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Pitt Students And Staff Vow They're 'Stronger Than Hate' At Rally On Campus

Kathleen J. Davis
/
90.5 WESA
A crowd on the lawn of the Cathedral of Learning on Monday, November 5, 2018.

People flooded the Cathedral of Learning lawn Monday for a rally against hate. The event, organized by University of Pittsburgh students and faculty, was a reaction to last week's deadly shooting at a Squirrel Hill synagogue.

Many attendees were wearing shirts that said "Stronger than Hate," featuring the Pitt logo and a Star of David.

Credit Kathleen Davis / 90.5 WESA
/
90.5 WESA

Halle Robinson is a freshman at Pitt, studying nursing. She's Jewish, and she said the Squirrel Hill shooting reminded her that there's still anti-Semitism in the world.

"Just anything that I could do to just feel a part of something or show my support to the fellow Jews of Pittsburgh," Robinson said. "That's why I'm here."

Kristin Hoenig is a residency coordinator at Pitt's School of Dental Medicine. She said she came to the event in part because one of the victims, Richard Gottfried, was an alumnus of the dental school.

"And it wasn't just because of that, because of the magnitude of the event and how senseless and tragic, I just felt like being part of the Pitt community it was important to be here," Hoenig said.

Speakers at the rally included interfaith leaders, students and staff, Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald and Mayor Bill Peduto -- some of whom encouraged the crowd to vote in the midterm elections.