NORWICH – A national tragedy has moved a group of local college classmates to offer a message of peace and healing to its victims.

Shaken by the shootings at Virginia Tech last month, students in the Introduction to Painting class at Norwich’s Morrisville State campus chose to express their emotions on a 4 x 8 mural board, hoping an image will help provide comfort when words cannot.

“We want to give them a message of healing,” class instructor Chad Hovey said, “and a message of peace.”

The mural depicts the Virginia state tree, a dogwood, and 32 of its flowers – one blossom for each person killed in the attack. It symbolizes the strength and eventual “rebirth” of a community still reeling from the violent events of April 16, the class says.

“We were touched by the event,” said class member Tim Brown of Norwich, who recommended creating the mural. “I thought we should do something.”

The rest of the class agreed. They finished the mural on Thursday and are now in the process of sending it to Tech’s campus in Blacksburg, where it will be on display in a memorial area, Hovey said.

“It’s celebrating their lives,” said student Marilyn Wilhelm, referring to the painting. “It’s a tree of life.”