Tomorrow will be our first day back to classes. I will be returning to the very same class I sat in for four hours last Monday morning. All of our lives have changed since that day, but it has only made us stronger as students, brothers, sisters, friends, and as a community within the university.
Thankfully the media has been told to leave as of tomorrow. Although some will remain, that is not what we need on our first day back. VT is now a name known around the world. I have even had family in New York tell me how beautiful the campus is. However, media attention will not help us heal. In order for things to get back to normal we need to go on as we have in the past.
We will never forget the 32 people who lost their lives, but we will need to strive towards a future where we do not let this incident rule our lives. And I believe that we can do that. We have already started to do that.
This story will live on throughout the years. With every momentous event on campus will come the reliving of this tragic story, the first football game sports announcers will mention April 16, 2007, and on every anniversary we will continue to relive and remember. 32 people will never be forgotten. Each stone, for each person who died, placed on the drill field will hopefully never be removed and will come to be respected by all Hokies who come to the university after those who experienced this tragedy have graduated.
Sunday, April 22, 2007
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
The day after...
Today's events were very important to the community here at Virginia Tech. I attended both the convocation earlier today in Cassell as well as the candle light vigil that was held on the drill field.
In all honesty I feel that the seriousness and the largeness of the incident has still not been a realization in many Hokies including myself. I found myself breaking down in tears in the middle of the afternoon and not knowing why I was crying. No one I know has been affected, however our community has been tarnished.
We have had many amazing speakers give us motivation including Nikki Giovanni an English Professor here and President Bush made an appearance. When these people began to talk it was then that I somewhat began to grasp the concept of what had happened.
This is real, but it feels like a movie. I look at the incidents as too far fetched to be real occurrences, but it's not, it's real. I have found myself many times over the past two days sitting in a daze, which I imagine most Virginia Tech students are doing as well. Thinking of what has happened, confused, curious about other victims, and simply saddened and overwhelmed by this tragic event.
I do have to smile though, because in the darkness of the past two days we are still able to follow Virginia Tech tradition and chant, "Let's Go...Hokies". This is something that is done pretty much anywhere. Whether it is a football game or other sporting events, on the Blacksburg Trasit public bus service at night on the weekends, or a random student in the dining hall, it's something that has always brought our student body together. So it does not surprise me that in a time of mourning those three words would be chanted by the student body.
In all honesty it was a relief from the grief. It was something I needed to hear. We are such a spirited university and something of that magnitude means a great deal to me. I've heard on the news that they were impressed by us showing our school spirit yesterday with our VT sweatshirts and hats, but that's how we always dress. This community thrives for Virginia Tech and when you walk around campus on a normal day of class you will see at least 75% of the student body wearing some article of clothing or another that includes Virginia Tech. We are a Hokie Nation and now the Nation and the World are Hokies.
We will continue to pray and to mourn. Monday, class will start up again and professors and students will attempt to get their lives back to normal, but there is no telling how long that will take. We were told not to worry about academics and many of my teachers have already notified me saying we will discuss the curriculum when we return to class on Monday.
So before I leave to go home to my family for a few days because of the week off I will go to the War Memorial Chapel to sign the 15 foot banner. I hope that all are doing better and that the days ahead will only mean progress and happier times.
In all honesty I feel that the seriousness and the largeness of the incident has still not been a realization in many Hokies including myself. I found myself breaking down in tears in the middle of the afternoon and not knowing why I was crying. No one I know has been affected, however our community has been tarnished.
We have had many amazing speakers give us motivation including Nikki Giovanni an English Professor here and President Bush made an appearance. When these people began to talk it was then that I somewhat began to grasp the concept of what had happened.
This is real, but it feels like a movie. I look at the incidents as too far fetched to be real occurrences, but it's not, it's real. I have found myself many times over the past two days sitting in a daze, which I imagine most Virginia Tech students are doing as well. Thinking of what has happened, confused, curious about other victims, and simply saddened and overwhelmed by this tragic event.
I do have to smile though, because in the darkness of the past two days we are still able to follow Virginia Tech tradition and chant, "Let's Go...Hokies". This is something that is done pretty much anywhere. Whether it is a football game or other sporting events, on the Blacksburg Trasit public bus service at night on the weekends, or a random student in the dining hall, it's something that has always brought our student body together. So it does not surprise me that in a time of mourning those three words would be chanted by the student body.
In all honesty it was a relief from the grief. It was something I needed to hear. We are such a spirited university and something of that magnitude means a great deal to me. I've heard on the news that they were impressed by us showing our school spirit yesterday with our VT sweatshirts and hats, but that's how we always dress. This community thrives for Virginia Tech and when you walk around campus on a normal day of class you will see at least 75% of the student body wearing some article of clothing or another that includes Virginia Tech. We are a Hokie Nation and now the Nation and the World are Hokies.
We will continue to pray and to mourn. Monday, class will start up again and professors and students will attempt to get their lives back to normal, but there is no telling how long that will take. We were told not to worry about academics and many of my teachers have already notified me saying we will discuss the curriculum when we return to class on Monday.
So before I leave to go home to my family for a few days because of the week off I will go to the War Memorial Chapel to sign the 15 foot banner. I hope that all are doing better and that the days ahead will only mean progress and happier times.
Monday, April 16, 2007
A Day That Will Always Be Remembered As Tragic...The Massacre at Virginia Tech, My Home
Nearly twelve hours since I became aware of the shootings on campus at VT, it is still a surreal feeling. After driving around campus tonight, the area remains desolate. Only a few cars and a strong police presence fill the atmosphere.
Having your university, your home and the place you love appear on television around the nation and even worldwide is unbelievable. Of all places I would never have imagined that this small town of Blacksburg would experience something so tragic. The most excitement we ever get is ESPN in town for a football game.
This year has proven to be a test of emotions. With escaped convict William Morva's suspected involvement in the murder of two people earlier in the year, the recent bomb threats at campus buildings and now the most tragic killing spree in the history of the United States, it will take a strong community to come through this incident. I believe we can do it.
The list of casualties has not yet been released to the public, so many including myself do not know who has fallen victim. Tomorrow will be a day of tears, consoling, and remembering those whom we have lost. I plan to attend the vigil that is being held tomorrow in Cassell Coliseum, our basketball facility, with many of my friends. This will be an important step towards the healing process. Whether I have lost someone or not, I feel it is important for myself and others in the Virginia Tech community to show their support.
The most unreal part about this for me is, I was on campus when it happened. My class began around 9:00 a.m. It was on the same side of campus as Norris Hall, but near upper quad and not too close to where the shootings occurred. We were able to hear a few shots ring off though. A staff member in the building came to our classroom and told us the building was on lock down. I was there for about four hours until we had heard they had a suspect in custody and it was then that a few of us decided to call our friends to pick us up from a street that was not closed off to the public near the building we were in.
Ironically I was in a Media Writing class and my professor had us all calling around to local authorities, hospitals, students, and many other sources to get updates and information to put on VT's Communication online newspaper, www.PlanetBlacksburg.com. So I was very well informed as to what was going on and as we were sitting under our desks it hit me that this was for real. It wasn't until about 12:00 p.m. that we found out nearly 20 people had been killed. It was then that I realized the seriousness of the incident. We were all getting updates via text, e-mail, instant messenger, and phone calls.
My concern after all of the sorrow begins to lift from the valley here where our campus sits, is that new students, those recently accepted and those considering to attend Virginia Tech in the future, will choose not to come here. Something of this nature could have happened anywhere. Yes, it did happen in Blacksburg in fact, it happened in a dorm room on the exact floor where I lived last year and where my little sister in my sorority and many of my friends live now, but that does not mean that I feel any differently about my safety here at Virginia Tech.
I hope that those who were planning to come to VT before this incident occurred do not change their minds. We have a strong police force here and I always feel safe on and off campus. I fear the national recognition will cause a lot of students to change their mind and that is a mistake. Our 28,000 or so student body may sound large, but in all reality we are a very closely connected community. I would not place any other school above Virginia Tech, nor would I ever consider transferring.
I pray for those who were killed and injured and for their families, this journey has just begun there will be much more sadness tomorrow when the members of the university realize who the victims were. We can only keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers and wish for the recovery of those whose lives are still at risk in the hospital.
Having your university, your home and the place you love appear on television around the nation and even worldwide is unbelievable. Of all places I would never have imagined that this small town of Blacksburg would experience something so tragic. The most excitement we ever get is ESPN in town for a football game.
This year has proven to be a test of emotions. With escaped convict William Morva's suspected involvement in the murder of two people earlier in the year, the recent bomb threats at campus buildings and now the most tragic killing spree in the history of the United States, it will take a strong community to come through this incident. I believe we can do it.
The list of casualties has not yet been released to the public, so many including myself do not know who has fallen victim. Tomorrow will be a day of tears, consoling, and remembering those whom we have lost. I plan to attend the vigil that is being held tomorrow in Cassell Coliseum, our basketball facility, with many of my friends. This will be an important step towards the healing process. Whether I have lost someone or not, I feel it is important for myself and others in the Virginia Tech community to show their support.
The most unreal part about this for me is, I was on campus when it happened. My class began around 9:00 a.m. It was on the same side of campus as Norris Hall, but near upper quad and not too close to where the shootings occurred. We were able to hear a few shots ring off though. A staff member in the building came to our classroom and told us the building was on lock down. I was there for about four hours until we had heard they had a suspect in custody and it was then that a few of us decided to call our friends to pick us up from a street that was not closed off to the public near the building we were in.
Ironically I was in a Media Writing class and my professor had us all calling around to local authorities, hospitals, students, and many other sources to get updates and information to put on VT's Communication online newspaper, www.PlanetBlacksburg.com. So I was very well informed as to what was going on and as we were sitting under our desks it hit me that this was for real. It wasn't until about 12:00 p.m. that we found out nearly 20 people had been killed. It was then that I realized the seriousness of the incident. We were all getting updates via text, e-mail, instant messenger, and phone calls.
My concern after all of the sorrow begins to lift from the valley here where our campus sits, is that new students, those recently accepted and those considering to attend Virginia Tech in the future, will choose not to come here. Something of this nature could have happened anywhere. Yes, it did happen in Blacksburg in fact, it happened in a dorm room on the exact floor where I lived last year and where my little sister in my sorority and many of my friends live now, but that does not mean that I feel any differently about my safety here at Virginia Tech.
I hope that those who were planning to come to VT before this incident occurred do not change their minds. We have a strong police force here and I always feel safe on and off campus. I fear the national recognition will cause a lot of students to change their mind and that is a mistake. Our 28,000 or so student body may sound large, but in all reality we are a very closely connected community. I would not place any other school above Virginia Tech, nor would I ever consider transferring.
I pray for those who were killed and injured and for their families, this journey has just begun there will be much more sadness tomorrow when the members of the university realize who the victims were. We can only keep them and their families in our thoughts and prayers and wish for the recovery of those whose lives are still at risk in the hospital.
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