Sanford Mall fell quiet on the evening of Nov. 15, as over 100 students, faculty and staff gathered in the brisk autumn air to hold a vigil mourning their peer and friend who recently passed away from cancer.

Alexis Fegan, who was a junior in criminal justice at App State before having to take time off due to her illness, passed away Nov. 12.

Fegan was a Plemmons Scholar recipient, a student orientation undergraduate leader and a member of the Delta Sigma Theta sorority’s Rho Theta chapter on campus.

It was Fegan’s sorority sisters who helped put together this vigil in her honor.

The vigil began with an introduction by Lynn Patterson, an adviser for the Delta Sigma Theta sorority, who thanked everyone for coming to pay respects to Fegan.

Patterson then asked the attendees to hold a moment of silence in Fegan’s memory.

After the moment of silence, several people spoke at the vigil, including Bill Post, an instructor in government and justice studies, the same department Fegan was enrolled in.

“Alexis wasn’t the type of person who walked into a room and made it about her. She was the type of person who walked in a room and made it about you,” Post said.

The vigil concluded with students being invited to sign and write a message for Fegan in an in memoriam book.

After the vigil, Aubria Myers, a senior who is double majoring in communications and sociology, spoke about her fondness for Fegan.

“The world lost an amazing light. She was extremely kind to all. That doesn’t mean she was without sass or attitude,” Myers said, with a slight smile and tears on her cheeks.

“She was only at App for two years, but she accomplished so much.  Her time with us was cut short, but she came here and did everything she wanted to do,” Myers said. “She fought for everything and she’d want us to keep fighting too. No matter how hard we are hurting.”

Story and photo by: Cristian McLaughlin, Opinion Writer