Letter: Blacksburg tragedy shocks students and community
Letter to the editor
April 19, 2007
I find myself in a state of shock, and so many emotions are coming to the surface that I can't distinguish one from another. I'm left feeling empty and I believe many of us feel this way. We are searching for emotion so we can begin to make sense of what has happened, but as we attempt to figure this out we must stay strong and united to avoid despair.
I worry many people have lost faith in humanity or that their ability to trust was damaged. However, we must step back to see that in the face of the worst side of humanity, the best is allowed to blossom. The most impressive human traits push through, and we choose love in response to hate. We cherish life in the face of death.
People say there are no words, but there are always words. We just haven't found them yet. There is no rush; we have time. This is a situation that above all else inspires confusion. There is no emotion to comprehensively encapsulate what we are going through. Our world has been turned upside-down and shaken. Our trust has been betrayed and our friends have been killed. Those who seemed constant and reliable parts of our lives have disappeared, and we haven't had a chance to reconcile this yet. There is no student here who will not be grieving the death of a friend or helping others through their grief. We can no longer be strangers; we must be friends if we are to get through this.
What has happened to Virginia Tech is an unprecedented tragedy. We as a school will never be the same. However, in our time of need we must accept the love around us. We must not forget as we mourn that life is beautiful and worth cherishing. We must not question that Virginia Tech is strong and resilient and that we will rise from our grief and overcome. We are Hokies and we are strong, and this too shall pass.
Michael Newman,
Junior, English