NORFOLK, Va. — Some Old Dominion University students are finding peace in nature this weekend after a Thursday's fatal attack on campus. The Norfolk Botanical Gardens is offering free admission to ODU students, faculty and staff who show a current campus ID all weekend through Sunday at 5 p.m. as a token of community support.
Lovely Ayo, a freshman student at Old Dominion University, was on campus on Thursday when a gunman opened fire in a classroom in Constant Hall, killing Lieutenant Colonel Brandon Shah and injuring two others. Ayo described the moment she and her classmates heard about the attack.
"But then when people said they actually heard shots, that's when I was like 'okay, this is real,'" Ayo said.
Ayo and her classmates took shelter in locked room in a campus building during the attack. She said the weight of what happened is still settling in for herself and for students across campus. She says she thinks campus life will not be the same when students return after Spring break.
"It won't feel the same. It's definitely gonna affect all of us, whether we were on campus or not," Ayo said.
Bella DePaulo, the Norfolk Botanical Gardens' marketing and communications manager, said the decision to open the gardens to the ODU community was rooted in a belief in the healing power of nature. DePaulo, and several other botanical gardens employees are alumni of ODU which she says made the decision to waive admission fees even easier.
"We're a community. We come together and support one another. We know that nature has the power to heal, so we wanted to be a place of tranquility and peace during these really hard times, and just show the ODU community that we're here for them," DePaulo said.
Ayo said she learned about the free admission offer through social media and decided that time to reflect was exactly what she needed.
"I think it's so important because some people just need spaces to go to. Some people don't want to talk to other people. Even though there are counseling services, some people might not feel up for it. Even just walking in, it was so refreshing seeing all the flowers and everything," Ayo said.
Free admission for ODU students and staff runs through Sunday, March 15 at 5 p.m.
"If you need a place to decompress, and just be surrounded by nature, and have some peace and tranquility for a little while, we're here for you," DePaulo said.
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