On Friday, May 22 from 4:30 p.m. to about 7:00 p.m., a vigil was held in the PAC courtyard in honor of Aaron Dai.
Before it began, a sizable crowd had already gathered beside Dai’s memorial table which held piles of flowers, snacks, plushies, and incense. People folded paper cranes, wrote letters, and signed his yearbook.
By 4:30 p.m., attendance had grown to about 300 people. They surrounded the stage where the host, senior Sarah Li, opened with an address regarding recent events. Following Li were approximately 30 speakers, including juniors Chloe Chan and Alice Sun and senior Charlene Pau, who were all close friends of Aaron. In the audience, people of all ages and backgrounds held candles and stood alongside empty chairs in silence. At times, the only audible sounds were the speakers’ voices and the birds chirping from the nearby rooftops.
The vigil not only respectfully mourned the loss of Dai, a cherished member of the Arcadia community, but also spoke to his memory as the person who lived authentically, cared deeply, and brought great warmth to all who knew him.
After the vigil, people stayed close to his memorial. Many prayed in front of the table with some kneeling and holding incense, while others quietly whispered prayers and crossed their chests. Family, close friends, distant friends, and even people who did not know him came together at this vigil to pay respect to someone lost far too soon.
Photo Courtesy of @arcadiaasb on Instagram
