Ignite-LA, a Southern California young adults ministry shows support for those at Virginia Tech by holding a special memorial service for those who lost their lives on April 16th. This is image of a collection of personal notes of prayer and encouragement, written by individuals in the congregation, that were later sent to Virginia Tech along with a banner that had similar notes written on it. Photo: Raul Moreno Jr.
'We Are One': C.U. Community Reflects on Va. Tech Tragedy
By Lisa Grossman Sun Staff Writer Apr 20 2007 Students, faculty, staff and members of the Ithaca community gathered in Sage Chapel yesterday afternoon to remember and reflect on the recent tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Despite the fact that the service was held at 12:30 p.m., when many students and faculty are in class, the chapel was packed to capacity, with people pressed against the walls and in doorways. The assembly fell silent as Prof. Annette Richards, music, opened the service with a melancholy and discordant organ solo. The mood remained hushed and somber as W. Kent Fuchs, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering and father of Eric Fuchs, a junior at Virginia Tech, began the speaking portion of the service. Fuchs focused on the connections that Cornell shares with Virginia Tech as a major university, saying that Cornell and Virginia Tech are "part of the same family of students and faculty and staff." Words of hope.Words of hope."The tragedy is particularly difficult to comprehend because ... of the contrast to the love and care demonstrated by the students and faculty at that university. The tragedy is also an enormous contrast to the common mission that we have and that we share in: the joy of learning and study," he said. Fuchs spoke with emotion and even a little humor, saying that "from Eric, I've come to appreciate what it means to have a turkey for your mascot, and to call yourself a 'Hokie,' which my son does with enormous pride." President David J. Skorton echoed Fuchs' emphasis on family and unity, repeating, in tones that might be used to recite a poem, "We are one." "We are one — one community, one people, one planet. We are here today to affirm that oneness," he said. "We share the same sorrow and the same need for comfort and reassurance ... We will stay together, we will go forward together, we will never forget our loss. We are one." Provost Biddy Martin was in Virginia, her native state, visiting her mother on Monday morning. She said she was struck by the "dignity of the students who were approached for interviews by the press - their humility, their respect, their unwillingness to offer superficial commentary, their resistance to easy analysis or the assigning of blame. In response to the questions they were asked, they made a plea ... that we not reduce their experience or their university to this horror, this unspeakable tragedy." "In response to their plea, it is not hard, I think, for Cornellians to answer, to identify with Virginia Tech," she said. The service was punctuated by musical performances, including the Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club and a vocal solo by Rev. Heewon Chun, chaplain of the Korean Church at Cornell. Chun said he found the service "very comforting. It will give Cornellians energy to cope with what has happened, and will also give hope for the future ... one for backwards, one for forwards." He also said that the Korean community deeply aches for this tragedy, and noted that some members of the Korean community are concerned about the possibility of race-related backlash. Thomas Riehl '09 said he felt "wary of how much race seems to be playing into it. Why was it even pertinent to have [a Korean religious leader] sing? Why is this even part of the issue? It just seems so wrong and out of it to bring up the kid's race." Sarah Dunlap '06 was also concerned with the potential effect the incident and the media's treatment of it could have on the community of international students. She noted that "on CNN, the commentators kept referring to the shooter as an 'alien' because he was a foreign student. I was disgusted—that's demoralizing. It's offensive to the entire body of foreign students, and on the individual level, that kind of exclusion and alienation is the kind of thing that leads to the desperate misery and rage that makes some people lash out in horrible ways." Dunlap found comfort in the service itself, however, saying that she "liked the focus on community. The response of the Cornell community is different from the response of the national community. It's not sensationalist; it's more nuanced. I think that's because even if we don't have a personal connection to Virginia Tech, we still identify strongly with them because we belong to the same university culture." Some people have questioned why the service was held in the middle of the afternoon, when a large portion of students was in class. Ken Clarke, director of Cornell United Religious Work, said that the time was chosen in order to "catch the greatest cross-section of the Cornell community." He acknowledged that there was no optimal time to hold the service, and while some students had to miss it due to class obligations, much of the staff and faculty would have missed an evening service because of obligations at home. Clarke also noted that holding the service at 12:30 meant that it would be flanked by the chimes. The bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims, and the daily afternoon chimes concert began just as people began filing out of Sage Chapel. You can view a recording of the service at www.cornell.edu. Comments: Outraged With all due respect, you write that the "bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims..." This is a complete moral outrage -- since when is a cold blooded killer a victim? This is akin to reading the 9/11 hijackers' names along with the true 9/11 victims. By Alex Hyman (not verified) at April 20, 2007 - 2:10am ---- Appalled Not only did the bells ring 33 times, but President Skorton was sure to include the killer with the victims. Such a disgrace. What the crap was he thinking? By Tammi (not verified) at April 20, 2007 - 11:20am ---- A little compassion The gunman may not have been a victim of a violent murder, but he was certainly a victim. He was a victim of mental illness, of being trapped in his own psyche where every interaction with the world felt like an attack. He's still another person who could have had a future and didn't. He had a family, too--how must they be feeling now? Including him and remembering him respectfully now is not only appropriate, it's too little too late. Maybe if he had felt less isolated before, we wouldn't need to be discussing it. His situation was tragic, too. By Hannah (not verified) at April 21, 2007 - 4:50pm ---- This moral equivalence is totally disgraceful "The bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims" Cho was not a victim; he was a perpetrator who chose to kill 32 students. Forgiveness is good but why are we paying him respect and honor? We don't honor, hold services or ring bells for just anyone who commits suicide. The only reason Cho is included is because he massacred 32 defenseless students in cold blood. I agree with Alex Hymen above that this is totally inappropriate and outrageous. By Coyote (not verified) at April 22, 2007 - 10:04am ---- Hannah, we must reexamine a society that makes everyone out to be a victim. Find me a person who was not made fun of in high school. The fact is everyone was made fun of and 99% don't go out and kill people. While we can feel bad for Cho's family, as we currently know of nothing that they did wrong, he is certainly not a victim and certainly should not be memorialized. And as for your comment about him being a victim of mental illness -- I would agree with you, but that's where him being a victim ends. Since when do we ring bells for victims of mental illness? The fact is he -- like all freely thinking people -- made a choice, but made the wrong choice. By Alex Hyman (not verified) at April 22, 2007 - 6:12pm ---- Disgusting Skorton is an educated, articulate, man. He must have realized what his words meant. For him to say that Cornell is "one" with a murderer is beyond the pale. By G. Man (not verified) at April 23, 2007 - 8:55am ---- People obviously handle grief in different ways I don't think memorializing the shooter was the "right" thing to do, and I personally would not do it myself, but I think some people feel the need to memorialize Cho to help them deal with their grief. Although Cho was the perpetrator in this horrible tragedy, he was also a victim of a horrible mental health system in this country. If he had gotten the help he so desperately needed, then possibly this whole thing could have been avoided. Also think how his family must feel. They are obviously victims also, because they have to live with this horrible tragedy for the rest of their lives, as well as the families of the victims of Cho's madness. By Anne (not verified) at April 28, 2007 - 12:02pm -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 20, 2007
Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
By Billy McMorris Apr 17 2007 John Manetta Once Told Me In early modern Europe the infant mortality rate was astronomical. Crude medical practices led to a high casualty rate for mother and child alike. In many cases, new mothers would be forced to rely on lying-in-maids to handle maternal responsibilities, while they recovered from the exhausting and traumatic experience of child birth. Lying-in-maids were generally post-menopausal widows, who were unable to mother children themselves. If new- born children were to become sick or die, grieving mothers, in some cases already afflicted with post partum depression, would look for some sort of explanation for why their child did not survive infancy. In some cases, the dazed and depressed mother would come to a genius conclusion: the lying-in-maid was a witch. Accusations were launched against close family friends and next door neighbors ... even the child's grandmother could find herself burned at the stake if she did not make sure that baby survived until the mother could fulfill her maternal role. These infertile women could not use their feminine power to care for the infant, and instead chose to use sorcery to bring about harm. Apparently all one needs is a scapegoat to survive the grieving process. America, however, is no different than these mourning mothers. Any major tragedy is immediately followed with a blame game of epic proportions. Calls for inquiries, hearings, firings and resignations are launched before words of condolence are even expressed. When we as a culture engage in this sort of "dialogue," we take the event away from those who are affected by it, and try to center it around our own vanity. It is perhaps the most despicable thing about our culture; it's even more revolting than a cult following of Paris Hilton. But still, everyone is chiming in on Virginia Tech. The student activists are complaining that, "if it wasn't for Charlton Heston or the 'gun nuts,' this would have never happened." Can't the explanation for such an event simply be an evil person doing an evil thing? Is it really Charlton Heston's fault that some kid went crazy? Campus police representatives say that "there was no indication of any possible motive." Evil sounds like a pretty fair assessment of the situation. Nothing but pure evil could truly describe what Cho Seung-Hui did just four days before the eighth anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre. Psychotherapists have called the murderer's suicide note "disturbing." "Evil" however, seems a more appropriate word. This is, after all, the same note that the 23-year-old South Korean before killing two people. This is the same note that he wrote before before reloading and taking away 30 more bright futures. In the note, he used the cliché suicide phrase, "you caused me to do this," as if writing it down on paper would make it true. But no one caused him to do this; only pure evil can drive someone to do something so remarkably despicable and cowardly. Various Virginia Tech students and their parents are calling for resignations and firings because their children could have been killed due to the inadequate response to the first vicious killing. These same people have not given a second thought to the actual victims or their families that did lose a child. That idiot who lives in your hall is probably still telling that story about how "he almost went to Virginia Tech." Whoa, that's spooky you herb, some people actually go there; in fact, some people just got murdered there. You might have even seen it on the news. These self-centered malcontents try to do everything they can to make the tragedy about them. The presidential candidates have begun explaining their positions concerning gun control and second amendment rights. At a time like this, it is disgusting to hear Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton (in her new Southern accent) discuss their stance toward gun control, just as it is repulsive to hear John McCain pander to the National Rifle Association. They are no better than Michael Moore, who is now drooling over the prospect of a sequel to Bowling for Columbine. These brats and blamers only serve to shift the attention away from the tragedy that befell 32 students and professors, and instead make this horrifying event an impersonal political debate or personal tale. We have plenty of time to do that later. For now, let's put down those petitions advocating enhanced gun control or handgun-friendly campus buildings. Why don't we raise money for the families of that coward's tragic victims instead? Rather than telling the story about a kid you know who went to Virginia Tech, why don't you sit down and think about that anonymous Hokie who was robbed of his future. For now though, let's think about the victims, their families and those that protect us. Let's think about Ryan Clark, one of the first two victims; he died trying to calm that murderous coward down. Let's think about the heroism of Prof. Liviu Librescu, who blocked his classroom door with his own body to give his students time to escape before suffering a fatal gunshot wound. Be thankful that we, too, have professionals willing to protect our university and its students. Thank your R.A.; thank a CUPD officer; thank Robert Davis and Antwan Sampson for making sure you have a Cornell I.D. before entering the library. And thank God for giving us men and women that are here to make sure we never suffer a tragedy of this magnitude. But most of all, think about the terror that all these victims must have experienced before meeting an untimely end. Now tell me; do your anecdotes and agendas seem that important now? Billy McMorris is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. He can be contacted at wjm27@cornell.edu. John Manetta Once Told Me appears alternate Wednesdays. Comments: 'only pure evil'? Hi Billy, I agree with you that it is appalling that the blame game started even before all victims are identified. It is quite ridiculous to start blaming gun control laws, finger pointing the president and police, and forming inquiry panels to find every little fault. But I strongly disagree with you when you say Cho's motivation was 'only pure evil'. In a way, Cho was a victim himself - a victim because no one tried to help him. He was very lonely, angry, and troubled. There were many warning signs before the massacre happened. He didn't just wake up one day and snapped; he didn't get up early 5:30am in the morning because he suddenly wanted to kill. No one is born evil; no one truly wants to hurt another. If something like this happens, we must examine the circumstances that make people so resentful that they feel they have no recourse but to commit suicides and homicides. So I will make blame. I blame the university for not heeding the long warning signs. I blame the university counseling for not trying to help him. Cho voluntarily went to a mental hospital and was released; he was taking prescription drugs. Are the psychologists so incompetent that they couldn't see he was depressed enough to be suicidal? Did no one at the hospital try to reach out to him, connect with him, and get his trust enough to reveal what is troubling him? There is reason to believe he may have been sexually molested. When police went to search for his parents, the house was deserted. If it were the case that Cho was abused at home or at one point assaulted, then it is not his fault he came to saw the world as not a happy place. No one tried to show him otherwise; no one. I don't blame the students for not trying to be friends with him. But I am shocked at the behavior of some of the professors especially Nikki who saw him as a troublesome student that should be kicked out of her class. I commend Professor Roy for having to courage to help Cho and giving him one-on-one workshops. It is the responsibility of professors to not only teach students but also help them and try to make them individuals who will make society thrive. It is therefore only appropriate to not only give condolences but also try to find reasons that could have led to this nightmare so that this could have been prevented. Yes, blaming the president and police for two hour delay in e-mail message and asking for tighter (or looser) gun control laws is ludicrous because they amount to nothing but finding scapegoats and furthering political agendas. But blaming the university counseling, callous people who drove Cho to his isolation and depression, and people for not heeding the long warning signs is not only appropriate but wise so that in future we can help people like Cho. -May Zaw Senior in College of Arts and Sciences President of Origami Club By May Zaw (not verified) at April 18, 2007 - 4:46pm ---- I agree with you. It really bothers me how many people's knee-jerk response to such a tragic event is to find a scapegoat, without even taking time to mourn for the victims and their loved ones. It does seem strange that he was allowed to stay at VTech despite all the warning signs. Even though hindsight gives you 20-20 vision, the suicidal tendencies coupled with the plays he wrote for writing class ought to have set some alarm bells ringing. But there is no use pointing fingers at anyone - none of it will ever change the fact that over 30 people died on Monday. My prayers are with Virginia Tech. By Nikhil Chandra (not verified) at April 18, 2007 - 11:55pm ---- To the Editor Almost as distressing as the horrific event at Virginia Tech is the incessant focus of the media and public on understanding the "rationale"behind the killings. That focus is misplaced. As a psychiatrist it is obvious to me and many of my colleagues that what is really at work here are the manifestations of an underlying mental disorder. From all the descriptions Mr. Seung-Hui demonstrated an almost textbook example of paranoid schizophrenia. He was motivated to kill because of his delusional thinking. He had grandiose delusions- irrationally saw himself as a martyr like Christ. He was seen giggling to himself and avoiding eye contact on the campus (he was responding to voices in his head, i.e., auditory hallucinations). He had systematized delusions about his fellow classmates- they hated him and were out to harm him (paranoid delusions). He was guarded and suspicious- he kept to himself and had no attachments to others (further support for his paranoia). He had nihilistic delusions- false negativistic views of the world and fellow students. This rage and paranoia may lead to violent behavior that is just as likely to be directed at others as it is to be turned on the self. That is why many psychotic killers turn the guns on themselves following a mass shooting spree. There is no mystery here. As much as we can hope that pathology like schizophrenia can be spotted before it can harm the individual or other that is not always feasible. The overarching tragedy is that unlike other societies for the sake of "protecting our freedoms" mentally ill individuals have easy access to weapons that permit them to act out their delusions on a massive scale. Sincerely, Joyce E. Myers, MD Prison Staff Psychiatrist By Joyce Myers (not verified) at April 19, 2007 - 2:25pm ---- Hmmm... "Now tell me; do your anecdotes and agendas seem that important now?" It's ironic how your arrogant, didactic, self-important writing trivializes your subject matter. If anyone wonders why our school's ranking isn't as high as it should be, take a look at Billy McMorris's columns to see why. By AlbertN (not verified) at April 19, 2007 - 2:33pm ---- Why blame Charlton Heston? Yes, why blame Charlton Heston for the Virginia tragedy? One of the most respectable Americans in todays America. He did his best for the country. Serving the nation in World War II. Giving an exemple as a father and grand father. As a professional, always showing that the good should prevail on our lives. Blame him because he defends the Second Amendment? Doesn't he has the right to? Or any responsable citizen? Gun problem, is not on good people, but on bad people. This is the real problem, bad people. This people yes should never be able to get a gun. Unfortunately, it is happening all over the world. It is not only an American problem, it is a world problem. By Jaime Pimentel Oliveira (not verified) at April 21, 2007 - 10:00pm -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 17, 2007
Chabad Responds to Tragedy With Mitzvah Drive: "Hearts to Hokies" Campaign to Begin Friday
Joshua Runyan Chabad.edu As a university and nation began the transition from shock to mourning one day after the deadliest shooting attack in American history, the network of more than 100 campus Chabad Houses declared a "Week of Goodness and Kindness" as a way to honor the memory of the slain. The goal of the effort, according to organizers, is simple: to translate the pain of grief into the healing of positive action. Beginning this Friday, Chabad on Campus representatives will be handing out "Hearts to Hokies" pledge cards at the campuses they serve. Students will be encouraged to pledge a good deed in the merit of those lost; the collected cards will be presented later to the students of Virginia Tech. Students and others can also complete an online "pledge card" at www.Hearts2Hokies.com. "This tragedy hits uniquely close to home for college students across America," stated Rabbi Yossy Gordon, executive director for the New York-based Chabad on Campus International Foundation. "Our campaign provides a tangible way to react in a substantive manner. It reminds that grief can be channeled into positive action, and highlights the concept that many small acts add up in a meaningful way." According to Gordon, "we look to our traditions for solace and direction. We recognize the essential human need to do something, to make something good result from tragedy, to attempt to somehow bring balance into the world by increasing in 'senseless' acts of goodness and kindness." In the immediate aftermath of an apparent rampage by a Virginia Tech student, two Chabad-Lubavitch emissaries from elsewhere in the state - Rabbi Yossel Kranz, executive director of the Richmond, Va.-based Chabad of the Virginias and Rabbi Shlomo Mayer from the Chabad House at the University of Virginia - traveled to the site of the attacks to assist with the needs of the students and faculty. And as Mayer and Kranz were busy on Tuesday coordinating the care of a victim's body in accordance with Jewish law - Virginia Tech professor of mechanical engineering Liviu Librescu, a 75-year-old Romanian Holocaust survivor who was shot by Cho Seung-Hui while shielding his class from the assailant's bullets - and arranging its transport to Israel for burial, their colleagues as far away as Seattle were planning Chabad's national response. "Jewish tradition teaches that each person is created in the Divine image," stated Rabbi Moshe C. Dubrowski, director of operations for the New York-based Chabad on Campus International Foundation, in reference to the April 16 carnage at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Va., that left 32 victims dead and more than 20 injured. "All those affected by this tragedy are in our thoughts and prayers." "The Lubavitcher Rebbe, of righteous memory, taught of the need to turn tears into action," explained Dubrowski. "In the light of this horror, Chabad on Campus urges students to increase in acts of goodness and kindness." "It's terrible and no one should ever have to know such a thing," said Chaya Estrin, who with her husband Rabbi Ellie Estrin, directs the Chabad House at the Seattle campus of the University of Washington. "It's okay to mourn, it's okay to be upset, but after crying, we have to channel our grief into positive actions." The University of Washington has had its own share of tragedy recently, following the April 2 murder of a 26-year-old researcher by an estranged boyfriend who then turned the gun on himself. In the wake of this week's news out of Virginia, "many students are in a state of shock, they don't know what to do," said Estrin. All the more reason, said Chana Mayer, co-director of the University of Virginia's Chabad House, to give students a chance to positively affect the world around them. "A little light dispels a lot darkness," said Mayer. "It doesn't have to be something complicated or expensive; simple good deeds are powerful things right at our fingertips." For more information please visit www.Hearts2Hokies.com. -- Archived with permission of Chabad on Campus International Foundation. Original Source: http://www.chabad.edu/templates/articlecco.asp?AID=512150
06/08/07 Manny Frishberg • JTNews Correspondent On the morning of April 16, Dr. Liviu Librescu, a 76-year-old Holocaust survivor and aeronautical engineering professor, blocked the door of his classroom in Norris Hall at Virginia Tech so that his students could escape through the windows. One month later, on the shloshim of his death, the University of Washington Chabad brought Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe to the UW campus for a memorial lecture in Librescu's honor that looked at, among other things, how his actions should be viewed through a Jewish lens. Shlomo Yaffe serves as rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in West Hartford, Conn. and the founding director of the Institute for Jewish Literacy and the founder of the Connecticut Symposium on Contemporary Legal Issues and Jewish Law in Hartford. He is well known for his ability to make Jewish mysticism accessible to people to make use of it in daily life. After studying rocket science and WWII history, Yaffe turned to Talmudic law and Hassidic philosophy. He has written and lectured on the Judaic perspective of contemporary, legal, scientific and social issues. Rabbi Yaffe is also an expert on secular law and legal ethics who serves as a legal consultant and lecturer for the New York Legal Assistance Group. Rabbi Yaffe began his talk with the question: "From the standpoint of Jewish ethics and law, did [Prof. Librescu] do the right thing? He put himself against the door, which someone could, and did ultimately, shoot through and kill him. Was he really supposed to give his life for others? "This is not such a simple question," Yaffe explained, "because if someone's life is no less valuable than your own, then it's certainly no more valuable than your own." He promised to answer that question, but first took an hour-long digression that began with the question of how German society, with its long traditions of scientific and philosophical leadership, could emerge in the 1930s as the author of the Holocaust, one of the most horrific moments in modern human history. "How did a very large group of people from a highly developed society...engage in and justify such a pervasive, long term abuse of ethics? The Holocaust was not the passionate, vicious bloodletting of the mob that ultimately runs itself out," he said. "It was a cold and calculated societal choice devoted to the extermination, destruction and utter and complete cruelty and disregard, first of all to Jews, but also many others." His answer was that the people making those choices believed that they had evidence that the Jews, the Gypsies, the handicapped, homosexuals and other outcast groups were a blight on the society and, that by removing them, they were improving the world as a whole. Then, like the teacher that he is, he led the dozen or so people that had come to hear him on a journey of exploration into the essential question of what makes a human life inherently worth preserving. "There's this premise that we have that people have a fundamental right to live, that people have a fundamental right to express themselves, that people have a fundamental right to equal opportunities," he said. "The question is: is there really any quantifiable truth to them — can they be proved logically, or should we say scientifically? "Scientifically, differences between human beings on a racial or national level are far less than their similarities. But that doesn't mean anything because someone else might have a different way of looking at things and, like the German scientists of the '20s and '30s, come to the conclusion that the shapes of skulls and the colors of skin and the like may be terribly important," Yaffe said. "And who's to say that it couldn't happen again?" Once an idea becomes entrenched in the scientific or popular beliefs, he explained, the data tend to be read in a way that support that belief. Making a case analogous to the anti-Semitism of Nazi Germany, he said, "I could identify any one of five racial groups that have a much higher rate of indictment, convictions and incarcerations for murder. There are certain minorities that commit crimes and get convicted for them at a much higher rate than other minorities. It probably has nothing to do with race and a lot to do with history....These statistics do exist. "Put yourself in the shoes of these German scientists," Yaffe said. "Once you believe that this group contains a greater percentage of social pathologies and that once you get rid of them you get rid of the social pathologies ... I ask all of you, is there any reason why we should not exterminate this group?" His comments counter the ethical calculus in Jewish tradition that the fundamental belief that human beings are made in the image of God and, as such, each and every one of us is imbued with an inherent value that cannot be reduced by the "greater good" for society as a whole. "We can argue from today to tomorrow about God and religion and everything, but if you do not bring in a being that is the source of everything whose purest expression is in a human being, a being that assigns a special value to the human being, a being that says its most profound and indivisible irreducible expression is in a human being, then you can never, ever find a reason why I should not do something wrong to another person," Rabbi Yaffe said. "The only thing that would seem to guarantee such a thing is that there is a sensibility that assigns an absolute value as part of itself to the human being. That value says there's nothing more precious than a human life, so I need to do everything I can to protect it and preserve it unless that other person forfeits its life by seeking my destruction." Under that precept, he said, one person cannot, under Jewish law, sacrifice his own life for another person's, no matter how much better or more deserving they believe that other person to be. "On the other hand," he said, drawing back to where he began, with the sacrifice made by Prof. Librescu, "can someone risk [his] life to save someone else's life? Yes, as long as it's not a definite one-on-one sort of thing. Can someone risk [his] life to save many? It would seem the answer is yes — that answers the original question that we started with." -- Archived with permission of JTNews. Original Source: http://www.jtnews.net/index.php?/news/item/2808/
Joel Magalnick - JTNews (editor@jtnews.net)
The memorial at the Drill Field near Burress Hall and Norris Hall. Photo Courtesy of Dana Burman
Permission: Dana Burman dana74@dwburman.com
Major media outlets interview students, faculty, and staff. Photo Courtesy of Dana Burman
Norris Hall has been sealed off as the police conduct its investigation. Photo Courtesy of Dana Burman
Message boards filled with comments are stationed on the drill field. Photo Courtesy of Dana Burman
Archived with permission of the creator. Original Source: Slowpoke Comics by Jen Sorensen http://www.slowpokecomics.com/strips/shooterPR.gif
Lessons learned on the 8th anniversary of Columbine. -- Diane Edbril and Daniel Loeb Yet another American gun massacre, and though the scale is more horrific, it is not surprising. The Virginia Tech massacre is not unlike the Amish schoolhouse shooting in Nickel Mines, Pennsylvania, late last year. Both of these, while unbearably sad, are hardly unexpected in this country. Our weak gun laws make it a certainty that the United States will continue to suffer recurrences of such preventable tragedies. There is a crying need for Americans to understand - It's about the guns! Phil Goldsmith, President of CeaseFire PA, said "Since the Columbine shooting tragedy it has become even easier to obtain guns, as well as high capacity ammunition magazines. Many states, including Pennsylvania, have passed pre-emption laws that have undermined the ability of local governments to enact stricter gun laws. (Pennsylvania has preempted local regulation of firearms for over a decade.) Concealed carry laws have multiplied. In addition, for the last six years, the US Department of Justice has required the destruction of gun purchase background check records after just 24 hours, a measure that has prevented a comprehensive review of those who may have acquired guns despite falling into a prohibited category." Currently: Most of our states do not require gun owners to be licensed and for guns to be registered. Most of our states have not closed the gun show loophole, so thousands of guns are purchased without background checks. Most states impose no limits on the number of firearms one individual can acquire, making it easy for illegal gun traffickers to supply the criminal element. Many of our states do not update criminal history databases in a timely manner, making it easy for criminals to obtain firearms. Imagine how much worse this tragedy could have been if Cho Seung-hui had been in possession of a military assault weapon as is his "right" now that Congress has allowed the Assault Weapons Ban to expire. Cho Seung-hui was able to obtain firearms despite his psychological record since the burden of proof is on the government to prove that he was a danger to himself and those around him. However, when I get a driver's license, the burden of proof is on me to prove that my eyesight is adequate and that I understand the rules of the road. When I send my children to school or to summer camp, the burden of proof is on me to show that my children have been immunized and are not carrying any communicable diseases. Why not shift the burden of proof and require a recent attestation of sanity from a psychiatrist or psychologist before anyone can handle a firearm? Will the American people stand up to the gun lobby and demand change, or will the administration simply blame the media for not concentrating their coverage on the majority of universities which do not have gun violence at any given moment? As Phil Goldsmith observed: "Congress called for a Moment of Silence in response to this massacre. Indeed, a moment of silence is appropriate for such a devastating tragedy with such pain for families and students. But we also need loud, uncompromising noise, particularly in Pennsylvania, where too many of our citizens are being shot and killed in urban areas. The majority of Pennsylvanians favor sensible handgun laws, including Governor Ed Rendell. It is time for the majority's voices to be heard loud and clear." For information about the Stop Gun Violence Through Peace, Action & Education - A Community-Based Interfaith's Conference on May 20 and the weekly vigils. See last month's article on Interfaith Initiative Against Guns. Liviu Librescu Links: CNN Tribute Page Wikipedia 61 page resume Family Condolence Page -- © 2007. Permission is hereby granted to redistribute this issue of The Philadelphia Jewish Voice or (unless specified otherwise) any of the articles therein in their full original form provided these same rights are conveyed to the reader and subscription information to The Philadelphia Jewish Voice is provided. Subscribers should be directed to http://www.pjvoice.com/Subscribe.htm. Original Source: http://www.pjvoice.com/v23/23001vatech.aspx
Diane Edbril and Daniel Loeb / The Philadelphia Jewish Voice
Tech students are happy with proposed design By: Bryan Schamus (June 7) Virginia Tech released its plans today for an intermediate memorial for the victims of the April 16 shootings, one day after announcing that Norris Hall, the site of 31 of the 33 shootings, would reopen on June 18. The memorial site will be located on the Drillfield, in front of Burruss Hall, where a makeshift memorial sprung up after the shootings. "The university community, and particularly the students, has become attached to this location. It seems only appropriate that we continue this tradition with something more substantive while we begin the process of looking elsewhere on campus for a permanent and fitting memorial to honor the memory and lives of our fallen students and faculty," Tech President Charles Steger said in a press release. Thirty-two small, upright Hokie stones - each etched with the name of one of the victims - will be installed in crushed gravel and surrounded by a semi-circular walking path. Construction is expected to be completed by the time students return for fall semester. Students walking around campus today seemed content with the decision when they saw an artists' rendering of what the memorial would look like. "Wow, that looks nice," and "Very cool" were their reactions when I showed them a copy of the design pictured above. "I personally really like the design," said Sumeet Bagai, a coordinator of Hokies United, the group that helped erect the first temporary memorial on the Drillfield. "I think it affirms the university's commitment to what students want and is more of a permanent version of what Hokies United did." The intermediate memorial and its location were chosen by a committee of about half a dozen Tech community members, including four students. Vice President of Alumni Relations Tom Tillar chaired that committee. Part of the temporary memorial currently on the Drillfield is a 33rd stone with Seung-Hui Cho's name next to it. That stone was not placed by the university or any university-affiliated group but by the community, Bagai said. The university's design for the intermediate memorial includes no plans for a 33rd stone. All 33 stones from the original memorial will be offered to the families of those who died, according to university relations and Bagai. The intermediate memorial will remain until a permanent one is constructed elsewhere on campus. Another committee will be convened to decide on the location and type of permanent memorial that the university will construct. Tillar's committee suggested the area on the Drillfield across the street from the Duck Pond and off of West Campus Drive as a location for the permanent memorial. "This is a prominent position and a place of honor immediately opposite the Memorial Chapel with its Pylons that honor Virginia Tech war dead. The memorials will symbolically anchor either end of the Drillfield, another hallowed location on this campus," Tillar said in a statement. The permanent memorial will likely take several years to construct. -- Original Source: Big Lick U - June 7, 2007
Chris Winston <Chris.Winston@biglicku.com>
The Matawan Ribbon Campaign for Virginia Tech
When the events of April 16 happened, I was sitting in school, not aware of what was going on. As soon as I got to my eighth period class, which was English 4 with Mr. Lloyd, I sat down and was looking for my pen. A friend of mine walked into class late because he was talking to a teacher. He said, "Something happened at Virginia Tech. 22 people were killed." I looked at him and the entire class looked at me because I am the only one from my high school attending VT in fall 2007. I was upset, but held it together until I got home. Once I got home, I put CNN on and sat down, processing everything that I was seeing on TV and hearing. My world turned into a big blur. I had to do something to make myself feel better. Two hours after I got home, I went to Michaels and bought enough ribbon and pins to make 30 ribbon pins to hand out to anyone who would take them. Two days later, I ran out of ribbons and had to go to Michaels to buy a lot more. I had people asking me for ribbons. Thursday of that week, my school principal authorized me to sell them as a fundraiser, and he bought the first one. I ended up selling or handing out over 100 ribbons and the money totaled $200. I had my school district cut the check and send it down. When I tell people about my fundraiser, it makes me feel good, because I can say that I did my part to help.
Holocaust Survivor Slaughtered On Yom Hashoah
The Jewish community mourns with Virginia Tech. -- Daniel Loeb The deadliest campus shooting in the history of the US occurred on Monday, April 16 at Virginia Tech. The tragic shootings at Virginia Tech happened on the day Jews all over the world observe Yom Hashoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, and which is marked in Israel with two minutes of silence, prayer and reflection. The United States Congress has called for a minute of silence on Friday, April 20 at noon, to remember Monday's victims, as well as the millions of other men and women around the world who have died at the hands of armed madmen and criminals. Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and injured 29 more before taking his own life. Ironically, one of the Virginia Tech victims, aeronautics professor Liviu Librescu, was a survivor of the Holocaust. He died while barricading his classroom against the gunman, saving the lives of several of his students through his sacrifice on Yom Hashoah. Librescu, born in 1930 in Ploiesti, Romania, survived the Holocaust in the ghetto of Focsani while his father was interned in the Transnistria labor camp. After the war, he studied Aerospace Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest and Fluid Mechanics at the Academia de Stiinte din Romania. He distinguished himself as a researcher at the Institute of Applied Mechanics, Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Institute of Fluid Mechanics and Aerospace Constructions of Academy of Science of Romania. However, then Romanian President Nicolae Ceausescu did not allow him to emigrate to Israel, however, until Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin personally intervened on Prof. Librescu's behalf in 1978. After making aliyah, Librescu served as a Professor of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering at Tel-Aviv University. In 1985, he joined the faculty at Virginia Tech where he distinguished himself as the Virginia Tech professor with the greatest number of publications. At age 76, Professor Librescu held the door of his classroom shut so that Cho Seung-hui could not enter before his students escaped through the windows. Cho shot Liviu Librescu through the door mortally wounding this Professor considered a hero by his students. Professor Librescu was commended posthumously by the President of Romania with the Star of Romania Order in the grade of Great Cross, "as a token of high appreciation for the entire scientific and universitarian activity, as well as for his heroic acts during the tragic events of April 16th 2007 in the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University campus, when professor Librescu saved his students' lives at the cost of his own". Rabbi Yossel Kranz announced that the new Chabad House at Virginia Tech will be named for Professor Liviu Librescu. "Professor Librescu's final act of heroism will be eternally memorialized in the life-affirming activities of the new center," said Rabbi Kranz. The professor's widow Mrs. Marilena Librescu and their sons Ari and Joe shared with Rabbi Kranz their wishes that Librescu House serve as a home of healing, joy and spiritual fulfillment to Virginia Tech's Jewish students. -- © 2007. Permission is hereby granted to redistribute this issue of The Philadelphia Jewish Voice or (unless specified otherwise) any of the articles therein in their full original form provided these same rights are conveyed to the reader and subscription information to The Philadelphia Jewish Voice is provided. Subscribers should be directed to http://www.pjvoice.com/Subscribe.htm. Original Source: The Philadelphia Jewish Voice http://www.pjvoice.com/v23/23001vatech.aspx
Daniel E. Loeb / The Philadelphia Jewish Voice
Gregor Hens 20.04.2007 00:00 Uhr Anzeige Während der Übung piepst ein Telefon. Ich werfe einen genervten Blick in die Richtung, aus der der Ton gekommen ist. Es piepst noch einmal - derselbe Student. Ich sehe jetzt, wie er seine SMS liest, und bitte ihn, das Handy auszuschalten. Er sagt, es ist etwas Schreckliches passiert. Er geht raus. Ich mache mit dem Unterricht weiter. In der Pause dann die Nachricht, auf die wir alle irgendwie längst gewartet haben. Dass ein Massaker an einer Universität verübt worden ist, die Rede ist von 28 Toten. Später erfahren wir, dass es mehr sind. Es war nur eine Frage der Zeit, sagt jemand. So etwas musste ja mal passieren. Stille. Irgendwie scheinen wir sehr gefasst. Keiner rührt sich. Aber nein, sagt eine junge Frau in die Stille hinein, diese Amokläufe in den Highschools hatten etwas mit dem Alter zu tun. Mit fünfzehn, sechzehn, da kommt man vielleicht auf solche Ideen. Wegen der Pubertät und so, den Ängsten und Obsessionen der Jugend. Aber an einer Universität, damit konnte niemand rechnen. Ich möchte einwenden: Ihr seid ja selbst noch so jung. Ihr wirkt wie Jugendliche auf mich. Was weiß ich, was in euren Köpfen vorgeht, worüber ihr redet, was ihr für Filme schaut, wie es um eure Hormone steht. Eure Welt ist mir sehr fremd. Ihr riecht wie Kinder. Diesen Gedanken behalte ich lieber für mich. Vielleicht, schlägt jemand vor, sind die Schüler, die vor ein paar Jahren in den Highschools gewesen sind, jetzt einfach im Studium angekommen. Und bringen die Gewalt mit. Eine Art Generation Columbine, die erwachsen geworden ist. Es hat schon mal sowas gegeben, in Texas, sagt einer, der sonst nie etwas sagt. Nichts Vergleichbares allerdings. Ein Typ klettert auf einen Glockenturm, legt an und spielt den Scharfschützen. Fünfzehn Tote. Aber das ist schon lange her. Langsam entsteht so etwas wie ein Gespräch. Der Student mit dem Handy ist wieder da, er hat Freunde an dieser Uni, sagt er. Niemandem scheint etwas passiert zu sein. Der Schütze in Texas damals, er hieß Whitman, höre ich, Charles Whitman. Meint ihr nicht, dass es mit den Waffengesetzen zusammenhängt? Es ist so einfach in diesem Land, an Waffen zu kommen. Du gehst in einen Laden und zeigst deinen Führerschein her und kaufst dir ein Arsenal zusammen für deinen privaten kleinen Krieg. Eine Studentin in der ersten Reihe sieht das anders. Sie meint, das Schlimme sei, dass jetzt die Europäer wieder einen Anlass hätten, den Amerikanern ihre Waffengesetze vorzuhalten. Jetzt können die sich wieder über uns lustig machen, sagt sie, weil wir so dumm sind, unsere Verfassung zu ehren, unsere Traditionen. Dabei geht es um etwas ganz anderes. Sie nimmt diesen Einwand vorweg, denke ich. Meinen Einwand. Ich bin der Europäer. Ich bin gemeint. Wir spielen ein Spiel, wie eine Schacheröffnung: Beide Seiten wissen längst, welche Möglichkeiten der Fortsetzung es gibt. Also lassen wir das. Mir geht es im Moment nicht darum, diese Leute von irgendetwas zu überzeugen. Worum geht es denn? Sollen wir uns auch bewaffnen? Sollen wir uns rund um die Uhr bewachen lassen? Metalldetektoren ... das funktioniert alles gar nicht, das stört den ganzen Betrieb, die Abläufe hier, schau dir den Campus doch an. Dieser Amokläufer hatte offenbar ein psychisches Problem. Und ...? Natürlich hatte er das, wirft jemand ein. Wie so viele andere Studenten auch. Jeder von uns kennt doch jemanden, der Antidepressiva nimmt. Sind nicht alle Mörder, oder? Potenzielle Mörder? Vielleicht sollte man jeden Studienbewerber erst psychologisch untersuchen lassen. War das jetzt Sarkasmus?, frage ich mich. Das wäre allerdings etwas ganz Neues. Die meisten der Opfer, lese ich später, saßen in einem Deutschkurs, zweites Semester. Der Dozent, Jamie Bishop, wurde auch erschossen. Aber eigentlich ist es ein Angriff eines Studenten auf seine Kommilitonen - eine Strafaktion, eine Exekution. Ich behaupte, weil jemand das Thema anspricht, Videospiele funktionieren doch anders: Da wird gekämpft, es geht um bestimmte Fertigkeiten, um Strategien, da kann man nicht einfach Leute an die Wand stellen und niedermähen. (Das Vokabular, das wir für diese Dinge haben.) Haben Sie eine Ahnung, sagt einer. An seiner Halskette baumelt ein silbernes Kreuz. Ich weiß es nicht. Ich habe keine Erklärungen, nichts, das hilft. Ich höre einfach zu. Morgen um 15 Uhr ist für den gesamten Campus eine Schweigeminute angeordnet, heißt es in einer E-Mail aus dem Büro des Universitätspräsidenten. Im Land fliegen die Flaggen auf Halbmast. Es gibt im Amerikanischen diesen Ausdruck: going postal. Weil ziemlich viele Amokläufer etwas mit der Post zu tun hatten. Es gab einige spektakuläre Fälle - gefeuerte Briefträger, die mit halbautomatischen Waffen auf ehemalige Kollegen und Vorgesetzte losgegangen sind. In dem Ausdruck offenbart sich unsere ganze Hilflosigkeit, denn er liefert eine Scheinerklärung, ein vermeintliches Muster. Er verhöhnt jeden, der wirklich wissen will, wieso es immer wieder passiert. Vielleicht trifft es uns so, weil die Ohio State University, an der ich seit vielen Jahren unterrichte, einige Ähnlichkeit mit der Uni in Virginia hat. Die Studenten entstammen größtenteils der Mittelschicht. Der Campus ist riesig und offen. Man kann durchfahren. Es gibt Stellen, an denen man kaum weiß: Bin ich schon drinnen oder nicht? Kein Tor, an dem man kontrolliert wird. Jeder kann hier rumlaufen. Kaum eine Tür ist abgeschlossen. Ganz sicher habe ich mich nie gefühlt, dabei bin ich kein ängstlicher Mensch. Pro Jahr werden in der Stadt - sie hat etwa siebenhunderttausend Einwohner - um die hundert Morde verübt. Auch auf dem Campus gibt es immer wieder Übergriffe: Mord, Raubüberfall, Vergewaltigung. Letztes Jahr ist einer spurlos verschwunden, unter mysteriösen Umständen. An allen Ecken stehen beleuchtete Notrufboxen. Es gibt eine Dienststelle, die man anrufen kann, um sich nach Einbruch der Dunkelheit eine bewaffnete Eskorte zu bestellen. Wenn man etwa vom Sportzentrum, das bis Mitternacht geöffnet hat, zur Bushaltestelle kommen will. Ich habe immer geglaubt, dass es zuerst die Lehrenden treffen wird. Dass ein Student, der bei einer Prüfung durchgefallen ist, durch ein Bürogebäude geht, von Tür zu Tür, und uns alle abknallt. Wir sind vollkommen wehrlos - sitting ducks. Noch so ein Ausdruck aus der amerikanischen Waffenkultur. Nichts ist einfacher, als eine brütende Ente abzuschießen, weil sie sich nicht vom Fleck bewegt, egal, wie groß die Gefahr ist. Vielleicht fahre ich deshalb dann und wann zu der Schießanlage in New Albany, miete mir eine Glock 17, setze mir den Ohrenschutz auf und verschieße eine Packung Patronen. Neun Millimeter. Es ist eigentlich gar nichts dabei. Was immer wieder hochkommt, ist Kent State, eine kleine Uni ganz in der Nähe. Am 4. Mai 1970 erschossen Nationalgardisten vier Studenten, die gegen den Einmarsch in Kambodscha demonstriert hatten. Es war der Anfang vom Ende des Vietnamkriegs. Wir sind ein bisschen stolz darauf, dass es in Ohio passiert ist. Gerade kommt das nächste Bulletin übers Netz: Die städtische Polizei und die Universitätspolizei - wie die meisten amerikanischen Unis haben auch wir eine eigene Einheit, mit eigenen Wagen, einem Logo und einer Website - versichern in einer Erklärung, dass sie auf eine Situation wie die an der Virginia Tech vorbereitet sind. „Unser Einsatzteam würde sofort stürmen und den Amokläufer außer Gefecht setzen", wird ein Sergeant zitiert. Die Studenten reden. Endlich einmal. Sie diskutieren sonst zu wenig, streiten sich nie. Über Kontroverses spricht man nicht. Ich finde sie immer etwas apathisch. Heute hat jeder eine Meinung. Es geht um ihr Leben. Sie sind es, die zurück in diese zwölfstöckigen Wohnheime auf der Südseite müssen. Ich setze mich am Abend ins Auto und fahre nach Hause. Der Schriftsteller Gregor Hens ist Professor für Germanistik an der Ohio State University in Columbus. Zuletzt erschien von ihm im S. Fischer Verlag der Roman „In diesem neuen Licht" . -- Ursprüngliche Quelle: Der Tagesspiegel http://www.tagesspiegel.de/kultur/;art772,2141887
A child attends the Virginia Tech vigil. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geeknerd99/464192730/in/photostream/ Photo Courtesy of Daniel Lin
Permission: Daniel Lin geeknerd99@gmail.com
Individuals mourn as they attend the candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/geeknerd99/464196491/in/photostream/ Photo Courtesy of Daniel Lin
Several police officers (both local and state) are visible and present during the convocation. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndicken/464088526/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Permission Nathan Dicken http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndicken/464088526/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Class of 2011 still strong after shootings
By: Jennie Tal (May 2) Amanda Blevins is just like any other high school senior. She's excited about getting away from home, meeting new people and just enjoying her college experience. But Blevins won't be just any other college freshman. This fall, the Nelson County native will proudly enroll at Virginia Tech, a university that is still recovering from the most devastating school shooting in modern U.S. history. "I'm not going to give up just because something bad happened," Blevins said. "I figure that if it happened there once, it's not really likely to happen again." Only five students have declined Tech's offer of admissions as a direct result of the shootings that happened on Tech's campus on April 16, said Mark Owczarski, director of news and information for the university. Yesterday was the deadline for students to make their admissions decisions. Even though so few students have openly declined admission because of the shootings, it will be difficult to know exactly how the events of April 16 affected prospective students, said Amy Widner, the public relations coordinator for undergraduate admissions. Usually, students who decline an offer of admission do not provide an explanation, Owczarski said. But this year, hundreds of students declining Tech's offer have telephoned to explain that they did not make their decision based on the shootings. Harrison Mohn, a senior at Fort Defiance High School in Augusta County still plans to come to Tech and major in biology. He hopes to study medicine one day. Mohn chose to apply early decision to Tech and said he didn't think about going anywhere else. He liked the school because it is big, has a pretty campus and is in state. He said he's always wanted to attend Tech and that recent events could not have changed his feelings about the school. "I'm not really worried about it at all," Mohn said. "I think it could have happened anywhere. It's not something that Tech did wrong." Since the shootings, the admissions office has tried to stay in touch with prospective students. Mohn said he received an email from the university explaining that everyone there is doing the best they can to make Tech a safe place. "Basically, it said they were hoping I was still considering going [to Tech] and that I haven't changed my decision," Mohn said. Blevins received two such messages. Neither changed their minds. Widner explained that every year admissions sends emails to students a few weeks before the deadline, reminding students that they need to contact the university by May 1. This year, the email included an acknowledgement of the shootings on campus. "It was something to acknowledge the fact that we knew that the whole world was talking about what happened," Widner said. "We wanted to communicate with them specifically and let them know that we were mourning but moving forward and if there were any questions to let us know." Though Blevins didn't contact the university, she said she wonders if security on campus will be increased. She wants to be safe but doesn't want to have to walk through metal detectors to go to class. Stafford High School senior Marie Williams applied to Tech early decision for architecture and said she is still excited to start school in the fall - maybe even more now. Owczarski said no students who had already paid the $400 deposit - including those admitted during the early decision process - asked to withdraw their acceptances. "I think it's great how the student body pulled together after the tragedy, and I know that while everyone is going through a very tough time right now, they will get through it," Williams said. -- Original Source: Big Lick U - May 12, 2007
Norris Hall reopening is one step toward healing
A student perspective By: Bryan Schamus (June 6) I will admit that I once uttered the statement, "There is no way any student should have to walk through that building again." Norris Hall being "that building" - the site on campus at Virginia Tech where 31 of the 33 people killed on April 16 were shot. But now, almost two months later, I just don't feel that way anymore. When the university announced Tuesday in a press release that Norris will reopen on June 18, I was surprised. But after the initial shock wore off (about five minutes), I was not only OK with it, I realized that I am very glad. A lot of fellow students agree. "I think it's a good decision," said Caitlin Czeh, a 2005 graduate who has lived and worked in Blacksburg for the past two years. "It seemed like it just the right amount of time. A decision now will give students and professors who will be working in that building time to acclimate themselves and prepare themselves for being in there. And it gives those students who won't be in there some closure." As announced, the building will open for office and laboratory use only. It once accounted for 5 percent of the classrooms on campus but will never be used for classes again. I understand that not every student will be ready to return to that now-infamous building. But once again, the university is bending over backward to take care of students; other arrangements will be made for those not wanting to return there. Personally, I feel very comfortable with this decision, especially since the engineering faculty themselves requested to move back in, according to the press release. Many of them had laboratory equipment and other materials necessary to do their research that would have been difficult to relocate or replace. "As someone who was here [at Tech] on April 16, I don't know if I could go back into the building, especially so soon," said Jennie Tal, a 2007 graduate and a fellow BigLickU writer. "But on the other side, while this is a little soon, I think it is a good step in the direction of recovery." Eventually, the empty classrooms will turn into more offices and labs. For now, many areas of the building have been repainted, and new lights have been installed. Plans are under way for an official memorial somewhere else on campus. Students and faculty will be able to enter the building using the Holden-Norris tunnel entrance. The building will be unlocked from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on weekdays, locked on weekends and accessible by key during off-hours. The building will not be open to visitors. I spent a good portion of today on campus at Tech and could not find one person in my travels who really opposed this decision. Like me, some were surprised, but then most talked of the healing that has already happened and needs to continue. To me, closing Norris or knocking it down is just giving in to the evil that was perpetrated on this campus that day. On June 14, four days before the scheduled reopening, the school will give tours of Norris in groups of 25 to the media. Dean Amy - our editor - and I will be on the first one at 10 a.m. It will not be easy. I'm 21 years old, a senior at Virginia Tech. A close friend lost her best friend in that building in April. But I am honored to be able to report to you the state this place is now in. Look for our coverage on the walking tour of Norris Hall on June 14. And to all those engineering students and faculty out there who will return to Norris on the 18th, good for you. -- Original Source: Big Lick U - June 6, 2007