Remembering 4-16-07
 

Ross Abdallah Alameddine
Christopher James "Jamie" Bishop
Brian Bluhm
Ryan Clark
Austin Cloyd
Jocelyne Couture-Nowak
Daniel Perez Cueva
Prof. Kevin Granata
Mathew Gregory Gwaltney
Caitlin Hammaren
Jeremy Herbstritt
Rachael Elizabeth Hill
Emily Jane Hilscher
Jarrett Lane
Matt La Porte
Henry J. Lee
Prof. Liviu Librescu
Prof. G.V. Loganathan
Partahi Lumbantoruan
Lauren McCain
Daniel O'Neil
Juan Ortiz
Minal Panchal
Erin Peterson
Michael Pohle
Julia Pryde
Mary Karen Read
Reema Samaha
Waleed Mohammed Shaalan
Leslie Sherman
Maxine Turner
Nicole White

Three years ago today, the Hokie community lost the above 32 people when a gunman took to Ambler Johnson Residence Hall and Norris Hall at Virginia Tech.

These were people with wonderful potential. Several graduated first in their high school class. Ryan Clark was a triple-major with a perfect 4.0 GPA. Many were loved professors. Several were honors students and all had something to offer the world before their lives were cut far too short.

At least one died a hero. Liviu Librescu was 76 years old and survived the Holocaust. He barricaded the door to the classroom with his body to give his students time to escape through the windows. He gave his life so that others could live.

"...I ask each of you to take the time to be a Hokie this week. Appreciate life a little more, take in every moment around you, count your blessings, tell the people around you that you love them, slow down, remember what's truly important in life. And live for those 32 that do not have that chance anymore. " -An unknown VT student.

http://www.kylegreenphotography.com/.../recent-32.jpg

neVer forgeT.

Thanks for posting this.

Aw man, I remember this day. Yes, thanks for posting.

One of my friends scored tickets for the first post-tragedy home VT football game, and I got to attend with her. I was so impressed by the Tech community's ability to overcome such grief. The way they all leaned on each other was extremely moving and inspirational. I have the utmost respect for VT, for its poise in the face of tragedy, for its determination to keep tragedy from defining the university, for its insistence that it will heal and move on, yet honor and remember those whose lives were taken. I've always been impressed with the school. Post tragedy, I'm impressed with the entire Tech community.

I know I, for one, will neVer forgeT. I'm wearing a ribbon today.

Thanks, Ooh La La for starting this thread.

Thank you all, for your kind words and thoughts. I just got back from the 3.2 run for 32 lives. Later tonight I will share pictures from that and other campus memorial events. There was the most beautiful image today of the 6,000 runners standing in silence and letting balloons go in memory of the people lost.

Your orange and maroon brethren at Susquehanna keep you always in our hearts.

There is a dedication ceremony today to renaming an athletic facility after one of the victims who was a 2005 graduate from our high school. She was a teammate of my D and a genuinely nice young lady.

Thanks for posting this. One of the charter members of our Virginia Tech Chapter (Maxine Turner) was killed. They did a really beautiful tribute to her in the history book published last year.

I'm wearing my VT turtleneck right now as we speak! My friend lost 5 students in her department. I will never forget

Kappa lost a beautiful sister that day. RIP Caitlin. We will never forget you or the others who were lost.

Has it really been three years? Goodness.

I encourage everyone to go here:

http://www.weremember.vt.edu/2010-ev...membrance.html

It's a beautiful gallery of portraits that capture VT today.

I just now signed in to post that link, Ooh La La!!

I particularly like photo #s 12, 21, 22, 27 and 28. The one with the Hokie bird paying his respects almost choked me up. (I'm a big fan of Hokie football, so I couldn't not like the pics of the runners slapping the stone that leads out of the tunnel.)

Thanks, Tech, for allowing non-Hokies to see your spirit in action.