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Last night, I spoke to Greeks at Virginia Tech. It was a pretty standard program, and the students were awesome (as always). But, a few moments I spent after the program were what I'll remember. Yesterday was the six month anniversary of the shootings at Virginia Tech that claimed 32 lives and the life of a student gunman.
I spoke in Burruss Hall, which is right next to Norris Hall, where 30 of the killings occurred. In front of Burruss Hall, on the Drill Field, is a temporary memorial to the victims. At the place where a makeshift memorial grew after the incident, the university has constructed a very nice temporary memorial. 32 pieces of "Hokie Stone" are arranged in a semi-circle, each with the name of a victim. There are also 32 bushes. It's quite simple, but very touching. (The photo above is the architect's rendering, which will give you an idea.)
Last night, there were dozens of students sitting at the dimly-lit memorial. Candles were burning in front of each stone. Letters, flowers and other mementos had been left by grieving friends and family members. One letter that touched me especially was a letter from a young woman to her friend, a victim named Leslie. In the letter, she said, "Do you remember your last run? I ran that route today, the first time since that day, and it felt really good." Wow.
There were several people crying, seated in front of the stones, heads down in prayer or reflection. Lots of arms around shoulders. It was quiet – you could literally feel the weight that this university community is bearing.
In six months, I'm sure that the media trucks will be out in full force. On April 16, you'll be able to tune into CNN and see speeches and other tributes. But last night, the media was nowhere to be found, and I was thankful for the opportunity to share a small, quiet moment with this suffering community.
The university held an event earlier in the day called "Engage." I don't know much about the event, but I was told that students were being asked to commit to 10 hours of service to the university and/or Blacksburg community as a tribute to the victims.
I saw a sign on the way home after my visit. It said, "The Hokie spirit will never die." I know it's the truth.
