Letter: Showing Hokie support
Letter to the Editor
April 25, 2007
I'm sure most of us can agree on this: April 16 was the worst day of our short lives. We lost too many great classmates and professors that day, and we have been mourning these tragic losses since. But we are already seeing positive effects of this tragic occurrence.
Tuesday morning there was an extraordinary portion of the Virginia Tech community lined up at Cassell Coliseum in the early hours of the morning. This extraordinary crowd was there not only to celebrate the lives cut tragically short the previous day, but these thousands upon thousands of people gathered to demonstrate to the world the cohesiveness of the Virginia Tech community. There were several keynote speakers whose excellent speeches should not be detracted from, but what stood out was the crowd. If one was to mute the television during this ceremony, you would not have been able to distinguish shots from the crowd on this day from those during a basketball game. This is Hokie Nation.
I headed for home Tuesday afternoon; however, I wanted to participate in one of the vigils planned across the country. Upwards of 2,000 people gathered in the windy, cold air of Harrisonburg Tuesday night not only to celebrate and mourn the lives lost, but to provide their support for the Virginia Tech community. This crowd was clad in maroon and orange, not only for the vigil but according to several friends, most of the student body donned Hokie colors all day to show their neighbors, 120 miles to the South, their support. I must say as a Hokie on foreign soil at JMU, I was made to feel at home. Countless people, whom I had never met, offered their support and condolences to both me and all of us at VT. JMU and other schools all across the nation should be commended for lending their support to Hokie Nation. I can say now with confidence, after attending this emotional service, our fellow institutions are holding out their hands to us. For now, more than ever before, WE ARE ALL HOKIES.
Brian Ganey
Senior, History