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Last updated on Monday, May 6, 2013
(BLOOMINGTON). - It was an emotional time at Indiana University as the class of 2013 graduated without Lauren Spierer on Saturday.
Spierer would have been part of this year's graduating class.
She has been missing for almost two years.
"I hope this weekend and her absence will inspire some kind of change because they deserve to know what happened. She's a member of our class and she's a member of the community here at IU, and that's important," said fellow student Evie Salomon.
IU President Michael McRobbie mentioned Spierer during the ceremonies Saturday afternoon.
"On this day when we celebrate both the past accomplishments of our students and the promising future upon which they are about to embark, I ask that all of us keep Lauren and members of her family in our thoughts," McRobbie said.
Everyone at the ceremony then observed a moment of silence.
"I thought it was a really nice moment and they took time to make a tribute, especially since she was part of our class, and I think they handled that very well," one student said.
Graduate Mike Carter said he felt terrible for Spierer's parents.
"Having to see this day occur and them not being able to experience what other parents are experiencing. My heart really goes out to the Spierer family," Carter said.
Female graduates said they learned a big lesson from Spierer's story.
"It made a lot of people realize you need to be smart about when you go out. A lot of people think oh that is never going to happen to me," a student said.
Friends of the Spierers asked the graduating class to remember Spierer by writing 63 on their hands.
63 stands for June 3, the day that Spierer vanished.
In the 22 months since Lauren was last seen, more than 1,000 tips have come into police and social media sites dedicated to finding Lauren.
The Spierer's have plans to come back to Bloomington sometime this summer.
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