In light of the tragic events that have occurred in the last week, a prayer meet was held outside of the Rockingham Early College High School on Thursday afternoon, led by Shane Smith, an RCC student. 

“Lord, we want to ask for you to watch over our country… these things happening in this country, it’s terrible.”

On Wednesday, September 10, the country was shaken by the assassination of Charlie Kirk, a conservative activist.

“...I didn’t agree a lot with him, but…he loved Christ, he loved God. That was the number one thing in his life. He was killed for his beliefs.”

People across the country have been worried about the possible effects that this tragedy may cause, including students like Shane.

“Personally, I feel like this is the start of many things in this country, and it’s our job to stand against it, as Christians and as a younger generation.”

He also spoke about the recent school shooting that occurred in Colorado, and spoke out against gun violence in the classroom.

“...we’ve got to stand up and change that. School should be a safe place. We should not have to be scared to go to church [or] to school. Those should be safe places.”

After his speech, he led the group in prayer. 

“I pray for Charlie [Kirk]’s family, I pray for his kids, I pray for his wife, I pray for his mother. Sure, I might not have agreed with him, but at the end of the day, he was more than a political speaker. He was a husband, a father, a son, an uncle.”

“Lord, I ask you to pour out your spirit upon this country…to be with us, and allow us to become better.”

The Director of Student Life, Sydnee Thomas, said in an announcement on Thursday morning, “You don’t have to carry your feelings alone. Reach out to a trusted faculty or staff member, or to Debbie Freitag, our mental health counselor, if you need someone to listen.”

You can schedule an appointment with her directly through this link: https://calendly.com/freitagd4609-rockinghamcc