Column: What I want Virginia Tech to be remembered for
Devin Stone, CT Columnist
April 17, 2007
Last Monday was a very sad day. That preceding sentence was an understatement, yesterday was far worse. Waking up to the sounds of police sirens and ambulances was an alarm with no snooze button. There was only so much we could learn from sitting in front of a television screen, trying to find the most up to date news. It would take a couple hours for the magnitude of the event to finally sink in.
When I came to Virginia Tech as a freshman, life wasn't anywhere near as crazy. It was a college town, just like any other, except we had better football and a quality academic reputation with which other schools could not compare. A nice, small-town, friendly atmosphere with a vibrant downtown that allowed students to be students; to eat, drink, watch movies, socialize and have fun. This is still true, but it seems that these proud characteristics of Hokie life will be overshadowed by this tragedy.
It's very difficult to write about what has just happened. These shootings will impact our campus in too many ways to ever fully grasp. It'll be difficult for the university to continue recruiting quality students in the future and many will hear and learn about our university for the wrong reasons. These costs, although great, are far overshadowed by the emotional toll of what has just occurred. We will all go to school with feelings deep down reminding ourselves that perfect safety never existed, not only for ourselves but neither for our friends and loved ones. Immediately we need time to cope and lend a helping hand to our brothers and sisters.
There is such limited information that it's practically impossible right now to provide analysis or commentary and I do not wish to do so. Probably the most painful aspect regarding the lack of information is that it makes it terribly hard for those who have one, emotionally overwhelming question: "Why?" At least 30 killed and many injured. Why? For what?
We cannot rectify the past, as nothing will bring back the lives that have been lost. We can embrace the principles and values for which we want the world to remember our university. This means understanding that the actions of the shooter do not represent the values of our school. A true Hokie will embrace the spirit of Ut Prosim by serving those who have been affected by the shooting. This means serving the entire Blacksburg community to create a university and town where everyone feels safe, appreciated and valued as a human being.
This starts small by simply smiling at others as you walk across the Drillfield understanding that we all have our own struggles and battles that need to be fought. It also means supporting the victims emotionally and mentally as it'll take time to cope, recover and bring life back to normal. This then means taking bigger steps to create institutional and social change so that no one ever feels alienated, alone or devalued as a person.
It's too early to predict what steps the university will take in terms of campus safety, or what kinds of criticisms will be launched in regards to what the university could have or should have done. Debate and discussion are necessary and can lead to significant improvements, but we must ensure that future steps taken to encourage safety are done in a smart manner and in a way that is acceptable to everyone.
Until then we can only focus on the next couple of days. Now is not the time for revenge or hatred against those who have created such a devastating tragedy. It is not hatred that should be filling our hearts, but love and appreciation for those working to make life better. Counselors will become heroes for many, as well as the friends we can turn to in times of need.
I do not know why the massacre occurred. I do not know what thoughts were running through the criminal䴜s head. I cannot offer any guidance for those asking why, but I can answer why we as students need to continue living without fear in hopes of bringing life back to normal. We need to live without fear because I want Virginia Tech to be remembered for the values the students embrace, and have embraced long before this shooting has occurred, and not because of the actions of the lone gunman who in no way represents what it means to be a Hokie. To live for the values we all hold dear on campus is the best way to embrace Ut Prosim and to make Virginia Tech known for the right reason: as the home of thousands of great Hokies.