Thursday, May 06, 2010

Thousands mourn Yeardley Love at UVA memorial service

On a warm, breezy spring evening as dusk settled over central Virginia, thousands of University of Virginia students and faculty members gathered for a candlelight memorial service in memory of slain student Yeardley Love.

A campus that was preparing to begin two weeks of final exams leading to graduation was rocked by the news that one of their own had been murdered, and another of their own had been charged with her death.

Ms. Love, 22, was found dead Monday in her off-campus apartment bedroom, the victim of a horrendous incident that left her face-down on the pillow in a pool of blood. Her former boyfriend, UVA men's lacrosse player George Huguely, 22, was charged later that day with first degree murder.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported on the memorial service:
Last night, thousands of students gathered by candlelight at the university's Amphitheatre to mourn her death. "The way in which we have lost Yeardley has shaken us," Student Council President Colin Hood said.

As sobbing broke out in the Amphitheatre, U.Va. President John T. Casteen III told students not to be afraid to speak out if they fear for themselves or others.
When students graduate on May 23, a posthumous degree will be awarded to Ms. Love.

As the days pass, many are trying to find answers to the myriad of questions surrounding such a grisley crime and details continue to surface about Huguely's past.

Some are questioning Athletic Director Craig Littlepage's decision to allow the lacrosse teams -- UVA men are #1 and UVA women are #4 -- to participate in the upcoming NCAA tournment. Others say the tournament should go on.

One thing is for sure. Ms. Love's team mates will honor her memory as they continue to play the game she loved.

Condolence book for Yeardley Love

1 comment:

CR UVa said...

No disrespect to Ms. Love, but UVa doesn't tend to give honorary degrees; in fact, they have made a point not to. So, I guess it can be assumed that she was on track to graduate, or that she had already qualified to graduate (i.e., any remaining required courses had a high enough grade that finals likely would not have made a difference for passing or failing), and that this posthumous degree is one she was just a few weeks from receiving anyway.

And I think it is more than safe to assume that Huguely won't graduate, as this clearly meets the definition of an honor code violation.