Live for 32.

I literally am at a loss of words when it comes to what to say on April 16th every year. I cannot believe it has been 5 years since my favorite place on earth was absolutely rocked by a senseless, selfish act of violence that took the precious lives of 32 of my fellow Hokies. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of that terrible day and all the families who undoubtedly still grieve today. If there is ever a reminder to be thankful for all the blessings in your life and remind the important people in your life just how important they are to you....this is it. You may not get that chance tomorrow.

Since I never seem to be able to put together the right words, I will let others do the speaking for me.

"You don't arrive at Virginia Tech accidentally. You have to work to get there, journeying into the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's lovely … picturesque … and seems very far away from the dangers of the outside world. There is a collective strength of spirit there that feels quite different from other campuses we visit. It's a big school, of about 26,000. But it feels like a tight community. The official name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. It's not a curriculum or a setting for everyone. But most students who are there want to be nowhere else. That spirit seems to endure long after leaving Blacksburg. Once a Hokie, always a Hokie" -Chris Fowler, ESPN's College GameDay

"Let April 16th be on our future calendars. Yes, to remember those precious members of our community who we lost... But also to renew our commitment to learning and growing. To rededicate ourselves to being outstanding citizens of this great nation and the world. To be a bright light on the horizon of tomorrow that will chase away the darkness of our fears, to show the world once again that We Are Virginia Tech."


We will neVer forgeT.
4.16.2007