shooting. Many members of the MSU community are still healing from Feb. 13 tragedy.
"Everyone has been processing things differently. I think it's a big point of why we're doing this. Everyone's experience is different, and everyone's feelings toward what happened is different," said MSU sophomore Hannah Greenspan.
Greenspan is helping with an act of catharsis by organizing an event that will have students write on index cards their accounts of the fateful night and how the tragedy has affected them.
The finished cards will be on display at the MSU museum.
"For Spartans to see that they are not alone in what they've been experiencing and for non-Spartans to come see the impact this has had the entire Spartan community," Greenspan said.
Ryan Peters, who sheltered in place at his dorm and was worried about his roommate that night, plans to contribute.
"It's been hard for different people in different ways, especially since it's the kind of thing you see on the news a lot all sorts of other schools, and then all of a sudden it's happening at your school," Peters told CBS News Detroit.
MSU has beefed up security after shooter Anthony McRae injured several students and killed Arielle Anderson, Brian Fraser, and Alexandria Verner.
Some campus buildings will require a keycard after 6 p.m., starting Monday. Greenspan characterized it as a smart move.
"That allows the buildings that are open on campus that need public access to be able to be open during the day, but also, there's really no need for anyone to be in a public building past 6 pm because classes and stuff are done," she said.
Greenspan adds that over the last month, MSU faculty have supported the coping process.
"I'm a peace and justice minor, so a lot of my classes have to do with global conflict, so my professors have been super lenient with the topic material and changing what we're reading and changing what we're watching to be more sensitive towards students needs," Greenspan said.
The gathering at Demonstration Field is now set to happen on Sunday at 2:13 p.m., representing the date when the tragedy occurred.
