Photo gallery: Deering Meadow gathering honors Harsha Maddula

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

Associate University chaplain Tahera Ahmad applauded students for worrying more about finding Maddula than about partying or changing class schedules.

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

Burgwell Howard, assistant vice president for student engagement, and University President Morton Schapiro (left to right in the foreground) watch on as student commemorate Harsha Maddula, the missing student whose body was found in Lake Michigan on Thursday evening.

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

"His dream was to come to Northwestern, his mother told me, and while it was difficult to see him go so far, she realized it was what would make him happy," said Patricia Telles-Irvin, vice president of student affairs.

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

University President Morton Schapiro, Vice president of student engagement Burgwell Howard, and Associated Student Government leaders Victor Shao and Brad Stewart embrace at the close of the memorial on Deering Meadow.

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

Anisha Arora, co-president of South Asian Student Alliance, consoles a member of the Maddula family. The family remained after the vigil to thank students for their support.

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

South Asian A cappella group Brown Sugar sang a fusion of Beyonce's "Halo" and the Arabic "Shukrlilah."

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

Attendees bow their heads in a moment of silence after prayers were read from different faith traditions. Among those represented were Hindusim, Christianity, Bahaii, Judaism and Islam.

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

University President Morton Schapiro listens as students share stories about Maddula. Schapiro briefly addressed attendees, expressing his pride in the Northwestern community as it copes with Maddula's death.

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

"Northwestern has and always will be a resilient community. The support from the student body including that of over 600 student volunteers is a testament to the deep compassion that northwestern students feel for each other," said Victor Shao, Associated Student Government president.

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

"There is no question based on the comments that I heard from his peers that he was a remarkable young man," McCormick Dean Julio Ottino said. "He had lots of possible ideas in his head and its a tragedy that we will not see them realized."

Rafi Letzter/Daily senior staffer

Maddula's friends and community from Public Affairs Residential College and South Asian Student Alliance shared their experiences getting to know the McCormick sophomore.

Mariam Gomaa/Daily senior staffer

Linzy Wagner, president of Public Affairs Residential College, shares a moment with students after speaking to the attendees of the vigil. She and Maddula were close friends.