April 16, 2007

A day I will never forget. I remember exactly what I did every moment of that day. There are a handful of national events that I remember vividly. The Challenger explosion (I was in kindergarten), the OJ Bronco chase and then the OJ verdict (sophomore year in high school), September 11th (senior year in college), and now April 16th.

I fell asleep on my couch the night before and even though it was a Monday morning, I accidentally slept in. My phone rang a little after 9 and I looked at the caller id. It was my mom. Wanting to sleep a bit more, I silenced the call and told myself I would call her later. Less than a minute later, my phone rang again, and it was again my mom. Since she never does that, I decided to answer the phone. She told me to turn on the news, something had happened at Tech. No one was sure what, but it wasn't good. Rumors of a shooting, and a gunman possibly on the loose. I turned on the TV and waited.

I remember being irritated with reporters as they asked ridiculous questions about the campus. It was quickly confirmed that there was a shooting at AJ Hall(where I lived during my junior year) and one at Norris. Were they connected? Was it easy to get from AJ to Norris and go unnoticed? Grab a map people!! They are a good 10 minute walk apart, with a field the size of a football stadium in the middle. No, it was not quick or easy to get from one place to the other. Stop your yapping and tell me what's going on.

How many were shot? Were any dead? 2 dead. 3 dead. Numbers are rising. At least 10 dead. 16...in the 20's...over 30...32 dead...the gunman shot himself.

What was going on?!?

Then my phone started ringing. Not with people wanting to pray. Not with people asking how I was doing. "What is going on at your school?" "Have you seen the news?" "What's wrong with the people at your school?" I stopped answering the phone, unless it was my family. They understood, no one else did.

I walked through the rest of the day in a fog, crying seemingly non stop. I cancelled after-school for the day, I knew I would be useless. I did go to God Squad that night, hoping to find encouragement and prayer. No one even mentioned it. No one understood.

Its okay, I don't know how anyone could understand. Virginia Tech alumni...well, we are a unique breed of people. Virginia Tech is so much more than the place where we got a degree. Virginia Tech runs through our blood. I am first and foremost a child God. Second only to that, I am a Hokie.

This is not a knock on my family at all, they are Hokie's as well. No, they did not attend Virginia Tech, but that isn't what makes you a Hokie. Its hard to describe what a Hokie really is, but you know one when you meet them. My mom and dad are Hokies. My brother is a Hokie. My aunt, uncle and cousin are all Hokies.

And that day, our family faced tragedy. While the world watched, listened and judged, the Hokie nation hurt. And we united. It was very difficult for me because I was alone. No candle light vigils, no prayer meetings, no one even wearing orange or maroon. My family was hurting and I couldn't be with them. I was lost, devastated and alone.

The following weekend I traveled to Virginia Tech and discovered that I was not alone. I talked to many people who had felt the same way I did; alone with no one who understood. We all understood, though, and there was healing in that.

Its now one year later, and on this anniversary the same feelings of loneliness and loss have not gone away. Time has begun to heal, but the scars will always remain.

In the year since the tragedy, I have been constantly reminded why I am so proud to be a Hokie. As the nation, and even the world, came down with accusations and criticism, the Virginia Tech family came together, stood by one another and put the world to shame. I listened to news reporters trying to get students to talk about how disappointed they are in how the school handled the shootings. Instead, what they got was unity and a resolve to overcome. While the media wanted to focus on what should have been, Virginia Tech focused on what was next. The world waited for us to fall apart, but we only got stronger.

Applications to Virginia Tech shy rocketed this year, and incoming freshmen could not stop talking about the incredible Hokie Nation that they now desired to be a part of. We showed the world that we are something special. We have something that few people have, and everyone should want to be a part of it.

This has really made me think about Christians. Do we have the unity of the Hokies? Are we quick to love and encourage and stand by one another...or are we quick to point fingers, place blame and tun our backs on our brothers? Are we strong enough to overcome tragedy and unite together when faced with condemnation...or will we crumble under the pressure?

As a body, do we show the world that we have something to be desired? Are we a family that people would want to belong to...where people will feel loved, encouraged, and not alone?

I am so blessed and honored to be a Hokie. And as a believer, I think I have a lot to learn from my Virginia Tech family.

Incidentally, I knew things would happen this way. Here is what I wrote at 11 p.m. on April 16th, 2007:

I don't really know what to say. I don't have many friends left at Virginia Tech, so it’s probable that I don't know any of the people who were killed. However, I am absolutely affected. My heart is broken for the victims and their families. My heart is broken for the current students and faculty who will have to put the pieces back together and go on with their lives.

This is so much more than a crazy story to me, it hits home. From now on when I tell people I graduated from Virginia Tech they will no longer respond, "Isn't that where Michael Vick went?" Instead they will say, "Isn't that where that big shooting happened?".

The attention of the nation is on Virginia Tech and everyone is waiting to see how the Hokie's will respond. What people will find, I believe, is an incredible response.

After 9/11 the country of the United States came together to support and encourage one another, and we stood united as one nation. We came together to fight against the attackers and keep our country safe. However, when things started to look difficult and didn't go the way we wanted them to, we turned against one another and have become a divided nation. The terrorists succeeded.

That is not what you will see happen at Virginia Tech. Through this tragedy you will get to truly see what an incredible University Tech is, and the amazing caliber of people it employs, educates and graduates. You will see Hokies unite all over the country and stand by the students, the faculty, the administration, and the police department. As hard as the media might try, you will not see Hokie's turning against one another. We will not be divided. The attacker will not win.

Every year when the Virginia Tech football team goes to a bowl game everyone asks, "What is a Hokie". Now we have an answer.

The nation is about to see what the Hokie's are really made of.