Judy, Alex and I went to Blacksburg, Virginia on Friday night to complete the annual 'bring your child back from college' task. This is the third year for the event and we are getting markedly better each year at the task. We have found the key is stackable plastic boxes, the kind that have a interconnected lid. The student can just stuff all their small items and clothes in these boxes and our minivan can hold about 15 of these stacked. The other key to moving college students is a hand truck to roll the boxes from the room to the parking lot. When we dropped Meredith off her first year it took about 3 hours to move her in, but it took about 15 minutes to move her out this year.
The other task of the visit was to have Alex tour around the campus that will be his home for the next 4 (or 5) years. He is starting to feel comfortable with the school and the idea of leaving home but it is not the easiest thing to do.
The visit was of course a series of reminders of the tragedy that happened just few days ago. On every university door is a large sign asking the media not to enter and let the students grieve in private. On the drill field (the very large swath of grass that divides the campus between the academic and residential sides) is home to quite a few memorials. All of the many trees have maroon and orange ribbons tied to them. Candles are burning at many places around the field, all of the memorials were spontaneous and mostly student planned. A very large set of tents were put up to keep the memorials dry and safe. It is very similar to what happened at the Vietnam Veterans memorial; people have left signs and mementos including pictures, textbooks, stuffed animals, etc. A few days after the memorials began to be received, someone made and embossed small signs with each victims name. At that point the memorials became more directed and personal. Students also spontaneously erected signboards made of hinged plywood and painted the background white; persons then signed the boards and left messages. Colleges, high schools and even elementary schools sent large signs, usually with just the insignias of their school and the Virginia Tech insignia with messages covering the signs. The signs cover all the walls in the student center. It is amazing the uniformity in the signs from schools all over the world.
Students have also erected a semicircle of 33 stones on the edge of the field. A nameplate is also next each stone. It is here where flowers are left as well as memorabilia and notes. The stones are the grey limestone (known as Hokie stone) that is used in the construction of the buildings on campus and are the unifying architectural theme. I heard the the Library of Congress and National Archives have sent a team to Blackburg to assist in archiving these memorials.
One of the most moving features of all the memorials is the complete lack of anger and hatred toward the shooter. Many people have left notes at the stone memorializing Cho, expressing their sorrow that they could not help him during his time on this earth. I reflected on the question of would this loving and forgiving spirit would have been evident at FSU if this happened 26 years ago.
This generation gives me hope.
1 comment:
It sounds like you had a good visit. I suspect that if a similar thing happened at FSU there would have been a somewhat similar response. Sadly, this was unimaginable 26 years ago. It should still be unimaginable.
I was reminded of one of the times I was moving out of a dorm at FSU. I think Martin helped with his old convertable. My cello was sticking up out of the back. I will see if I can find the picture -- it was a good one.
Post a Comment