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.