Amid psychics, bands and henna artists, there was another element at yesterday’s FlashFest — an opportunity for students to donate money to the families of the slain students at Virginia Tech.

Preston Mitchum, junior political science major and next semester’s vice president of the All Campus Programming Board, said FlashFest was an excellent opportunity for the community to come together and help the victims and families of the Virginia Tech massacre.

He said he contacted as many student organizations as possible, and with their help and the help of the Undergraduate Student Senate, they were able to provide a number of ways for students to donate.

“FlashFest was the perfect time to do this because it’s one of the most attended student events,” Mitchum said.

In looking for a way that Kent State could help, Mitchum said he contacted the student body president of Virginia Tech to find out what other universities were doing, and what Virginia Tech needed.

He said USS members and other student volunteers made ribbons of Virginia Tech colors to hand out to students during FlashFest so they could show support for the victims.

In addition, students had the opportunity to write messages in scrapbooks, which will be sent to the university.

Volunteers also set out Virginia Tech banner frames in front of some of the major student organization tables, along with cans for donations.

Mitchum said once they collect the donations, the university will write a check for the amount and send it to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. He said he would also like to find a way to donate money for clothing and merchandise, as well as a way to help pay for memorial services for those who died.

“Call me oversensitive,” Mitchum said, “but (the incident) really hit me because so many people lost their lives.”

He said the situation’s impact upon him was what drove him to act, and he appreciates everything the student organizations did.

“From the bottom of my heart, I want to thank everyone involved,” he said.

Contact academics reporter Christina Stavale at [email protected].