In Honor and Remembrance

Memorial to nine student victims from Virginia Tech's Department of Political Science and International Studies Program.

Karen Nicholson

2007-04-26

Brent Jesiek

eng

Leslie Sherman Remembered

I was fortunate to teach Leslie Sherman in my Advanced Placement European History course at West Springfield High School. She was a wonderful student with a creative mind and a great sense of humor. She was especially known for her beautiful smile and positive attitude. Leslie was always happy and cheerful and brought out the best in others. Academically, she was brilliant without being "bookish." During her senior year, she served as president of our History Honor Society and was awarded the Social Studies Department Award for outstanding scholarship. She also ran on our school cross country team for four straight years, so she was truly a gifted student-athlete. After graduation, Leslie frequently came back to visit us at West Springfield, and we were not surprised to learn that she was majoring in history and international relations at Virginia Tech. She loved history so much. Her death has come as a shock to all of us at West Springfield High School, and we are only now coming to grips with this tragedy.

Last Friday we had "Hokie Hope Day" at West Springfield. Almost everyone - students, faculty, and staff - wore Virginia Tech colors in tribute to Leslie and the other victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. Our school has established a scholarship in Leslie's name and contributions have already been made by students, teachers, and parents. Our school's National Honor Society made lapel ribbons with Hokie colors and sold them for a dollar to raise funds for the scholarship. They sold over 800 ribbons. A group of alumni is planning a West Springfield memorial run to raise money for the scholarship. I have written a song for Leslie which I hope to record so that we can sell copies to raise money for the scholarship. Others events and fundraisers will be planned by different groups in the future. The family has also requested that contributions be made to the scholarship fund in lieu of flowers.

On Tuesday, April 24, friends and family gathered at the Demaine Funeral Home in Springfield. Many people came to pay their sad respects. I was most impressed with Leslie's family. Her Father Tony, mother Holly, and sister Lisa carried themselves with a grace and dignity that was truly inspiring. I spoke with Tony at length about his daughter. He told us of the events of April 16 and how he and his wife could not reach Leslie and eventually were informed of her death when two policemen knocked on their door late that night. Leslie's mother is a veteran and her father is in the reserves. Both, I am sure, drew on their military training and experience to face this tragedy with tremendous courage. They strength and calm demeanor did more that anything to honor their fallen daughter.

The funeral was held yesterday, April 25, at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House in Old Town Alexandria at 11:00 am. Here, in a building where George Washington frequently worshipped, hundreds came to say good-bye. Many current and former students from West Springfield attended the ceremony including many from Virginia Tech. Many of her teachers attended as well. Also attending were Leslie's counselor from Tech and a member of the Board of Visitors. (Leslie's counselor told me that this was her fourth funeral in three days.) The ceremony was solemn and dignified. No members of the family or friends spoke in accordance with the strict tradition of this particular church. The hymns were all traditional and from the Presbyterian hymnal: Sing Praise to God, Who Reigns Above; Amazing Grace; and O Love That Wilt Not Let Me Go.

Following the funeral service, we all gathered in front of the church for a time of fellowship and consolation. The street in front of the church had been closed off by the police in advance although some news media vehicles had been allowed to park on the far side of the street opposite the Meeting House. There were many hugs and many, many tears by both students and adults. The news media filmed and took pictures from across the street. (Cameras were not allowed inside the church.)

I was approached by one newspaper reporter (Washington Times) and one television reporter (Channel 7 News) for comments about Leslie. I declined. Partly, this was due to my frustration with the media's coverage of the entire event with its sensational emphasis on the shooter instead of his victims. Also, I did not want to appear to be grandstanding or calling attention to myself on this very sad day.

At 1:30 pm, the funeral procession began its long, slow journey to Arlington National Cemetery. This was a profoundly moving experience. There must have been 50 or 60 cars in the procession which stretched for well over a mile. Police and sheriff officers had closed all cross streets along our path so we moved at a steady pace. Some officers saluted as we passed by. One woman stood at attention with her hand over her heart. The ceremony at Arlington was simple and dignified. The color guard carried the casket from the hearse to the grave. The preacher said his prayers. We recited the Our Father. There was a moment of silence. A three-gun salute from off in the distance. Then it was done.

But it is not over. Those of us who knew and loved Leslie will never forget her. I taught her about history, but she taught me about life. Her positive spirit, energy and love of life have left an indelible impression on many people. Her tireless efforts to help those less fortunate have touched the lives of so many. Her memory will live on in our hearts and minds forever.

A final note on all of this. The internet has played a significant role for all of us in trying to make sense of this senseless act. Any number of "tribute" pages can be found where people have posted messages and shared their thoughts. In Leslie's case, these have included The Washington Post, New York Times, CNN, Legacy.com, and others. A Google search on "Leslie Sherman" reveals an almost endless variety of websites and postings about Leslie including photos and biographical material as well as remembrances and condolences to the family. Many of these messages are from people who did not know Leslie or any of the other victims. Yet, people somehow have gained a sense of connectedness by expressing their thoughts and emotions in this new virtual "public square." I think the impact of this kind of digital gathering place is only now being recognized as an important new characteristic of our modern culture. It has helped me, and perhaps many others, to comprehend the incomprehensible loss of Leslie's life.

Ronald Maggiano

2007-04-26

Ronald Maggiano

eng

Memory Book

Students, staff and faculty at University of Toronto Mississauga signing a memory book to be sent to Virginia Tech.

Rochelle Mazar

2007-04-26

Rochelle Mazar

eng

We Remember

University of Toronto Mississauga's memorial service.

Rochelle Mazar

2007-04-26

Rochelle Mazar

eng

VT Flowers

VT flowers on the drillfield near the Burruss memorial. Photo taken Friday, April 20.

Brent Jesiek

2007-04-26

Brent Jesiek

eng

Hokie Nation

Message of support on a wall at the Blacksburg Rescue Squad complex. Photo taken Friday, April 20.

Brent Jesiek

2007-04-26

Brent Jesiek

eng

We March On

My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those lost in this tragedy. Words are not enough to heal wounds or to make up for the great losses of these beautiful lives. As I watched this story unfold on the news, I couldn't get all of yall in Blacksburg off of my mind and heart. I believe God gave me this song to bring a message of hope to all the Hokies at Virginia Tech and to encourage everyone to march on as one. The power of the human spirit is truly amazing. I hope that there is a Hokie among yall who will discover a melody to go with these words so that a beautiful tribute will arise.

We March On

So many deaths
In such a short time
The grief and the heartache
Is burning inside
Beautiful life
Has been taken away
We stand here in shock
In utter dismay

We march on as Hokies
We march on as one
Though this great tragedy
Won't soon be undone
We cling to each other
United we stand
Hokies move forward
Hand in hand

The sun has gone down
On many young lives
And ended the stories
That were filled with good times
Their memories we honor
For their families we pray
And march on as Hokies
To brave a new day

We march on as Hokies
We march on as one
Though this great tragedy
Won't soon be undone
We cling to each other
United we stand
Hokies move forward
Hand in hand

We cling to each other
United we stand
Hokies move forward
Hand in hand

In memory of all those lost on April 16, 2007

Lisa Merryman
Texas A&M
Class of 2005

Lisa Merryman

2007-04-25

Lisa Merryman

eng

Nikki Giovanni's Convocation Address

Nikki Giovanni's Convocation Address
Delivered April 17, 2007

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 heart 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.

Nikki Giovanni

2007-04-25

Brent Jesiek

eng

For the Hokies - ETSU event held in support of Virginia Tech

For the Hokies - ETSU event held in support of Virginia Tech

(Picture Caption)- Bernadette Cash and Sara Shaffer sign a sheet that will be made into a quilt during the ETSU gathering in memory of the victims at Virginia Tech. (Ron Campbell / Johnson City Press)

By Sam Watson
Press Education Writer
swatson@johnsoncitypress.com

Buccaneer blue and gold gave way to Hokie maroon and orange Tuesday as East Tennessee State University sent messages of support to Virginia Tech in the wake of last week's massacre.

Hundreds of students and employees gathered on ETSU's Borchuck Plaza for a noon service, many donning maroon and orange ribbons and signing banners in a show of solidarity for their peers in Blacksburg, Va.

"We're just really reaching our hearts out to everyone over there at Virginia Tech," said Justin Mitchell, an ETSU junior from Memphis. "It's a really good healing exercise for us, as well, and all American college students across the United States."

On April 16, Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 students and faculty members and injured several others in a rampage that sent a chill through college campuses across the country. The tragedy hit particularly close to home at ETSU, an institution located just 150 miles away from Blacksburg.

Many students on the Johnson City campus have friends at Virginia Tech or other ties there, and ETSU employs several Virginia Tech alumni, including Mark Musick, holder of ETSU's Quillen Chair of Excellence in Teaching and Learning, who led Tuesday's service alongside ETSU President Paul Stanton.

Also on the plaza Tuesday was Virginia Tech graduate Dr. Sally Lee, ETSU associate vice president for student affairs.

"As an alum, I am appreciative of the response on behalf of my institution," Lee said as Virginia Tech symbols dangled from her ears. "The outpouring for Virginia Tech from other institutions has been amazing."

As a student at Virginia Tech, Lee was a resident adviser in West Ambler Johnston Hall, the site where Cho began his attack by killing students Ryan Clark and Emily Hilscher. Last week's events forever changed Lee's perspective about her old dorm.

"I can tell you pretty much exactly where that young lady and that RA were murdered because of the way that building is configured uniquely," she said. "That has an impact."

The massacre also changed perspectives for some ETSU students.

"For our students here, there's a lot of sorrow and a lot of understanding of the lost innocence and the impact it will have on that school," Lee said. "So, I think it's good for our students to have an outlet for their own emotions."

To Mitchell, knowing that students his own age were killed doing the same things he does every day - attending classes - was scary.

"It hurts. We really feel that," he said. "Maybe we can create more awareness so that everybody can lend a helping hand to those who feel alone, so they don't feel they have to kill."

As ETSU students signed a sheet that will form part of a memorial quilt for Virginia Tech, Mitchell wrote just three words: "Cho was wrong."

"I believe that they (Virginia Tech students) feel just as strongly as we do that people who are loners and outsiders should not feel as pressed against," Mitchell said. "Maybe if you are ostracized and feel that you are alone, you won't lash out against society."

ETSU sophomore Deanna Stamper, an elementary education major from Kingsport, brought the sheet to campus as part of a national project organized by Alpha Phi Omega, a community service organization.

"I really wanted to do it, because I have two very special friends there (at Virginia Tech) in the engineering program. Luckily, they were away at the time on a competition," Stamper said. "I know that many students want to find a way to send love to them, and this to me is a great way to do it.

"I think it gives great faith back to our nation to see how strong these young people can be through this."

Wearing Virginia Tech athletic jerseys, ETSU senior Sara Shaffer and her sister in law, Bernadette Cash, signed the sheet to send messages to a campus Shaffer has known since childhood via athletic events.

"It's awfully close to home," Shaffer said. "My dad went to Virginia Tech. Our whole family has been going to Blacksburg since before I was even born. We're all Hokies."

<a href="http://johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=LOCALNEWS&ID=59244">http://johnsoncitypress.com/Detail.php?Cat=LOCALNEWS&ID=59244</a>

Johnson City Press, Ron Campbell and Sam Watson

2007-04-25

Sara Shaffer

eng

Penn State WE ARE with you

The recent days since the travesty at Virginia Tech has provided once again, like the aftermath of NINE-ELEVEN, a stimulus that brings us, as Americans, and particularly those associated with our academic family, closer together. On Wednesday, I traveled from my home in Alexandria, VA to State College, PA to attend the Penn State Alumni Council Spring Session and the annual Blue-White football game, that regularly ends the Nittany Lion spring football training.

The Penn State Campus is usually a lively venue, but this time when I arrived there was a different aura. There was a sadness concerning the students and faculty of our sister land grant institution at Blacksburg. The close-knit family that defines Virginia Tech now has an extended family of students, faculty, and alumni from the entire academic community in the USA.

As our Alumni Council meeting started, all the members wore maroon and orange ribbons to signify our respect and solidarity with the Virginia Tech family. That night a memorial service was held on the Campus along with several candle light vigils. One of the vigils was for a Penn State Alumnus who became one of the Hokie grad students lost that day, Jeremy Herbstritt. Later in the day our Alumni Council agreed to provide $1000 to the family&#39;s fund at VT.

On Saturday the university held its intrasquad football game, were the traditional sea of blue and white became maroon and orange. The University provided maroon and orange Hokie T-shirts for the entire student section at the stadium. Many wore Penn State clothing in these same colors rather than the blue and white. Seventy Six thousand (76,000) record setting fans attended. At the start of the game, following a poem of tribute by one of the football team members, A moment of silence was observed. Then a special selection was performed by the famous Blue Band, now showing the colors maroon and orange in support of the Virginia Tech family. Most moving was the brass rendition of "Amazing Grace." To "kick off the game", A cheer of "Lets Go Hokies" filled the stadium.

Penn State is a rabid football school with voracious enthusiastic fans that will not miss an event, so on this Saturday nothing changed, except the energy of the Nittany Lion was directed at supporting the Hokie.

During the 3 or 4 days leading up to Saturday&#39;s game, sales of Hokie hats, shirts and other clothing were available (Sales have been brisk) with all the proceeds going to the VT family fund. This was evidenced when viewing the tailgates and the stadium where blue and white was replaced with maroon and orange.

During a recent interview on national TV, a student at Virginia Tech was asked, "What is a Hokie?" The student replied, "I am". Such a reply is akin to the Penn State Slogan, "We Are" and, we are with Virginia Tech. We are there to grieve with you and help move all of US forward.

Bob Landis
Penn State Meteorology 1963
Alumni Fellow and member of the Alumni Council

Bob Landis

2007-04-25

Bob Landis

eng