Candles lined the steps of Todd Hall Thursday night, honoring those who suffered in the collapse of a sweatshop in Bangladesh six months ago.

More than 50 WSU students, staff and community members gathered together to listen to testimonials of survivors and information about how corporate companies are involved in sweatshops overseas.

Honoring the six month anniversary of the 1,129 workers who died in Bangladesh, the United Students Against Sweatshops (USAS) organized the event lead by Selina Akter, a WSU student working toward a doctorate in computer science.

“The workers in the garment industry are the ones who work the hardest for garments, receive the lowest pay, and have the most dangerous working conditions,” Akter said.

A group of students stood in front of the audience with pictures of victims taped to their chests and read testimonials from survivors of the collapse of the Rana Plaza building in the capital of Bangladesh.

The eight-story collapse is considered the deadliest garment-factory accident in history, killing nearly half of the workers inside the building, Akter said.

Akter emphasized throughout the vigil that the problem came from large companies who sub-contract labor to countries overseas and then overlook the obvious labor violations.

“There’s the obvious issue of people dying and people not being treated like people, but there’s also the issue of students being able to look beyond themselves,” Rachael Beck, sophomore biochemistry major said.

USAS has been working toward changing WSU’s involvement with clothing companies who utilize sweatshops, such as Nike, Adidas and Russell Athletics.

Last week, the group delivered a letter to WSU President Elson S. Floyd requesting the university either require these large companies to sign a legally-binding safety accord or cut ties with the brand.

The group is still waiting for a response from Floyd.

“I believe that our university should always pursue equality, employment rights and justice,” Travis Tran, senior business major and ASWSU senator, said. “If we’re vouching for that, and the things we’re wearing are from places where that doesn’t exist, then we at least need to be more responsible and be aware of it.”

USAS gave students and community members the opportunity to sign a WSU Cougars shirt after the vigil as another petition to deliver to Floyd. The shirt was not made in a sweatshop, making it significant of the other options for university garments, Beck said.

The group plans to deliver a second letter and the shirt to Floyd’s office Monday at 3 p.m.