ST. GEORGE, Utah — Students at Utah Tech University are processing the emotional impact of a shooting incident at Utah Valley University, with many saying they need to talk through their feelings about the violence that occurred during a campus political forum.
The shooting at Utah Valley University has reverberated throughout Utah's higher education community, reaching students more than 200 miles away in St. George.
"My personal experience is that that kind of stuff should not happen at all on campus, anywhere in general, honestly. These kind of things are wrong, just wrong in practice as well even if you don't agree with the person you shouldn't like take their life because of it," said Steven Parrot, a Utah Tech freshman majoring in art.
The university showed solidarity with Utah Valley University by illuminating the "D" on Black Hill in green and white colors. Utah Tech spokesperson Jyl Hall said the shooting was significantly affecting students, prompting administrators to be mindful of their emotional state.
Despite initial concerns that students might be too shocked to discuss the incident, many said talking about it served as a form of therapy.
"Everybody down here is kind of in shock. It's all we can talk about in class," said Skyler Dixon, a junior studying mechanical engineering.
The shooting in Orem occurred during an on-campus open forum involving a political activist, raising questions about whether political discourse on campus might change in response to the violence.
"I think more than anything people have been more open to discussing and the light of the tragedy, seeing that it's all about sympathy and love for each other. And that at the end of the day, we're all just human beings," said Vee Gooch, a Utah Tech junior.
Rylan Nielsen, a nursing student, said the campus maintains an environment where diverse political views can be expressed safely.
"I don't know if people are afraid to give their opinion on campus. I think just because, honestly, Utah Tech is a very mixed campus with views. I know there's a Republican and a Democrat club and the GSA, but like, I think we're all very open to share our opinions," Nielsen said.
However, Nielsen admitted feeling hesitant about coming to campus initially, citing concerns about school violence more broadly.
"Because like there was even that school shooting in Denver so I was like, even my siblings, my in-laws are like, oh, I don't even want to go to school," Nielsen said.
Nielsen expressed frustration with ongoing gun violence while maintaining support for gun rights.
"I'm tired of seeing all this crap, like, I know there's a lot of gun violence. I mean, I still support … support guns. But, like, I think that we should be a little stricter, obviously," Nielsen said.
