Norah Jones played softly in the Union Theater as pictures of Carrie Yoder from friends and family throughout the country showed on screen.
The pictures showed the side of Carrie they said she always had — smiling, laughing and talking.
Around the theater were symbols of Carrie’s life: a frog, flowers symbolizing the earth and her favorite color, green, the symbol of life and growth.
As about 150 students, faculty and staff walked into the theater Wednesday for a Vigil of Hope, they saw all these images and symbols reminding them of the 26-year-old biological sciences graduate student who has been missing since March 5.
“We offer prayers of hope and safety for Carrie Yoder,” said Neil Matthews, vice chancellor for Student Life and Academic Services. “She is very special to this community.”
Chancellor Mark Emmert reminded the audience to keep the momentum of the search by talking with friends about March 3, the last night police said Carrie was at home.
As Rev. Patrick Smith, with the University Chaplains Association, stood next to the frog, he said it was “whimsical” and reminded him “God had fun making frogs.”
“He had fun making frogs, just like he had fun making Carrie, as he made her in her mother’s womb to bring her into this life,” Smith said.
Though the community has few answers as to Carrie’s whereabouts, Smith said people live their lives in ambiguity and without answers.
“It is hard to live without these answers,” Smith said. “It is okay we don’t know how things are going to transpire.”
Smith prayed for Carrie’s safety as students, faculty and staff joined hands throughout the theater and bowed their heads.
Carrie’s “extended family” read nine passages from Sidney Lanier’s poem “Marshes of Glynn.” The poem helped symbolize their feelings for the “effervescent woman” they grew to know, said Bill Platt, Carrie’s major professor and adviser.
Matt Slocum, a friend of Carrie’s from Illinois, has known her for three years since they met in Platt’s lab. He said the pictures of Carrie showed her the way she was — “very talkative and smiles a lot with a good sense of humor.”
“We miss her,” Slocum said.
Carrie’s family also spoke to the audience about their daughter, sister and cousin who they said loves to party, laugh, smile and really talk.
Carrie’s father, David Yoder, spoke of her travels to Europe, the Alpine Highland, Central America and her future travels to Greenland as a reflection of her personality of wanting to know and discover.
Steve Yoder, her cousin, flew in from Willmington, Del., to be with his family and tell everyone of Carrie’s sense of urgency toward her travels and activities.
“Baton Rouge is much like Willmington,” Steve Yoder said. “There a girl is celebrating her first birthday, and as her father I hope she — as her cousin– preserves life’s many same pursuits.
He challenged the audience to not only keep the urgency in Carrie’s search but to do everything in its power for family and friends who live in this community to continue safely.
Wednesday’s vigil was the last event in the University’s “Stay Safe Day,” designed to remind the community of safety precautions it needs to take.
Representatives from University Relations handed out pamphlets containing safety tips and information on campus resources such as Campus Transit.
In addition, there were three safety forums to give students information on the Rape Aggression Defense program and other tips from LSUPD.
Kathy Saichuk, coordinator of the RAD program, said RAD is designed for women to learn how to defend themselves if someone attacks.
“We must be aware all the time,” Saichuk said. “We have to make adjustments to our lives or else we will put ourselves at risk.”
LSUPD Capt. Mark Shaw said three individuals affiliated with LSU were victims of the serial killer. The University must see what it can do to ensure safety on campus.
“We have programs in place, but they are only as good as the people who utilize them,” Shaw said.
Shaw said it is important to report all crimes and suspicious activities.
“Police will allocate resources to problems they know about,” Shaw said. “You never know what you prevented by calling.”
He said for tips police are looking for a good general description with height, race, sex, build, clothing description and anything that looks suspicious to that person.
While the University community offered safety tips to students and hoped for Carrie’s safe return, city law enforcement was working on leads and information it received in the past week.
The task force in charge of investigating the serial killings set up a canvass at the West Parker Street and Burbank Drive intersection to gain more information.
Baton Rouge Police Department Cpl. Mary Ann Godawa, spokeswoman for the task force, said officers handed out more than 2,200 questionnaires for drivers to fill out.
“We are gathering as much information as possible and sorting through information and following leads,” Godawa said.
As Carrie’s family, friends and acquaintances at the University and around the country hoped for her return, other families around the country joined in realizing hope is not lost with the news that police found 15-year-old Elizabeth Smart alive in Utah after an eight-month search.
“I pray and I have faith that my daughter’s heart is still beating,” said Lynda Yoder, Carrie’s mother.
When speaking at the vigil, Steve Yoder also gave a message to the person responsible for Carrie’s disappearance.
“Replace your cowardice with courage and allow our loved one to return to us,” he said.