Virginia Tech Provost Mark McNamee speaks to the news media after the shootings. Within hours, almost 500 reporters and videographers arrived for press briefings and individual reports, including CBS' Katie Couric. (Rick Griffiths/Virginia Tech courtesy photo)
E-mail from Virginia Tech Provost Mark McNamee
- April 20: The love for Virginia Tech shines
- April 22: Memorials bring tears
- April 23: Students return, faculty is terrific
- April 24: Roses and reckoning
- April 25: Back to routine — and recovery
Mark McNamee: The love for Virginia Tech shines
Dear Friends,
I received many thoughtful individual messages from so many people after the tragic incident at Virginia Tech on April 16, 2007. Over a period of about a week I wrote a number of personal reflections originally sent as notes to my immediate family and several former colleagues. As you will see, I started on April 20. The first few days were so filled with action that I never sat down with enough time for reflection. I have collected the five reflections here (with some editing for clarity) as a personal view of the events. Time alters memories and perceptions and I want to share this "real time" collection of thoughts with you.
April 20 e-mail from Mark McNamee
Our students have been a tremendous source of strength for all of us. They are brilliant, wonderful individuals and their love for Virginia Tech shines through despite the tragedy. We lost five faculty members and 27 students to the assault by Mr. Cho, and the victims is beyond belief.
Professor Liviu Lebrescu's final act of heroism that saved his entire class is forever etched in our memories. This 76 year-old Holocaust survivor and distinguished aeronautics professor gave his life blocking the door of his classroom to the shooter.
Thousands of messages from students and friends are inscribed on large boards on the central campus field outside my building. Tears flow as people from all over stop by to read the notes and leave memorial gifts of flowers, stuffed animals, and candles.
The shootings in Norris Hall were truly horrific. My building (it is the building you have probably seen many times with the tower in front) is less than 20 yards from the scene, and we became aware very quickly from the police reports of the catastrophic nature of the incident. We immediately shut down the campus and set up our operations center at the Inn at Virginia Tech Conference Center/Alumni Center, which is on the edge of campus.
Media and family assistance centers
The Alumni Center became our media center and the Conference Center became our family assistance center. Although these two large spaces are separated only by a double door, they looked like different worlds over the next few days.
Within hours, the national media descended on the campus. By 6 p.m., over 100 satellite trucks were on site and almost 500 reporters and cameramen were set up for press briefings and individual reports.
Katie Couric set up her live CBS broadcast from the lobby, and each network and cable station was provided with rooms and set up tents for staging their broadcasts.
‘Tears flow as people from all over stop by to read the notes and leave memorial gifts of flowers, stuffed animals, and candles.’
On the other side of the door (where no media were allowed and I spent most of my time) the situation was very different.
We asked families with missing loved ones to come to the Inn Conference Center. Campus and community counseling professionals, the Red Cross, and our student affairs and academic affairs staff met with families awaiting word about the status of potential victims.
Most feared the worst, hoped for the best
Most feared the worst since they knew their child or spouse was in one of the classrooms at the time, but they hoped for the best. Over the course of the day and night preliminary identifications were made by the police and we were allowed to inform the families.
‘Today is a day of mourning and we are all moved by the national outpouring of support from alumni and friends everywhere.’
It was a gut-wrenching experience to take a family to a private room along with a police officer. The family knew what was coming, but they remained stoic until they learned that their loved one was deceased. Some wailed and some quietly sobbed, but everyone was affected.
Three or four times a day beginning on Monday, I participated in our policy group meetings, which included the senior executives plus the VT, Blacksburg and state police.
We received confidential briefings on the status of the investigation and prepared for press briefings.
Media hunger for information
The hunger on the part of the media for information and the need to quell rumors was an amazing process.
‘It was a gut-wrenching experience to take a family to a private room along with a police officer.’
I am very proud of our president, Charles Steger. He is a man of compassion, integrity, and strength. The VT police chief, Wendell Flinchum, was (and is) a professional of the highest caliber. Our students were hounded by the media, and I am so impressed by their ability to keep the focus on the tragedy and on courage despite every effort by the media to get them to focus on negative issues.
Almost everyone was personally connected to one or more of the individuals who died in many different ways. For example, all of the teaching assistants for one of our large undergraduate lab courses were killed while attending a graduate engineering class.
The wife of one the deceased TAs brought ungraded assignments the TA had been working on at home back to the department so that the student work would not be overlooked.
Convocation and candlelight vigil
The convocation on Tuesday afternoon and the candlelight vigil on Tuesday night were moving experiences. Gov. Kaine and President Bush were very supportive.
‘In the Hokie Nation, any combination of orange and maroon is viewed as truly beautiful.’
Our most famous poet Nikki Giovanni provided an uplifting ending to the convocation with a stirring poem that includes a message that reflects our indomitable spirit: WE ARE VIRGINIA TECH. WE WILL PREVAIL.
Today (Friday) is a day of mourning and we are all moved by the national outpouring of support from alumni and friends everywhere.
Some often joke about the combination of orange and maroon as our school colors. In the Hokie Nation, however, any combination of orange and maroon is viewed as truly beautiful.
We are now working at full speed to prepare for the resumption of classes. We have announced a "student choice" policy that emphasizes flexibility among options and places the decision process for completing each course in the hands of each student.
Our faculty members and students have embraced the policy with appreciation.
Awarding posthumous degrees
The awarding of posthumous degrees at commencement to all the students whose lives were taken is a source of great comfort and pride to the families. When I announced the plan to the family members, they all broke down in tears and many hugs were exchanged.
‘One of the great things about the university community is the ability of people at every level to make decisions and take action.’
On a personal level, Carole and I are supporting one another. We share tears, especially when we read the stories about the individual victims. Carole received her license in Marriage and Family Therapy this year and she helped with the families.
We have had several evening gatherings at our house for the deans and VPs and their spouses to provide a private space for talking and grieving.
Katie flew home today from Portland, Oregon for the weekend and we have talked often with Beth and Mark. Katie graduated last May from Virginia Tech and she and her boyfriend Nick (also a VT graduate) were profoundly affected. I call my mother in Peabody, Mass., (90 years old and going strong) every day. On the first day, she was so relieved to hear from me, since mothers always worry about their children.
One of the great things about the university community is the ability of people at every level to make decisions and take action. Everyone in the administration has been doing their part to help. Today we went to the first funeral and there are four more tomorrow in Blacksburg.
From this tragedy we hope to provide leadership in helping everyone else learn what can happen and how to avoid disaster. We will want to share everything we learn with others.
Thank you for your continuing thoughts and prayers.
We are Virginia Tech. We will prevail.