Ryan Clark
description: Each victim has their own spot where friends and families have left notes, photos, and personal items. Original source: http://share.shutterfly.com/action/slideshow?a=67b0de21b3292af30542&auto=0&idx=25&m=1&d=1180360320983 Photo courtesy of Krissy Watson
creator: Krissy Watson
date: 2007-05-28
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Photo courtesy of Krissy Watson krissywatson@gmail.com
language: eng

Ryan Clark
description: This photo captured Ryan Clark's hokie stone. Photo Courtesy of Garry Thompson
creator: Garry Thompson
date: 2007-06-28
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission: Garry Thompson sthomp2813@aol.com
language: eng

Ryan Clark's Hokie Stone
description: Friends and loved ones have placed several items by Ryan Clark's Hokie Stone. Original source: <ahref=" http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2093007661"> http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2093007661 Photo courtesy of Frank Eak
creator: Frank Eak
date: 2007-06-01
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission: Frank Eak feak@va.metrocast.net
language: eng

Ryan Clark's Stone
description: Friends and loved ones have placed several items by Ryan Clark's Hokie Stone. Original source: <ahref=" http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2093007661"> http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2093007661 Photo courtesy of Frank Eak
creator: Frank Eak
date: 2007-06-01
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission: Photo courtesy of Frank Eak http://www.imagestation.com/album/pictures.html?id=2093007661
language: eng

S-a sacrificat pentru studentii americani!
description: 17 Aprilie 2007 Cristina Botezatu Liviu Librescu, profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Tehnica din Virginia, a murit dupa ce l-a infruntat pe atacatorul care a produs cel mai mare masacru din istoria scolilor americane. Tragedia, produsa ieri, s-a soldat cu cel putin 33 de morti si 29 raniti. Conform ultimelor date oferite de politie, numarul victimelor se ridica la 33, inclusiv autorul atacului care s-a sinucis inainte de a fi prins de politie. Din primele date, atacatorul era un student chinez, de 24 de ani, care venise in SUA cu o bursa, in august 2006, din Shanghai. Unul dintre motivele vehiculate este prietena sa, pe care o banuia ca il insala. Cei doi s-au certat, o alta persoana intervenind pentru a stinge conflictul. Atacatorul i-a impuscat pe amandoi si a parasit caminul. La scurt timp a avut loc atacul in cladirea Noriss Hall, unde se tin cursurile Universitatii Tehnice. Politia nu a stabilit inca daca cele doua incidente au avut acelasi autor. "Avea ca 1,80 metri, infatisare asiatica, era imbracat ciudat, aproape ca un cercetas", a povestit pentru CNN Erin Sheehan studenta in primul an la inginerie mecanica. Politia federala Americana (FBI) a anuntat ca nu exista indicii care sa sugereze ca atacul ar fi un act terorist, dar ancheta nu exclude pentru moment nicio pista. Conform Star Tribune, unul din lectorii din sala de cursuri in care s-a dechis focul era roman: Liviu Librescu, profesor de aeronautica si specialist in mecanica fluidelor, numit Doctor Honoris Causa de catre Institutul Politehnic din Bucuresti in anul 2000. Romanul a murit incercand sa blocheze usa pe care a intrat agresorul, conform unor surse apropiate familiei. (Stefan Oprea) Un individ inarmat a facut cel putin 33 de morti intr-un campus universitar din Virginia, apoi a fost impuscat si el. Printre studentii si profesorii universitatii se numara si romani Un macel de proportii fara precedent s-a produs ieri la Universitatea Tehnica Virginia, din Blacksburg (estul Statelor Unite), c…
creator: Cristina Botezatu
date: 2007-06-21
contributor: Adriana Seagle
rights: Calin Hera (calin.hera@evz.ro)
language: ron

Safety forum turns to Va. Tech shooting
description: The focus of a discussion between public safety officials on area crime issues quickly turned to Virginia Tech at the 2007 Chapel Hill-Carrboro-Orange County Forum sponsored by WCHL. The forum was intended as an opportunity to discuss local issues, but the Monday shootings left leaders reflective. Chapel Hill has experienced similar incidents on a smaller scale, such as when alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove through the Pit in March 2006, injuring nine students, and the 1995 Wendell Williamson shooting, in which a law student opened fire on Franklin Street, killing two and injuring two others, including a Chapel Hill police officer. "This community can associate somewhat with the community of Blacksburg because we've come so close ourselves," said Dan Jones, Chapel Hill fire chief. Interim Chapel Hill police Chief Maj. Brian Curran said he also noted the similarities between the two campuses. "It's something that we're afraid could have happened here." Panelists discussed the town's preparedness to handle such an event if something similar was to happen at UNC. Jones noted how difficult it would be to secure the campus. He said every exit door to every building would need to be guarded, in addition to every intersection, sidewalk and open area. "It's easy to see that in a matter of minutes you'd need over 1,000 officers to close off the campus," Jones said. "That'd be just about every officer in Orange, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties on any given day." Capt. Charles Blackwood, of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said he felt the Va. Tech emergency response was the best it could have been given the magnitude of the tragedy. "I think they did as good a job as they can, and I think we would do the same," Blackwood said. "You try to have a good plan in place, and you hope you can respond in such a situation." Many of the participants noted how failures in addressing mental health issues lead to safety issues, both for the individual and for the town residents…
creator: Sara Gregory
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Saint Gertrude High School, Richmond, VA, Summer Alumnae News
description: Dear Saint Gertrude Family, When I was asked to write a letter on behalf of our alumnae sisters at Virginia Tech, emotions at every level filled my heart and mind. There are no words to describe the events of April 16th nor are there appropriate words to share how your support helped each of us to deal in our own way with the days that followed. I speak for all of us when I say that the outpouring of love and concern was undeniably the strength behind our personal ways of coping and our ability to remain strong for all who needed us then and for all who need us now. The spirit of St. Gertrude High School emerged at a level that was both unbelievable and phenomenal ... the photo taken in the gymnasium is just one example; your e-mails, cards, and calls were yet another. The insert below was taken from a note that I had sent to family and friends in the early days, which continues to best describe the feelings that we faced and ultimately had to accept in the aftermath: "For those of you who watched the convocation on TV, it was perhaps your first "real" emotional connection to the tragedy of seeing your beloved alma mater in pieces. You were able to sit amongst your Virginia Tech family and feel the personal impact that this devastation created, while celebrating together in the true spirit of Ut Prosim. For those of you who did not go to Virginia Tech and may never have really thought too much about it prior to Monday, you can now call yourselves Hokies for you have shared with us and were able to feel the pain and strength of our ---your--- Hokie Nation. I was merely a symbol of the love that you feel for Virginia Tech and your deep emotions for our shared loss. Seeing me, someone you have a bond with, on national television allowed you to grieve at another level, one that I know many of us unconsciously resisted for that would mean admitting what had happened was for real. It was." Yes, it was definitely real. That reality grew even stronger when it was discovered…
creator: Judi Lynch
date: 2007-08-10
contributor: Judi Lynch
language: eng

Salem State rallies behind Virginia Tech
description: By Lisa Guerriero/salem@cnc.com GateHouse Media Fri Apr 20, 2007, 04:30 PM EDT SALEM - The flags at Salem State College flew at half-mast for three days this week in a show of solidarity for the 32 victims of the tragic shooting at Virginia Technical University on Monday. The gesture was perhaps the subtlest undertaken on a campus that was deeply affected by the shootings in Blacksburg, Va., the deadliest campus massacre in the nation's history. "It's sad and kind of shocking, because you don't know if it could happen here," said SSC sophomore Jenn Runyan. Police have identified the shooter as Cho Seung-Hui, a South Korea native and VT senior who went on a brutal shooting rampage and then turned the gun on himself, bringing the death toll to 33. The tragedy hit home for Salem State's faculty and students, as it did at other colleges, and even more so because one of the victims was a Saugus resident, 20-year-old Ross Alameddine, a graduate of Austin Preparatory High School in Reading. A number of SSC students have friends at Virginia Tech, and one professor taught there before coming to Salem State, said Bruce Perry, the director of the SSC campus center. "So there's ties and connections," he said. The president of the Student Government Association, Michael Mitchell, helped coordinate several events and tributes in response to the tragedy and received some 50 e-mails from students offering to help organize a memorial. "We had a meeting (of the Student Government Association) and it came up that we, as students, can't sit by and let this go unnoticed," said Mitchell. Salem State was on break for Patriots Day when the shooting happened on Monday, and when students returned Tuesday, campus was buzzing as students exchanged information and pieced together what had happened in Blacksburg. By Wednesday, the effort to support Virginia Tech was already under way. Perry received an e-mail from Julie Walters-Steele, the director of university unions at VT, asking colleges and…
creator: Lisa Guerriero / GateHouse Media
date: 2007-05-30
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
language: eng

Salisbury: Hope for the Hokies
description: April 20, 2007 By Jack Salisbury The last two weeks have been rough on the world of sports. Meat-headed Don Imus, thinking he was being clever and funny, showed us that race and racism is still a paramount issue in today's America with his description of the Rutgers women's basketball team as "nappy-headed hos." Then, NBA superstar and supposed role model Tim Duncan was challenged to a fight by veteran referee Joey Crawford. The scene had its comic elements to it, but it was still fairly disgusting with the raw angst and hate between the old Crawford and the robust Duncan. In a time when nuclear weapons programs abound, people are killed over the outcomes of Little League games and enormously wealthy NBA players' demand salary hikes citing the "need to feed their family," you sometimes have to wonder where our neurotic society is going. And then Virginia Tech happened. Virginia Tech. The Hokies have been a mainstay of college athletics for years. Head football coach Frank Beamer built his program based on hard work and excellent special teams play. By the time a kid named Michael Vick stepped onto the Blacksburg campus in the fall of 1998, Beamer's program had reached the status of national power. Since then, Virginia Tech has always been a mainstay of college football, competing in the national championship and appearing at numerous New Year's Day bowl games. Under Seth Greenberg, Tech's basketball program has also risen, beating both Duke and North Carolina this year in ACC play and making the NCAA Tournament as a five seed. It has never been hard to root for the Hokies; they have up-and-coming programs. And after all, who can resist rooting for a Hokie? Part of the allure in rooting for the Hokies was that you often didn't know what a Hokie was. For the record, Hokie is a fictional mascot masquerading itself as a maroon bird. But there's even more reason to root for the Hokies now. We all know about the tragedy that took place this Monday. I can't imagine what it…
creator: Jack Salisbury
publisher: Stanford Daily
date: 2007-06-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Permissions granted by James Hohmann Editor-in-Chief The Stanford Daily <jhohmann@stanford.edu>
language: eng

Samaha memorial
description: Memorial stone of Reema Joseph Samaha on 4/16/08. Photo by Brian Sewell. -- Original Source: http://flickr.com/photos/briansewell/2419169989/in/set-72157604577382666/
creator: Brian Sewell
date: 2008-05-02
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Brian Sewell <bwsewell@vt.edu>
language: eng

Satellite Dishes
description: The parking lot of the convention center bristled with satellite dishes. Dozens, maybe hundreds, sprouted from the tops of the vans. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/waldoj/463569272/in/set-72157600088262276/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
creator: Waldo Jaquith
date: 2007-05-25
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission Contact: Waldo Jaquith (http://www.flickr.com/photos/waldoj/463569272/in/set-72157600088262276/) Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
language: eng

Satellite Trucks at the Virginia Tech Inn
description: Photo taken April 18, 2007. -- Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipherswarm/1483116677/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
creator: Christopher Bowns
date: 2007-10-25
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
language: eng

Scare response scrutinized
description: Community members criticize level of communication during Wednesday's incident By Edward Truong Friday, May 18, 2007 Some students and staff expressed concern that the university did not communicate quickly enough with the community following Wednesday's weapon scare in Westwood. But officials said the community was not in danger and so they focused on controlling rumors. L.A. police shut down several blocks in the North Village in response to reports of an armed individual in the area Wednesday afternoon. In the investigation, police found a crossbow rather than a gun, and university officials did not take any formal action on campus. Nancy Greenstein, director of police community services for UCPD, said it was a "self-contained potential incident. ... The police (had) it under control." "There appeared to be no risk to campus or population," she said. But some believe the university should have informed students and staff about the incident sooner. Ruth Tesfamichael, a second-year English student, said she had no real information about what was going on, except she heard rumors from another student that there was a gunman in the area. "Word of mouth spread really quickly," she said. "Everyone was misinformed." She said she hoped the university would have found a way to reach students. "I expected an e-mail (from the university), but didn't get anything," she said. Nancy Chakravarty, director of admissions for Corinne A. Seeds University Elementary School, said she was especially concerned about the lack of communication because parents were calling in to the school with questions and she was able to offer no response. "We had no idea that anything was going on," Chakravarty said. "One of our teachers came up and asked what ... the helicopters (flying around the area) were for." She said her staff was entirely unaware of the situation until concerned parents started contacting the office. "Parents had called and said there had been a shooting on campus." Lawrence L…
creator: Edward Truong
date: 2007-07-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Saba Riazati <editor@media.ucla.edu>
language: eng

School security proposal shoves aside prevention
description: By:Anonymous Posted: 4/27/07 Butler County Sheriff Richard Jones urged April 19 that the Ohio state legislature and Governor Ted Strickland consider drafting a new law that would require armed guards in all of Ohio's schools, colleges and universities. In the wake of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute shootings, during which a crazed student killed 32 students and faculty, debate within the Ohio General Assembly has focused heavily on how future tragedies of this sort can be prevented. Nonetheless, the extraordinary cost of this program and its doubtful effectiveness makes it a proposal that the legislature should overlook in favor of more proactive approaches that would act to prevent another school shooting. The high cost of putting an armed guard in every Ohio school raises some serious questions regarding the state's ability to fund this program. Such a program appears to be a colossal waste of expenditures, especially given the fact that the state's budget is already in the red. Given the rarity of such attacks, it is neither prudent nor feasible to devote such a large amount of state resources to a program such as this and more cost effective measures can be implemented instead. Additionally, the presence of an armed guard is unlikely to dissuade a deranged and suicidal student from carrying out a planned attack. It is naive to think that a security guard is a deterrent strategy, or that he or she would be able to intervene in time to stop a determined shooter. Furthermore, Jones' suggestion that teachers and faculty members could be trained and equipped with firearms is a frightening proposition. The answer to school violence does not rest in turning Ohio's public schools into armed camps, thus creating a culture of anxiety. Placing armed contingents within Ohio's schools sends the wrong message that guns are the way to prevent violence. Indeed, Virginia Tech has one of the best campus police forces in the country. Rather, focus must be shifted toward a proac…
creator: Anonymous
publisher: The Miami Student
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Skotzko, Stacey Nicole" <skotzksn@muohio.edu>
language: eng

Sculpture by Darrien Lightworker
description: Sculpture by Darrien Lightworker in Second Life. Located at Virginia Tech memorial on Info Island. Lightworker's description reads: "One blood tear for each soul lost in Virginia Tech" Image provided courtesy of nwn.blogs.com
creator: Wagner James Au / nwn.blogs.com
date: 2007-05-07
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Se entrega medalla póstuma a estudiantes
description: Por Ricardo Valdivieso y Yolanda Puyana Viernes 11 de Mayo del 2007 Después de la tragedia ocurrida en Blacksburg el 16 de abril, Sigma Delta Pi chapter de Virginia Tech, así como el profesorado y cuerpo estudiantil de esta institución, continúa con su agenda de trabajo en la organización de la ceremonia de graduación hispana. Como en años anteriores, esta sociedad entregó la ceremonia de graduación y reconocimiento académico a 30 estudiantes hispanos de Virginia Tech. Estos graduados con grados de licenciatura, maestría y Ph.D.,fueron distinguidos con la medalla Gesta Hispana por parte de esta asociación. Este año, esta ceremonia de graduación adquiere un significado muy especial, ya que la misma se dedicó a los estudiantes Juan Ramon Ortíz Ortíz originario de Puerto Rico, candidato para la maestría de ingeniería civil, y al peruano Daniel Alejandro Pérez Cueva. Estos dos jóvenes hispanos a los que se les entregó su medalla en forma póstuma, fueron dos de las víctimas de la masacre en la que otros 30 estudiantes y profesores perdieron la vida. Los hechos trágicos del pasado mes, que han comovido no sólo a las comunidades de Blacksburg y Virginia sino al mundo entero, no deben ser un punto de referencia cuando se habla de Virginia Tech, una institución de un alto nivel académico y una de los mejores institutos politécnicos en el país. Esta universidad fué fundada en 1872 y cuenta con más de 60 programas de licenciatura y 140 maestrias y doctorados. También está considerada dentro de las 100 universidades en el país con mejores programas de investigación. Fundada en 1919, Sigma Delta Pi es una Sociedad Honoraria Hispana y miembro de Association of College Honor Societies. SDP honra a estudiantes que han completado tres años en el estudio del español a nivel universitario Antonio Fernández Vásquez, associate professor of Spanish y el director del Intensive Second Language Institute de Virginia Tech, y quien recientemente ha sido…
creator: Ricardo Valdivieso y Yolanda Puyana
date: 2007-07-22
contributor: Elva Orozco
rights: Yolanda Puyana, Columnista mcyrp@hotmail.com Autorizacion: 22 de julio del 2007
language: spa

Sea of Hokie Orange
description: Today, I had the opportunity to attend the Penn State Blue & White football game. What an experience to be blessed with after this terrible week's happenings. It was truly inspiring to see the support for Virginia Tech. Everywhere I looked, students and alumni, friends and family were wearing Hokie orange and maroon. It's so hard to describe the pride I felt seeing this rival school sending their love, prayers and respect to VTech. It is amazing how we as a society can come together and love and pray for those who are hurting - now wouldn't it be more amazing if we could do the same every day, good or bad? Everyone was wearing orange and maroon - as opposed to the usual blue and white. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46278893@N00/467567500/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
creator: Lisa
date: 2007-05-24
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Rights Permission Contact: Lisa (http://www.flickr.com/photos/46278893@N00/467567500/) Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
language: eng

seattle PI guest column on the tragedy of virginia tech
description: Beauty and Depravity | eugene cho's blog [eugenecho.com] Here's the guest column I had the privilege of writing for the Seattle Post Intelligencer [published for Tuesday, April 24, 2007]. I've also included some other reads I have personally found very moving and insightful. I was limited by time and a word count, but hoped that this 'guest column' would be a source of healing, deeper understanding, and blessing to many. I wish I did a better job, [and given them my own title], and spoken from a larger Asian perspective. One clarification I want to make - while I and other Koreans/Asians grieve and feel pain and 'shame' over Seung Hui Cho, we are not the victims in this tragedy. My hope was to convey that no matter who or what we are, we are all connected to one another - not just because of our ethnic identity but our larger human collective and narrative. Because of the invitation to address the larger Washington readership, I chose not to be preachy. Much of this editorial comes from some initial thoughts shared in a blog entry from last week entitled, 'Making Sense of the Senseless.' Worthwhile Relevant Reads: Cho Family Statement [Sun Kyung Cho], Guilt, Shame,and Corporate Identity [elderj], To Blame is Human [James Choung], A Lesson in Your Apology [Philadelphia Enquire Editorial], One of Our Own [Bo Lim], Nikki Giovanni Convocation Address [N. Giovanni], Making Sense of the Senseless Comment [rk], Va Tech Victims Pics & Stories [NY Times], and Silence of a Murderer's Mother [Diana Bass]. If you have a lot of time and are bored, here's the mp3 of the sermon [57.12] I shared last Sunday at Quest Church. I preached from 2 Corinthians 5:17-21, Isaiah 1:17, and Matthew 5:9 entitled, 'Love Wins.' Yes, it is very long but I also have to stay true to my preaching nickname: 'Fiddy.' Here's the direct link to the Seattle PI column: Like everyone else — here (Seattle), there (Virginia), West (United States), East (Korea) and everywhere (the larger world), I have been …
creator: Eugene Cho
date: 2007-06-16
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Eugene Cho (eugene@seattlequest.org)
language: eng

Second Life Virginia Tech Memorial
description: 04/19/07 95 words posted by Mark Bard at 11:19 AM The Librarians of Second Life have constructed a virtual memorial on Info Island to commemorate the victims of Virginia Tech. Pictures of the victims are displayed on a wall, and when visitors click on the picture they are directed to short biographies. There is also a pillar with a list of names and a place to leave virtual flowers. The memorial can be found right next to the Second Life Info Island Welcome Center. For those not yet on Second Life, I took some pictures, which are available on the ALA Washington Office's Flickr page. -- Original Source: ALA District Dispatch Blog http://blogs.ala.org/districtdispatch.php?title=virginia_tech_memorial&more=1&c=1&tb=1&pb=1 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5.
creator: Mark Bard
date: 2007-06-06
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
language: eng

Security 101: Salem State and other campuses step up safety
description: By Dinah Cardin/salem@cnc.com GateHouse News Service Fri Jul 13, 2007, 12:29 PM EDT Salem - Paducah. Jonesboro. Columbine. They may sound like destinations toured by a small garage band, but if we reach back in memory, they are actually cities that have suffered at the hands of teenage angst combined with dangerous weapons. The Virginia Tech massacre this past spring was a wake-up call to institutions of higher education all over the world. High schools may have their metal detectors and movies starring Michelle Pfeiffer about tough street kids and their violent behavior, but colleges have so far been wide open to strangers and incident. As Shane Rodriguez, deputy director of the Salem State College Police Department, says, when Seung Hui Cho fatally shot 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech, he created "our 9-11." Last July, campus police placed an officer on the task of emergency preparedness. But Virginia Tech put the wheels into rapid motion. "When people send their sons and daughters to college, the last thing they expect is that they will be gunned down in a classroom or residence hall," says Rodriguez. That's why on June 29, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett convened the first annual Essex County College Summit, linking campus security departments with the state police and the FBI. Officers from Salem State, Northern Essex Community, Endicott, Marion Court and Gordon colleges discussed their various security measures and listened to Col. Mark Delaney from the state police outline a training program for dealing specifically with school shooters. One of the most unique questions posed to Delaney was whether students should be locked in or out during a hostile shooter situation. His answer? Less moving parts means less confusion for law enforcement. Lock the doors, get away from the windows and wait for the "cavalry." The cavalry could be any number of local, state and federal law enforcement officers. But getting them on campus can take a while. Tha…
creator: Dinah Cardin
date: 2007-07-17
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0
language: eng