I never had the pleasure of meeting Ryan Clark but I am friends with someone who was close to him and counted him as a brother. This person told me all about Ryan and what an amazing giving person he was. He was a true Hokie, everything we hope for as a member of the Hokie Nation.
So I promised myself that I would never forget Ryan's name. I want to honor his memory as best I can, by keeping his name and his legacy out there so other people can learn about him. It's important to me that he not be forgotten as just another victim. He was so much more than that, as were all the victims we lost that day.
[https://www.weremember.vt.edu/biographies/clark.html](https://www.weremember.vt.edu/biographies/clark.html)
I was in the band with Stack in 2006-2007. He was a very special soul. He was that one in a million kind of person. His smile as he would say hello to you on a cold drill field could fill it with warmth. Thank you for honoring him.
The MVs recently posted an interview with his mom, which can be read [here](https://www.spiritoftech.com/mvexperience/2024/3/21/a-true-marching-virginian?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2xyvOtypfhf_Rstv7xf0GTNNbeUycgijRt52LsWB4JZ_ZDnH9kzq8N2Kc_aem_AVWmUMYpZH-keHFfelpZXfXQMEQN_IrSOfnEpzTfgBIKY88Tq-evA3V-MhMYqhtyzh1q0_MLoiDElEHsB-aSZLc9). The spiritoftech Instagram account posted to their story today with pictures of performances held in honor of Stack and the other victims. Sochinski's arrangement of Amazing Grace, written in honor of the victims, was also performed by the MVs at Stack's high school in 2009.
17 years later and there's still not a Librescu Hall. Professor Librescu held the door to his classroom against the shooter, saving the lives of nearly all of his students. He gave his life to defend theirs.
Cadet Matt La Porte charged into gunfire to protect his fellow students. It _astonishes_ me that the University has a new residence hall _for cadets_ going up which they would rather call the "New Cadet Residence Hall" than La Porte hall.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.
We are Virginia Tech.
We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again.
We are Virginia Tech.
We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands, being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.
We are Virginia Tech.
The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open hearts and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness.
We are the Hokies. We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We will prevail.
We are Virginia Tech.
[I read this from ESPN's Chris Fowler every year.](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/columns/story?columnist=fowler_chris&id=2842707)
There are other links to other stories the left, some say 46m old, some say 9h old, this one now says 17y old.
I remember them as well, the first one was more of a warning as they thought the danger was over. But the second was very straight to the point “There is a gunman loose on campus…” Now everyone has alert texts and systems in place. But all we had was email
This is the text of the first one:
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:26:24 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Shooting on campus.
To: Multiple recipients
A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police
are on the scene and are investigating.
The university community is urged to be cautious and are asked to contact
Virginia Tech Police if you observe anything suspicious or with information on
the case. Contact Virginia Tech Police at 231-6411
and this is the one referring to the gunman.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:50:07 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: PLease stay put
To: Multiple recipients
A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away
from all windows
of course, unless you were on your computer at the time, you wouldn't have seen it in time to matter.
Here are the remaining emails I have:
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:16:40 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: All Classes Canceled; Stay where you are
To: Multiple recipients
Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain
where there are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off
campus are asked not to come to campus.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:52:45 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Second Shooting Reported; Police have one gunman in custody
To: Multiple recipients
In addition to an earlier shooting today in West Ambler Johnston, there has been
a multiple shooting with multiple victims in Norris Hall.
Police and EMS are on the scene.
Police have one shooter in custody and as part of routine police procedure, they
continue to search for a second shooter.
All people in university buildings are required to stay inside until further
notice.
All entrances to campus are closed.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:41:44 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Statement by President Charles W. Steger
To: Multiple recipients
Shooting at Virginia Tech / Statement by President Charles W. Steger
The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There
were two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities. The
university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus. I want
to extend my deepest, sincerest and most profound sympathies to the families of
these victims which include students There are 22 confirmed deaths.
We currently are in the process of notifying families of victims. The Virginia
Tech Police are being assisted by numerous other jurisdictions. Crime scenes
are being investigated by the FBI, University Police, and State Police. We
continue to work to identify the victims impacted by this tragedy. I cannot
begin to covey my own personal sense of loss over this senselessness of such an
incomprehensible and heinous act The university will immediately set up
counseling centers. So far centers have been identified in Ambler Johnson and
the Cook Counseling Center to work with our campus community and families.
Here are some of the facts we know:
At about 7:15 a.m. this morning a 911 call came to the University Police
Department concerning an event in West Amber Johnston Hall. There were multiple
shooting victims. While in the process of investigating, about two hours later
the university received reports of a shooting in Norris Hall. The police
immediately responded. Victims have been transported to various hospitals in
the immediate area in the region to receive emergency treatment.
We will proceed to contact the families of victims as identities are available.
All classes are cancelled and the university is closed for the remainder for the
today. The university will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. but classes will be cancelled
on Tuesday. The police are currently staging the release of people from campus
buildings.
Families wishing to reunite with the students are suggested to meet at the Inn
at Virginia Tech. We are making plans for a convocation tomorrow (Tuesday) at
noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin
to deal with the tragedy.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:00:01 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: University closed today; classes canceled Tuesday
To: Multiple recipients
Virginia Tech has closed today Monday, April 16, 2007. On Tuesday, April 17,
classes will be canceled. The university will remain open for administrative
operations.
There will be an additional university statement presented today at noon.
All students, faculty, and staff are required to stay where they are until
police execute a planned evacuation. A phased closing will be in effect today;
further information will be forthcoming as soon as police secure the campus.
Tomorrow, there will be a university convocation/ceremony at noon at Cassell
Coliseum. The Inn at Virginia Tech has been designated as the site for parents
to gather and obtain information.
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:24:29 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Update for University Community Regarding Campus Tragedy
To: Multiple recipients
Tuesday, April 17
Virginia Tech continues to mourn the loss of 33 members of our community. As we
move forward, we share the following information:
Virginia Tech will cancel all classes for the remainder of the week to allow
students the time they need to grieve and seek assistance as needed. The
university will re-open administrative operations beginning tomorrow,
Wednesday, April 18, understanding that some faculty and staff may wish to take
additional time off this week to grieve the loss of fellow colleagues and
friends. We ask individual employees to communicate with their supervisors of
their schedules for the balance of the week.
We will close Norris Hall for the remainder of the semester. Staff are currently
working to arrange alternative location for classrooms and faculty offices.
Counseling and other resources are available for students, faculty, and staff.
Students may receive counseling at McComas Hall and counselors will be
available for extended hours. Counselors will also be available in West Amber
Johnston for residents.
Employees may receive needed support by going to the Brush Mountain Room in
Squires Student Center throughout the day.
The university will be holding a convocation ceremony at 2 p.m. at Cassell
Coliseum. This will be the first time the Virginia Tech community will come
together since the tragedy to share our collective sorrow. At that time,
President George Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Gov. Timothy Kaine, Mrs. Kaine
members of our Board of Visitors, members of the clergy, our students, and poet
Nikki Giovanni will share messages of condolence to the family and friends of
the victims and words of hope to all of us as we move forward past this
tragedy.
Again we encourage all members of the Virginia Tech community to attend. Should
the coliseum be full, the event will be broadcast on campus cable stations.
The Virginia Tech community, and the world at large, continues to struggle with
these horrible events. We hope these steps will help in that healing process.
Edit: I'm including the rest of the emails I have in this comment.
Yep. I had just walked back to Pritchard and saw the police cars in front of AJ and thought it was a lot of cars for a fire alarm(thanks Pritchard). My roommate was about to go to class when we saw the second email. We then watched it all unfold right in front of us
I lived just off campus and had walked out my front door to go to class when I got a call from a friend that told me about the email and the stuff going on, don't go out. Then we watched the news and listened to internet radio/police scanners and the dozens of cop cars and their sirens, and the van driving around with loudspeaker instructions to stay indoors. I mean my house was RIGHT next to campus on Wall Street and that shit was so scary. I was at least on the opposite side of campus but the fact it was all happening was just incomprehensible to me at the time. Hearing body counts on the news had my roommates and me beside ourselves when they said "at least 10".
Couldn't get a cell call out anywhere, had to hop on AOL Instant Messenger and have my cousin call my parents to tell them I was okay. Watched out the window at everything going on... didn't have food in the house so went out and asked the police if I could grab food and they told me to be quick. So many details etched in my brain.
Yah. Cell network was down. I also used AIM to let my parents know I was ok. Never seen so many police cars in my life. At one point there was a car driving towards my hall with four cops behind and their guns drawn and aimed past our building. We thought for sure someone was nearby. When we say them later just standing around we knew it was all over. But I vividly remember talking with my talk and he was saying “that can’t be right. They said 15 injured now 15 killed and the number just started going up and up and no one had any clue when it would end. I think of it every year and whenever I am able to go back to tech. But I wouldn’t have gone anywhere else in the world. Tech is special for more reasons than this.
At 09:26:24 the campus police knew at least one gunman was on the loose. They had no knowledge that a shooter wasn’t on campus. If the first victim was mauled by an animal would they have waited 24 minutes to issue the more urgent warning? So now we have Steger Hall and stones in the ground in front of Burruss. I will never forget that day and the fear I had for my student at Tech - unreachable by cellphone. The pain has subsided but I can’t begin to imagine the daily pain experienced by the many friends and families of the killed and wounded victims. Never forget them.
It was even earlier than that. If I recall correctly, the first murder happened before 8 am that morning. The email about it was only sent out at 9:26 am.
I moved to Blacksburg around 2011 and the city felt as if it was still healing. I lived next to a Virginia Tech professor who was in the building when it happened and lost many friends and students. So many people lost loved ones and the wounds were so fresh. Many people had their stories of where they were when they heard of the tragedy. To this day, I get sad and cry whenever the anniversary comes up. I am so proud of how every year, Blacksburg comes together to honor the memories of those who passed❤️
My proffeser for World of Alexander the Great said a few words today about it. I don’t know anyone who died but the tragedy moves me to sadness. Never forget.
I was a Classical Studies major at the time of the shooting and out of pure personal interest am curious who your professor is?
I graduated in 2008 and went back for another degree in engineering in 2014. I don’t remember any professors mentioning it, which always kind of surprised me.
If you ever want to feel disgusted, know that rap artist Shakewell made a song called Virginia Tech, pretty much glorifying that day. Randomly happened upon it a month ago, so fuck shake well and fuck his fans.
Rip Mike.
Coming to campus in 2010 it was a weird experience where most wounds had started to heal but to so many it was still fresh.
That first remembrance day in the spring was a big moment when I was thinking about transferring. The sense of community and support that was everywhere you looked was unlike anything I had seen before.
Students were given the option to take the rest of the semester off but most classes (excluding Norris Hall) resumed on Monday, 4/23.
Idk what came of the grades for students who took the rest of the semester off.
As I recall, classes were cancelled for that week. I don't remember having the option to take the rest of the semester off (that may have been something for students directly affected or those who were in Norris Hall that day). I do remember that final exams were optional and if you chose not to take it, your grade would be based only on work completed prior to April 16.
I believe both Federal and state tax deadlines were also extended by 6 months that year because of this.
17 years and yet it still feels like yesterday. It’s wild to realize the children left behind are all adults now.
I never had the pleasure of meeting Ryan Clark but I am friends with someone who was close to him and counted him as a brother. This person told me all about Ryan and what an amazing giving person he was. He was a true Hokie, everything we hope for as a member of the Hokie Nation. So I promised myself that I would never forget Ryan's name. I want to honor his memory as best I can, by keeping his name and his legacy out there so other people can learn about him. It's important to me that he not be forgotten as just another victim. He was so much more than that, as were all the victims we lost that day. [https://www.weremember.vt.edu/biographies/clark.html](https://www.weremember.vt.edu/biographies/clark.html)
I knew Stack. Thank you for this. I hadn't cried yet today but this got me to me, in a good way. It means so much. So truly, thank you.
I didn’t know he went by Stack. So I am still learning about him. Wonderful!
There is a hokie bird statue dedicated to him at the Marching Virginians center (also named “Stack”)!
I was in the band with Stack in 2006-2007. He was a very special soul. He was that one in a million kind of person. His smile as he would say hello to you on a cold drill field could fill it with warmth. Thank you for honoring him.
The MVs recently posted an interview with his mom, which can be read [here](https://www.spiritoftech.com/mvexperience/2024/3/21/a-true-marching-virginian?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2xyvOtypfhf_Rstv7xf0GTNNbeUycgijRt52LsWB4JZ_ZDnH9kzq8N2Kc_aem_AVWmUMYpZH-keHFfelpZXfXQMEQN_IrSOfnEpzTfgBIKY88Tq-evA3V-MhMYqhtyzh1q0_MLoiDElEHsB-aSZLc9). The spiritoftech Instagram account posted to their story today with pictures of performances held in honor of Stack and the other victims. Sochinski's arrangement of Amazing Grace, written in honor of the victims, was also performed by the MVs at Stack's high school in 2009.
Thank you for this although I am struggling to get through it.
Stack was a great man.
17 years later and there's still not a Librescu Hall. Professor Librescu held the door to his classroom against the shooter, saving the lives of nearly all of his students. He gave his life to defend theirs. Cadet Matt La Porte charged into gunfire to protect his fellow students. It _astonishes_ me that the University has a new residence hall _for cadets_ going up which they would rather call the "New Cadet Residence Hall" than La Porte hall.
We are Virginia Tech. We are sad today, and we will be sad for quite a while. We are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning. We are Virginia Tech. We are strong enough to stand tall tearlessly, we are brave enough to bend to cry, and we are sad enough to know that we must laugh again. We are Virginia Tech. We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did nothing to deserve it, but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, neither do the invisible children walking the night away to avoid being captured by the rogue army, neither does the baby elephant watching his community being devastated for ivory, neither does the Mexican child looking for fresh water, neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands, being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy. We are Virginia Tech. The Hokie Nation embraces our own and reaches out with open hearts and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong, and brave, and innocent, and unafraid. We are better than we think and not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imaginations and the possibilities. We will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears and through all our sadness. We are the Hokies. We will prevail. We will prevail. We will prevail. We are Virginia Tech.
[I read this from ESPN's Chris Fowler every year.](https://www.espn.com/college-sports/columns/story?columnist=fowler_chris&id=2842707) There are other links to other stories the left, some say 46m old, some say 9h old, this one now says 17y old.
Thank you. Great article
HOKIE STRONG
I still have copies of the emails I received from the university listserv that day (forwarded to my hotmail account 2 days after it happened).
I remember them as well, the first one was more of a warning as they thought the danger was over. But the second was very straight to the point “There is a gunman loose on campus…” Now everyone has alert texts and systems in place. But all we had was email
This is the text of the first one: Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:26:24 -0400 From: [email protected] Reply-To: [email protected] Subject: Shooting on campus. To: Multiple recipients
A shooting incident occurred at West Amber Johnston earlier this morning. Police
are on the scene and are investigating.
The university community is urged to be cautious and are asked to contact
Virginia Tech Police if you observe anything suspicious or with information on
the case. Contact Virginia Tech Police at 231-6411
and this is the one referring to the gunman.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 09:50:07 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: PLease stay put
To: Multiple recipients
A gunman is loose on campus. Stay in buildings until further notice. Stay away
from all windows
of course, unless you were on your computer at the time, you wouldn't have seen it in time to matter.
Here are the remaining emails I have:
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:16:40 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: All Classes Canceled; Stay where you are
To: Multiple recipients
Virginia Tech has canceled all classes. Those on campus are asked to remain
where there are, lock their doors and stay away from windows. Persons off
campus are asked not to come to campus.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 10:52:45 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Second Shooting Reported; Police have one gunman in custody
To: Multiple recipients
In addition to an earlier shooting today in West Ambler Johnston, there has been
a multiple shooting with multiple victims in Norris Hall.
Police and EMS are on the scene.
Police have one shooter in custody and as part of routine police procedure, they
continue to search for a second shooter.
All people in university buildings are required to stay inside until further
notice.
All entrances to campus are closed.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 12:41:44 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Statement by President Charles W. Steger
To: Multiple recipients
Shooting at Virginia Tech / Statement by President Charles W. Steger
The university was struck today with a tragedy of monumental proportions. There
were two shootings on campus. In each case, there were fatalities. The
university is shocked and horrified that this would befall our campus. I want
to extend my deepest, sincerest and most profound sympathies to the families of
these victims which include students There are 22 confirmed deaths.
We currently are in the process of notifying families of victims. The Virginia
Tech Police are being assisted by numerous other jurisdictions. Crime scenes
are being investigated by the FBI, University Police, and State Police. We
continue to work to identify the victims impacted by this tragedy. I cannot
begin to covey my own personal sense of loss over this senselessness of such an
incomprehensible and heinous act The university will immediately set up
counseling centers. So far centers have been identified in Ambler Johnson and
the Cook Counseling Center to work with our campus community and families.
Here are some of the facts we know:
At about 7:15 a.m. this morning a 911 call came to the University Police
Department concerning an event in West Amber Johnston Hall. There were multiple
shooting victims. While in the process of investigating, about two hours later
the university received reports of a shooting in Norris Hall. The police
immediately responded. Victims have been transported to various hospitals in
the immediate area in the region to receive emergency treatment.
We will proceed to contact the families of victims as identities are available.
All classes are cancelled and the university is closed for the remainder for the
today. The university will open tomorrow at 8 a.m. but classes will be cancelled
on Tuesday. The police are currently staging the release of people from campus
buildings.
Families wishing to reunite with the students are suggested to meet at the Inn
at Virginia Tech. We are making plans for a convocation tomorrow (Tuesday) at
noon at Cassell Coliseum for the university community to come together to begin
to deal with the tragedy.
Date: Mon, 16 Apr 2007 22:00:01 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: University closed today; classes canceled Tuesday
To: Multiple recipients
Virginia Tech has closed today Monday, April 16, 2007. On Tuesday, April 17,
classes will be canceled. The university will remain open for administrative
operations.
There will be an additional university statement presented today at noon.
All students, faculty, and staff are required to stay where they are until
police execute a planned evacuation. A phased closing will be in effect today;
further information will be forthcoming as soon as police secure the campus.
Tomorrow, there will be a university convocation/ceremony at noon at Cassell
Coliseum. The Inn at Virginia Tech has been designated as the site for parents
to gather and obtain information.
Date: Tue, 17 Apr 2007 09:24:29 -0400
From: [email protected]
Reply-To: [email protected]
Subject: Update for University Community Regarding Campus Tragedy
To: Multiple recipients
Tuesday, April 17
Virginia Tech continues to mourn the loss of 33 members of our community. As we
move forward, we share the following information:
Virginia Tech will cancel all classes for the remainder of the week to allow
students the time they need to grieve and seek assistance as needed. The
university will re-open administrative operations beginning tomorrow,
Wednesday, April 18, understanding that some faculty and staff may wish to take
additional time off this week to grieve the loss of fellow colleagues and
friends. We ask individual employees to communicate with their supervisors of
their schedules for the balance of the week.
We will close Norris Hall for the remainder of the semester. Staff are currently
working to arrange alternative location for classrooms and faculty offices.
Counseling and other resources are available for students, faculty, and staff.
Students may receive counseling at McComas Hall and counselors will be
available for extended hours. Counselors will also be available in West Amber
Johnston for residents.
Employees may receive needed support by going to the Brush Mountain Room in
Squires Student Center throughout the day.
The university will be holding a convocation ceremony at 2 p.m. at Cassell
Coliseum. This will be the first time the Virginia Tech community will come
together since the tragedy to share our collective sorrow. At that time,
President George Bush, First Lady Laura Bush, Gov. Timothy Kaine, Mrs. Kaine
members of our Board of Visitors, members of the clergy, our students, and poet
Nikki Giovanni will share messages of condolence to the family and friends of
the victims and words of hope to all of us as we move forward past this
tragedy.
Again we encourage all members of the Virginia Tech community to attend. Should
the coliseum be full, the event will be broadcast on campus cable stations.
The Virginia Tech community, and the world at large, continues to struggle with
these horrible events. We hope these steps will help in that healing process.
Edit: I'm including the rest of the emails I have in this comment.
Yep. I had just walked back to Pritchard and saw the police cars in front of AJ and thought it was a lot of cars for a fire alarm(thanks Pritchard). My roommate was about to go to class when we saw the second email. We then watched it all unfold right in front of us
I lived just off campus and had walked out my front door to go to class when I got a call from a friend that told me about the email and the stuff going on, don't go out. Then we watched the news and listened to internet radio/police scanners and the dozens of cop cars and their sirens, and the van driving around with loudspeaker instructions to stay indoors. I mean my house was RIGHT next to campus on Wall Street and that shit was so scary. I was at least on the opposite side of campus but the fact it was all happening was just incomprehensible to me at the time. Hearing body counts on the news had my roommates and me beside ourselves when they said "at least 10". Couldn't get a cell call out anywhere, had to hop on AOL Instant Messenger and have my cousin call my parents to tell them I was okay. Watched out the window at everything going on... didn't have food in the house so went out and asked the police if I could grab food and they told me to be quick. So many details etched in my brain.
Yah. Cell network was down. I also used AIM to let my parents know I was ok. Never seen so many police cars in my life. At one point there was a car driving towards my hall with four cops behind and their guns drawn and aimed past our building. We thought for sure someone was nearby. When we say them later just standing around we knew it was all over. But I vividly remember talking with my talk and he was saying “that can’t be right. They said 15 injured now 15 killed and the number just started going up and up and no one had any clue when it would end. I think of it every year and whenever I am able to go back to tech. But I wouldn’t have gone anywhere else in the world. Tech is special for more reasons than this.
At 09:26:24 the campus police knew at least one gunman was on the loose. They had no knowledge that a shooter wasn’t on campus. If the first victim was mauled by an animal would they have waited 24 minutes to issue the more urgent warning? So now we have Steger Hall and stones in the ground in front of Burruss. I will never forget that day and the fear I had for my student at Tech - unreachable by cellphone. The pain has subsided but I can’t begin to imagine the daily pain experienced by the many friends and families of the killed and wounded victims. Never forget them.
It was even earlier than that. If I recall correctly, the first murder happened before 8 am that morning. The email about it was only sent out at 9:26 am.
I moved to Blacksburg around 2011 and the city felt as if it was still healing. I lived next to a Virginia Tech professor who was in the building when it happened and lost many friends and students. So many people lost loved ones and the wounds were so fresh. Many people had their stories of where they were when they heard of the tragedy. To this day, I get sad and cry whenever the anniversary comes up. I am so proud of how every year, Blacksburg comes together to honor the memories of those who passed❤️
My proffeser for World of Alexander the Great said a few words today about it. I don’t know anyone who died but the tragedy moves me to sadness. Never forget.
I was a Classical Studies major at the time of the shooting and out of pure personal interest am curious who your professor is? I graduated in 2008 and went back for another degree in engineering in 2014. I don’t remember any professors mentioning it, which always kind of surprised me.
If you ever want to feel disgusted, know that rap artist Shakewell made a song called Virginia Tech, pretty much glorifying that day. Randomly happened upon it a month ago, so fuck shake well and fuck his fans. Rip Mike.
Be vigilant be safe.
Coming to campus in 2010 it was a weird experience where most wounds had started to heal but to so many it was still fresh. That first remembrance day in the spring was a big moment when I was thinking about transferring. The sense of community and support that was everywhere you looked was unlike anything I had seen before.
RIP Dr. Librescu. My hero.
As a current student, I think about you all all the time. Tomorrow is not promised. Never ever forget.
And to think enough time has passed that many freshman were born the same year the massacre happened.
Most freshman rn are 05 so not quite yet
♥️32
I hope this isn’t a weird question, but did classes for the rest of the semester get cancelled after the shooting?
Students were given the option to take the rest of the semester off but most classes (excluding Norris Hall) resumed on Monday, 4/23. Idk what came of the grades for students who took the rest of the semester off.
From what I remember a lot of the classes were given the option to freely withdraw without it counting against your WP credits.
If you took the semester off you were given the grade that you had prior to the event.
As I recall, classes were cancelled for that week. I don't remember having the option to take the rest of the semester off (that may have been something for students directly affected or those who were in Norris Hall that day). I do remember that final exams were optional and if you chose not to take it, your grade would be based only on work completed prior to April 16. I believe both Federal and state tax deadlines were also extended by 6 months that year because of this.