Convocation at Cassell
CT Features Staff
April 18, 2007
Blacksburg awoke early this morning to commemorate the tragic event that occurred on Monday by attending the 2 p.m. convocation. Though students may have spent yesterday wondering what a convocation actually was and what would be appropriate to wear, this morning's unanimous feeling of support spread through campus. By 11 a.m., the line to enter Cassell Coliseum had already stretched halfway down Spring Road. Students waited patiently and anxiously for the doors to open.
Junior history major, Rebecca Buckler, said she had been in line since 10:45 a.m., and the line was almost all the way down Washington Street. Five minutes later, it was down Spring Road and media was everywhere, she said.
Mike Hage, sophomore civil engineering major, and Matt Ziegler, sophomore aerospace engineering major, explained that the crowd was punctuated with Marching Virginian uniforms to commemorate a band member who died Monday. "Every Hokie should be here," Ziegler said. They, too, came to Cassell around 11 a.m.
Students flooded Cassell when the doors opened at 11:30 a.m., anxiously waiting for the convocation to start. As students became antsy, the Highty-Tighties set the tone of the afternoon with somber selections. Several minutes before 2 p.m., security heightened and families of victims trickled into the room. Members of the convocation included students, faculty, both state and local police, Virginia Tech Board of Visitors members, religious leaders and the President of the United States.
Dr. Zenobia Hikes, vice president for student affairs, opened the event saying, "Today the world shares our sorrows and pays tribute to us." Before introducing President Charles Steger, she concluded "We will eventually recover, but we will never, ever forget."
Her powerful words were more than reinforced when Steger said that no words can express the depth of sadness we feel. Steger received a standing ovation before and after he spoke.
Taking things to a more global level, Gov. Tim Kaine spoke of the difficulties he had hearing the news while he was in Toyko. He described the different venues he was in while watching the TV, hoping for updates.
The most prestigious speaker, President George W. Bush encouraged the community when he stressed "normalcy." "Such a day will come," Bush said.
The event took a more religious tone as Hikes introduced leaders of Muslim, Buddhist, Jewish and Lutheran communities. Each speaker offered spiritual guidance, comforting prayers and perspective.
In the middle of the ceremony, a man seated on the floor of the coliseum fainted. EMT crews immediately assisted him. Nothing was reported after the event.
Before the closing remarks, a speaker asked for a moment of silence in which the Highty- Tighties performed "Amazing Grace." As silence prevailed, emotions swelled and sniffles and tissues were abundant around the room. Head football coach Frank Beamer and Karen Greenberg, Seth Greenberg's wife, shared in the tears shed. At this most emotional point of the event, Nikki Giovanni approached the podium. She performed a dramatic reading saying that tragedy strikes us all, death comes to everyone. Her energetic and emotional reading stirred the crowd when she continually proclaimed, "We are Virginia Tech!" After receiving a standing ovation, she returned to her seat, only to realize that the room did not quiet down. She stood again and led the crowd in an intense round of "Let's Go Hokies!"