A Resolution to support the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University Community
Draft of resolution passed by the George Mason Student Senate to support the greater Virginia Tech Community.
Lindsey Wagner, Cavalier Daily Life Editor University students dug through their closets to find anything maroon and orange -- two colors all Hoos had previously tried to avoid -- to demonstrate their support of Virginia Tech at the vigil held last night. As candlelight slowly spread around the Amphitheater and flags from both universities were displayed, President John Casteen, III began his address to an overwhelmingly maroon and orange audience. "Tonight we have come together to talk, to meditate on, to mourn the deaths of Virginia Tech students and faculty members," Casteen said to an eerily silent crowd. Yesterday afternoon, Casteen attended a convocation held at Virginia Tech, later remarking that the somber atmosphere among students there was still "assertive of life." "Today was for them -- tonight is also for them, but tonight is for you, too," Casteen said, addressing the many University students who suffered losses Monday. Four of the 33 deaths hit especially close to home here at the University. Liviu Librescu, a professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Virginia Tech, was the father of a fourth-year University student. According to Casteen, Librescu's daughter wanted the community to think of her father "not as a part of the general description of the tragedy, but as a person dedicated" to his work. Kevin Granata was an engineering professor at the University until 2003, when he began teaching in Tech's Engineering Science and Mechanics department. While at the University, Casteen said Granata also worked in the Kluge Children's Research Center studying human gaits in order to design therapy for children with cerebral palsy. Second-year Nursing student Randa Samaha lost her sister, Reema Samaha, a freshman at Tech. First-year College student Adrienne Fadoul also lost her first cousin Monday. "What, then, shall we do?" Casteen asked, quoting the Gospel of St. Luke. Regarding practical measures to protect the University, Casteen assured students that all current procedures were under review. He noted that other forms of instantaneous notice systems, such as text messaging, are being explored in addition to e-mail alerts. Casteen also advised students to report any suspicious activities or persons. "Grounds is a sanctuary for students and faculty ... a sanctuary remarkably fragile -- we know all of the boundaries, and they are all permeable," he said. Emphasizing the close community of the University, Casteen urged students to "stay in Charlottesville and be close to friends. Reach out to one another." Casteen also focused on more abstract lessons that Monday's events taught the world of higher education. Ultimately, we need to "train [our] hearts to change the world with the intent to [make such events] that fracture higher education rare, rarer, rarest," Casteen said. He recalled looking out at a gathering of Virginia Tech students yesterday afternoon on their football field, a community that "refused to be broken completely by loss," realizing that the hardest thing to reconcile was the "finality of violent, irrational death in a community of young, vibrant people ... consolation is hard to offer in that situation." When Casteen ended his address, the Amphitheater was filled with the tangible silence of the hundreds of students in attendance. Student Council provided scrolls and posters for University students to sign, which will be sent to Virginia Tech later this week. Once students began to gather around the banners, a quiet murmur replaced the silence. "I thought it was great to be able to come together and think about and remember it the way that we could," third-year College student D.J. Ward said. "To sit in unison and solidarity is really all we can do." Many students also noted the setting aside of the traditional rivalry between the two universities. "We're all one community," third-year Commerce student Brian Edwards said. "What they go through is what we go through. It could easily have been us. I hope anything they need from us we can give to them." Third-year College student Nina Cohen added that she thought Virginia Tech would do the same for the University "in a second." Other students said they felt like the vigil could have been more meaningful. Second-year College students Mary Ford and Pavit Gill said they expected more from Casteen. Second-year College student Casey Furr added that he believed the vigil was "anti-climatic." Second-year College student Nadine Natour said she was glad the University was showing its support, but she wished there could have been a more emotional element, such as something more along the lines of the poem read by Nikki Giovanni at Virginia Tech's convocation. On the whole, though, students were satisfied with the turnout and the showing of solidarity. "I just really appreciate that we did this, for us and for them," first-year College student Vetan Kapoor said. "It meant a lot." The final words of Casteen's address seemed to emphasize the thoughts of all those who attended: "Let us remember the 33 human lives. Let us pray for the lives that have changed forever ... and also for those who loved them, and let us share their grief for the future as they seek solace in life." - Shea Connelly, Stephanie Kassab and Katt Henry contributed to this article. -- Original Source: The Cavalier Daily - April 18, 2007
A Special Update for Alumni on the April 16th Tragedy...
Date: Tue, 11 Sep 2007 12:06:17 -0400 From: Virginia Tech Alumni Association <vatechalumni@vt.edu> To: ALL ALUMNI SEPT 2007 <vatechalumni@vt.edu> Subject: A Special Update for Alumni on the April 16th Tragedy... I write on 9/11, the sixth anniversary of a tragedy that is etched into the memories of the citizens of the world. No act against our country, and indeed any free society, could have been more horrific or more cruel to end so many thousands of innocent lives in the course of a few hours. We remember that day and honor its victims, especially two of our own alumni who perished. Virginia Tech, not many years later, was the scene of another horrific act, a massacre carried out by one individual, which was unparalleled in our nation's history. Another date that will remain etched in our memories. Our hearts continue to go out to the families of the students and faculty who lost their lives, and to the survivors of that day who suffered both physical and emotional injury. From all that has been learned about the student responsible for the killings, some have said he was intent on mass murder regardless of what anyone else did. Much has happened to aid in the healing of our university, including its extended family of alumni and supporters everywhere. The poignant moment that first signaled healing was when Poet Nikki Giovanni ended our memorial convocation with the words "We ARE Virginia Tech" and then threw open her arms to the audience as they cheered. Her gesture at that moment, and the response that followed, convinced me we were going to be alright. Many solemn ceremonies followed that day for weeks and months, and grieving continued. At our Commencement ceremony in May, most parents of the slain students were in attendance and were presented memorial class rings and posthumous degrees. President Charles Steger gave truly the "speech of his career" to comfort the audience and send a message of encouragement. Commencement was a new beginning and a significant moving forward from the tragedy, for many beyond the '07 graduates receiving diplomas. Through the summer, a number of important events have occurred... A committee, which I was honored to chair, swiftly designed and then oversaw the construction of a permanent memorial to the victims. It was dedicated on August 19th in the same location on the Drillfield that was the site of a temporary memorial created by students. It continues the theme of 32 Hokie stones honoring those who perished. President Steger requested that Governor Kaine appoint a special "Review Panel" to investigate the April 16th tragedy and look at all of the ramifications of the incident. The president also appointed three special task forces internally: to look at ways the university might improve building security; an examination of the entire telecommunications infrastructure; and studying the interface of information-sharing among internal and external units and agencies affected by privacy laws surrounding mental health and disciplinary issues. The Governor's distinguished panel and university task forces have all reported their findings. There are many recommendations that hopefully will help Virginia Tech, as well as similar institutions across the country, in avoiding such a tragedy in the future. Hindsight provides the opportunity to better understand how to identify and treat a person such as the one responsible on our campus, who was obviously very skilled at hiding homicidal tendencies from mental health professionals through most of his life. The university recently has created an Office of Recovery and Support to offer continued assistance to the families of the victims, as well as the injured survivors. The office offers ongoing assistance to the larger campus community of students, faculty and staff. The University Provost also has appointed a committee to study alternatives for the use of all former classrooms in Norris Hall, and to make recommendations. Norris Hall is no longer used for general purpose classrooms, but has other considerable space dedicated to laboratories and offices. It will not be used as a memorial site or to display any April 16th memorabilia. At the opening home football game against East Carolina University, we crossed another emotional hurdle and welcomed thousands of alumni back to the campus for the first time since the tragedy. East Carolina opened the game ceremonies with a very generous gift of $100,000 to the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. The crowd responded with genuine "Hokies Respect." On September 6th, a special "Concert for Virginia Tech" was contributed by the Dave Matthews Band and three other entertainers that the band invited. This concert was held in Lane Stadium and attended by some 50,000 students, faculty, staff and alumni. The concert was offered by Dave Matthews, a Virginia resident, immediately following the tragedy. Its comparable value was in the many millions of dollars. The entertainers accepted no fees or royalties. This nearly five-hour concert perhaps signaled the final event designed to promote healing for our campus and community. I extend a special commendation to the faculty and staff of our university. From Charles Steger on down, all have had to assume roles never, ever in any job description. They have risen far beyond the call of duty in these months following April 16th to deal with the aftermath of the tragedy. They continued to comfort students, near and far, through the summer. As the fall semester began, they emerged in special ways to welcome both new and returning students. The university also has launched a special service initiative called VT ENGAGE in remembrance of the victims, and in keeping with the university motto, "That I May Serve". All students, faculty and staff are encouraged to pledge at least 10 hours of service to the project of their choice, with completion by next April. The challenge goal is to perform 300,000 hours of community service. The Alumni Association has responded with a challenge to all alumni to match this service goal with another 300,000 service hours within your communities. Go to www.engage.vt.edu to record your service hour pledge. What better way to demonstrate to the world how Virginia Tech pulls together to set an example for others in the spirit of Ut Prosim? As performer Dave Matthews neared the end of his concert, he began, in a near whisper, lyrics that the entire crowd echoed over and over for several minutes. He sang, and we chanted softly, what we all truly feel... "Don't worry about a thing, cause every little thing's gonna be all right." Tom Tillar '69 Vice President for Alumni Relations
Tom Tillar / Virginia Tech Alumni Association
Every food vendor in the New River Valley area was out giving away free food. It was awesome. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxpower/468730776/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
Permission Contact: Max Power (http://www.flickr.com/photos/maxpower/468730776/) Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0
Although I have not finished with music that I feel is worthy yet, I wanted to share the words with our VT families. My prayers are with all of the families. Lee Stephens - Christiansburg Deep Blue Ridge Rain Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, lies a beautiful place I know Yes deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, it's the place I now call home But today I am in great pain, as the world looks here to mourn A most hateful thing among us, taking with it those so young Blue Ridge Rain, the reflection of the pain As the mountains cry Tears flowing, hearts broken, Virginia's proud remain We have lost our innocence but certainly not our pride Those that are not a Hokie, you have to be one tonight Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, people smile and say hello They are always wanting to help you, real people, you know Yes deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, so far from the world's strife But the world came crashing in today, violent, destroying life Blue Ridge Rain, the reflection of the pain As the mountains cry Tears flowing, hearts broken, Virginia's proud remain We have lost our innocence but certainly not our pride Those that are not a Hokie, you have to be one tonight Yes deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the pain is running high No one understands it; no one can, though you try But high on the mountain tops where strength abounds Blue Ridge Mountains rock hard people will Rebuild the aura and town Blue Ridge Rain, the reflection of the pain As the mountains cry Tears flowing, hearts broken, Virginia's proud remain We have lost our innocence but certainly not our pride Those that are not a Hokie, you have to be one tonight.
A Tribute to Professor G. V. Loganathan (Editorial)
(PDF, 36KB; full text copied below) EDITORIAL A Tribute to Professor G. V. Loganathan Arun K. Deb, Ph.D., P.E., F.ASCE Vice President (Ret.), Weston Solutions, Inc. E-mail: arundeb@msn.com April 16, 2007 started like any other day on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Virginia. Dr. G. V. Loganathan, a professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at Virginia Tech left his home near the campus to teach a graduate class on Advanced Hydrology in room number 206 of Norris Hall. He never returned home. Loganathan, along with nine of his students, was killed by a gunman. It was the worst massacre on a university campus in the history of the United States. Very soon, the news started to flash on TV screens. I became concerned as I know quite a few faculty members at Virginia Tech, but never expected one of my dearest friends to be among the victims. I was stunned when I saw Prof. Loganathan's name on TV as one of the victims. I barely got over the shock when I received a call from one of my friends confirming the news. I opened my e-mail to see several messages in this regard. That is one dreadful day I will never forget in my life. Dr. G. V. Loganathan was born in 1954, in the state of Tamil Nadu, India. He completed his Bachelor of Engineering at Madras University, India in 1976. He earned his Master of Technology at Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and received his PhD from Purdue University. In 1981, Dr. Loganathan joined Virginia Tech to conduct research and teach in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department. He focused his research in the areas of hydrology and hydraulic networks. It was about 20 years ago while attending an ASCE Conference of the Water Resources Planning and Management Division, that I first met Loganathan in the Water Resources Systems Committee meeting. After the meeting, he came up to me and expressed his interest in water distribution system analysis. At the time, he was a young faculty member at Virginia Tech, full of energy and enthusiasm. He discussed with me his current projects on water distribution system research and his plans for the future. I impressed upon him the need to do some practical research for water utility personnel to help solve real water distribution system problems. He expressed his sincere interest to work with me on some future projects. We soon became friends and communicated frequently. He always informed me when he had new ideas or started to work on a challenging project. Quite often, we shared brainstorming sessions. Soon, I became involved in conducting water distribution system research under the American Water Works Association Research Foundation AwwaRF grants. In 1997, I had an opportunity to get Loganathan involved in one of my proposals on "Prioritizing Water Main Replacement and Rehabilitation" for AwwaRF. The success of that proposal was the beginning of a long working relationship with GV as he preferred to be called . He quickly became a part of our team. It was a complex project that involved Newland Agbenowski, a PhD student from Ghana working under the guidance of Loganathan. I, along with our project team, spent many weekend hours with him brainstorming and formulating the concept of development of a computer model. With the help of Loganathan and Newland, we developed guidance and methodologies for the collection of on-site real-time water main break field data and a modeling system incorporating these data to predict and prioritize candidate mains for rehabilitation/replacement. This model helps water utility managers assess the condition of water mains and develop strategies for long-term rehabilitation plans for their distribution systems. In 1999, while working on the previous AwwaRF project, Loganathan and I prepared another successful proposal on "Decision Support System for Distribution System Pipe Renewal." In this project Loganathan, with help from one of his graduate students, developed decision support system software to evaluate and identify suitable water main renewal technologies available to water utilities for renewal of a specific water main. Technologies considered include both open-cut and trenchless. A cost module was also developed for comparative cost analysis. By this time, I had developed an excellent personal and working relationship with Loganathan. Also, I was fortunate to have his and Virginia Tech's help in developing a prioritized water main replacement program for the Saint Louis County Water Company now Missouri American Water Company . The Saint Louis County Water Company was experiencing a large number of cast-iron water main breaks. In this project Loganathan and his graduate student formulated a computer program to analyze a large amount of water main break data on a pipe-by-pipe basis. An economic model was developed that predicted water main breaks, estimated costs of main break repair, and compared that with the cost of a replacement pipe to identify the optimum time to replace a pipe. Using this software, we developed an optimum water main replacement program for the Saint Louis County Water Company. In 2002, Loganathan and I had the opportunity to successfully submit another proposal on "Criteria for Valve Location and System Reliability" for the AwwaRF Loganathan and his PhD student Hwandon Jun, developed a software for the analysis of water distribution networks and a strategic valve management model to assist water utilities in developing a rationale for the proper location of valves and optimum valve and system reliability. This tool is suitable for water utilities to minimize impacts due to valve and pipe failures. A report on this project was published by AwwaRF in 2006. Loganathan prepared a paper entitled "Valve Distribution and Impact Analysis in Water Distribution Systems" which is included in this issue of the Journal. I am glad and proud to be associated with Loganathan's paper as a coauthor. Loganathan's work was recognized by ASCE with the Wesley W. Horner Award in 1996 for his paper, "Sizing Stormwater Detention Basins for Pollutant Removal." He was an excellent teacher and earned the outstanding teaching award four times. He also received the Faculty Achievement Award for Excellence in Civil Engineering Education. He was a very active member of ASCE and served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Hydrologic Engineering specializing in the area of stochastic hydrology. He also served in the Water Resources Systems Committee, Trenchless Installation of Pipeline Committee, and acted as Vice Chair of the Operations Management Committee of ASCE. He supervised more than 45 graduate students during his tenure at Virginia Tech. Students adored him. One student wrote in his memorial, "I regret not telling you that you are the best teacher I ever had." Another student wrote in his memorial posting, "Dr. Loganathan was an excellent teacher and mentor. I will always remember him for his kind heart and patience he displayed towards me and his other students." Jerry Snyder, a colleague of mine and a member of ASCE posted, "He was a dedicated professor and researcher and the most gentleman that I have ever known. I can only hope to live my life with purpose and humanity in the same manner as GV. It was a privilege to know him." Loganathan is survived by his wife, Usha and two daughters, Uma and Abhirami. The President of the ruling Congress Party of India, Mrs. Sonia Gandhi sent her heartfelt condolences to his wife Usha. During my long association with Loganathan, I found him a very polite, respectful, and humble man. In technical discussion, he respected opinions of all project team members, including his students. He always met deadlines, even if that meant working evenings and weekends. He was a complete gentleman. The last e-mail message I received from him was on April 9, 2007, exactly a week before his death. I will never forget him as long as I live. I express my sincere condolences to his family. Virginia Tech University has established an annual graduate fellowship in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department in memory of Loganathan. The best way to help continue his legacy is to contribute to this G. V. Loganathan Fellowship Fund by sending checks in favor of Virginia Tech Foundation with a memo to: G.V. Loganathan Fellowship at 902 Prices Fork Road, Suite 4000, Blacksburg, VA 24061. I would like to thank Dr. Ray Ferrara for giving me the opportunity to write this editorial. -- Archived with permission of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE). Original Source: Journal of Environmental Engineering © ASCE / August 2007
Xi Van Fleet Senior Manager, Information Services Publication Division American Society of Civil Engineers 1801 Alexander Bell Drive Reston, VA 20191 (703) 295-6278-FAX PERMISSIONS@asce.org
Two students participate in a Virginia Tech vigil for NIU. Photo taken Monday, February 18, 2008. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
People put a wreath on the wall of the Burrus Hall to remember the victims on April 20.
A year later (written on the first anniversary by an Alum)
You are contributing your stories and/or files to The April 16 Archive, which is developing a permanent digital record of the events surrounding the tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, 2007. Your participation in this project will allow future researchers, and people such as yourself, to gain a greater understanding of these events and the responses to them.
¿Cuál es la Enmienda que más importa?
Por Charles Peña 2 de junio de 2007 No es ninguna sorpresa que a raíz de la tragedia de Virginia Tech en abril de 2007 en la que 33 personas resultaron muertas, el control de las armas se haya convertido en un tema en la carrera hacia la presidencia de 2008. Después de la matanza indiscriminada, el candidato presidencial demócrata John Edwards de Carolina del Norte pidió más restricciones, mientras que el senador republicano John McCain de Arizona ha dicho que el incidente no lo no lo haría dejar de respaldar los derechos de los propietarios de armas. Y el Instituto Para la Acción Legislativa de la Asociación Nacional del Rifle (NRA es su sigla en inglés) emitió recientemente este comunicado de alerta: "Una audiencia unilateral el martes [10 de mayo de 2007] en el Subcomité sobre Política Doméstica del Comité Para la Supervisión y Reforma Gubernamental de la Cámara de Representantes, presidido por el candidato presidencial con remotas posibilidades Dennis Kucinich (Demócrata de Ohio) [calificado con una "F" por la NRA], fue utilizada por quienes se oponen a las armas como una plataforma para impulsar las mismas, antiguas y trilladas restricciones en contra de ellas". Inevitablemente, el tema de las armas y de su propiedad gira en torno a la Segunda Enmienda (que algunos dirán que está crípticamente redactada): "En consideración a que una milicia bien regulada resulta necesaria para la seguridad de un estado libre, el derecho de la población a poseer y portar armas no será restringido". Por lo tanto—en un sentimiento compartido por muchos propietarios de armas—no resulta sorprendente que Donald Harkrader, un vendedor de armas situado a apenas a unas millas del campo universitario de la Virginia Tech, diría, "Hay una razón por la cual tenemos a la Constitución. Detesto ver que sería de este país sí empezásemos a ignorar a la Constitución". La implicancia es que la Segunda Enmienda es la Constitución, o que es el derecho individual más importante enumerado en ella. La pregunta para Harkrader, la NRA y especialmente los aspirantes presidenciales que apoyan la propiedad de armas por parte de ciudadanos respetuosos de las leyes es: ¿cuál es su posición respecto de las otras enmiendas? Dado que los republicanos generalmente son considerados más partidarios de las armas que los demócratas—y dado que el control de armas es potencialmente un tema que establece un criterio de rechazo del eventual nominado republicano—vale la pena examinar la posición de los aspirantes republicanos a la presidencia sobre otras cuestiones constitucionales relevantes, en la medida que se relacionan con otorgarle al gobierno facultades adicionales, incluso más arrolladoras, en nombre de proporcionar protección no tan solo contra tiradores solitarios, sino los terroristas globales. El niño del afiche en favor de un poder gubernamental creciente en nombre de la lucha contra el terrorismo es la Ley PATRIOTA de los EE.UU. (Ley para Unir y Fortalecer a los Estados Unidos mediante la Provisión de las Herramientas Apropiadas Necesarias para Interceptar y Obstruir el Terrorismo), la cual permite allanamientos "furtivos"—cuando los oficiales encargados de la aplicación de las leyes allanan un hogar o comercio sin el permiso ni conocimiento del propietario u ocupante—y la utilización expandida de las "Cartas de la Seguridad Nacional", que facultan a la Oficina Federal de Investigaciones (FBI) a investigar registros telefónicos, de correo electrónico y financieros sin una orden judicial. Ambas provisiones son ataques directos contra la Cuarta Enmienda, con su protección contra un allanamiento y confiscación irrazonable, y su exigencia de obtener antes una orden. Un demócrata fue el único senador estadounidense en votar en contra de la Ley PATRIOTA: Russ Feingold de Wisconsin (calificado con una "D" por la NRA en 2004). Y ni un solo senador republicano votó en contra de la renovación de la Ley en marzo de 2006. Del lado de la Cámara de Representantes, el único aspirante republicano (y considerado con pocas chances) que votó en dos oportunidades en contra de la Ley fue Ron Paul de Texas (resulta interesante que, en los comicios de 2006, la NRA le concedió al contrincante demócrata de Paul una calificación más alta). Es también particularmente notable que el representante Paul fue uno de los pocos republicanos—de todos los miembros de la Cámara de Representantes de los EE.UU.—que votó en contra de la Resolución sobre la Guerra de Irak en octubre de 2002. En el entendimiento de que el Estado implica la mayor amenaza para la libertad y que las mayores expansiones del poder estatal ocurren durante las épocas de guerra, Paul claramente reconoció que esta era una guerra innecesaria contra una amenaza fantasma. Ya sea que se trate de la imposición de la Ley PATRIOTA de los EE.UU. o de otorgarle al presidente la facultad unilateral e irrestricta para declarar a ciudadanos estadounidenses "enemigos combatientes"—negándoles el debido proceso garantizado por la Quinta Enmienda—diluyendo a la Constitución so pretexto de proteger a los estadounidenses en contra del terrorismo no difiere fundamentalmente de la erosión de la Segunda Enmienda en nombre de salvar al pueblo de la violencia de las armas. Por lo tanto, Donald Harkrader está en lo correcto respecto de la significación de la Constitución. Pero o bien toda ella importa o nada de ella lo hace—no solamente la Segunda Enmienda. Y los aspirantes presidenciales de todos los sectores harían bien en tomar en cuenta a la admonición de Benjamin Franklin: "Aquellos dispuestos a perder libertades esenciales a cambio de un poco de seguridad temporal, no merecen ni libertad ni seguridad". Traducido por Gabriel Gasave Charles V. Peña es Asociado Senior en el Independent Institute así como también Asociado Senior con la Coalition for a Realistic Foreign Policy, Asociado Senior con el Homeland Security Policy Institute de la George Washington University, y consejero del Straus Military Reform Project. -- Fuente Original: El Instituto Independiente http://independent.typepad.com/elindependent/2007/06/cul_es_la_enmie.html
Gabriel Gasave Reasearch Analyst Center On Global Prosperity The Independent Institute ggasave@independent.org August 2, 2007
Escrito por Cronista en 11:11 AM jueves 19 de abril de 2007 Intento redactar una nota sobre lo ocurrido en Virginia Tech pero no puedo. Me perturba leer los testimonios. Me perturba la fragilidad humana. El punto de quiebre tan variopinto como difícil de entender. No sabré nunca esa respuesta... qué lo llevó a cometer tal masacre. No entiendo la situación, no la asimilo. Intento rearmarme de valor y seguir escudriñando en este entuerto de emociones, de contradicciones, de tristeza y desamparo. Estoy con las víctimas, estoy con los muertos. 33 velas levanto hoy por los muertos y espero, solamente espero que esa sociedad tan violenta como marginadora entienda que el éxito no solo se mide por los triunfos materiales, sino por la correcta convivencia, por el respeto a los demás y por interesarnos despojándonos de la filosofía de que somos más que todos... Paz en 33 tumbas abiertas por Seung Cho... -- http://cronicacero.blogspot.com/2007/04/por-qu-seung-cho.html Derechos Reservados: Creative Commons Atribución-SinDerivadas 2.5 Argentina.
Creative Commons Atribución-SinDerivadas 2.5 Argentina
‘Era un buen amigo y un ser excepcional’
Primo de Ramón Ortiz, víctima en virginia tech, lo recuerda como un joven ejemplar Publicado por Maribel Hastings Corresponsal La Opinión 04-19-2007 Washington, D.C.— Juan Ramón Ortiz Ortiz era un joven ingeniero de 26 años, amante de su familia, de la música, de su carrera. "Ramón era un chico prometedor y un ser humano excepcional que por causas de la vida se le privó de ciertamente ser un ciudadano modelo y ejemplar". Así se expresó Óscar Marrero, primo de Ramón, como le llamaba, un puertorriqueño que el lunes fue una de las víctimas mortales de la matanza de la Universidad virginia tech, a la que asistía junto con su esposa Liselle Vega. Casados hace apenas año y medio, el joven matrimonio —ambos ingenieros— se trasladó en agosto de 2006 a virginia tech a cursar sus maestrías. Como todos los días, la pareja se despidió y cada uno se dirigió a sus respectivas clases, cuando se divulgó la noticia del tiroteo. Liselle llamó al teléfono celular de Juan Ramón y le envió correos electrónicos. Al no tener respuesta temió lo peor. Así fue. Marrero conversó con La Opinión vía telefónica desde Puerto Rico. Los padres de Juan Ramón viven en Bayamón. El primo de Juan Ramón, con voz pausada y temblorosa por el dolor de la muerte de su familiar, dijo: "Juan era un muchacho completamente sano, sin ningún tipo de vicios, un muchacho extraordinario y muy aventajado en el área académica, que era un buen amigo, un buen hijo". Y añadió: "Es una pérdida muy grande que todavía no acabamos de entender, y si no la acabamos de entender no la hemos podido asimilar... Y si no la hemos podido asimilar, pues tampoco nos hemos podido reponer". "La familia está devastada. Ha sido un golpe contra la valla. Una situación muy lamentable que no esperábamos", agregó. Juan Ramón estudió ingeniería en la Universidad Politécnica de Puerto Rico. Siempre fue un alumno y un profesional sobresaliente lleno de aspiraciones, afirmó su primo. "No era un chico conforme. Estaba tras una maestría y un doctorado", indicó. "Pero también le gustaba la música. Tocaba los timbales en una agrupación de música 'del ayer' en la que su papá funge como músico y primer guitarrista", explicó. Óscar dijo que desea que recuerden a su primo "con todos los honores, con todos los méritos, como un ser humano que merecía vivir, un ser humano lleno de alegría, feliz, capaz, inteligente, y un ser humano que por causas de la vida el lunes se le privó de ciertamente ser un ciudadano modelo y ejemplar". "Era un chico que nunca tuvo un cigarrillo en su boca, no era tomador, no era abusivo, no era mal hijo. Eso es lo que duele. Es algo inverosímil", sostuvo Marrero. Pero dijo que no quiere buscar culpables: "Realmente es un proceso que se nos escapa de las manos. Es una situación fortuita que puede suceder dondequiera, en cualquier lugar, en cualquier escenario. En cualquier parte de los confines de este planeta donde haya seres humanos estas cosas suceden", dijo. El padre del joven fallecido, Juan Ramón Ortiz Colón, declaró al periódico El Nuevo Día, de Puerto Rico, que "cuando una persona va a morir, va a morir como quiera... si mi hijo hubiera estado en Puerto Rico le pasaba lo mismo, aunque quizá no de la misma manera. Me han dicho que murió en el acto, así que doy gracias a Dios. No sufrió". Marrero dijo a La Opinión: "Tratamos de mantener la fe en Dios y queremos agradecer el apoyo y pedirle a todo el cuerpo de Dios en este mundo que nos ayuden con sus oraciones para mantener a esta familia un poco más repuesta, porque ha sido un golpe devastador y los cimientos de esta familia se han sacudido". EFE -- Fuente Original: Diario La Raza - Chicago http://www.laraza.com/news.php?nid=43365&clave=a%3A1%3A%7Bi%3A0%3Bs%3A13%3A%22virginia+tech%22%3B%7D
Jorge Mederos Executive Editor La Raza Chicago Inc. jorge.mederos@laraza.com August 13, 2007