George Mason University students tied maroon and orange ribbons around trees near the student center in support of Virginia Tech.
Statue of George Mason dressed in VT colors and t-shirt. A vigil on Thursday April 19, 2007 was held on campus, directly behind the statue of Mason, to express unity with another VA university.
Flowers left by Mason students after a vigil in memory of the fallen at VT.
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.
I have a daughter who on April 16 was freshman at Virginia Tech and she was safely in her dorm when the terrible events at A-J and Norris Hall took place. She had been on the road Sunday night and I called her to check up on her. Even though I had been on the phone with my daughter as early as 9:50 am (before we both knew what was going on, she has a noon class on Mondays and was just waking up for the day) and knew she was safe in her dorm, the entire day was difficult for me because of all the uncertainty of events. During the rest of the morning, she kept me posted by email and once text messaged her and said "stay away from the windows!" ...but I still felt quite helpless and upset that I could not be there to protect my daughter. The Internet was my main source for information as it filtered the news through bit by bit. I wanted to know more and to know faster, I called WTOP radio station and asked them, they said they have a person on the way down. As far as I knew, maybe they arrested the gunman, but maybe there was a gunman lose somewhere on the campus, how long would it be before they solve this and find the person, or PERSONS? Then more reports came out, "there are multiple casualties." I was thinking, what is this? What is going on? How could this be, are things under control? I jumped to the websites of the Roanoke TV stations and the Ronaoke newspaper, wanting the answers to my question. Then I walked over to my company's corporate department and asked them to turn on their TV because something is going on at Virginia Tech. Still, news was only trickling out. Then the numbers were announced, first 21, then more and by the end of the day 32 plus the gunman. My daughter left that evening for home, but I would not see her until Thursday evening because of my business travels and was working in metro DC away from home. On Thursday morning I remember seeing a flag at half-mask. I had a few tears and thought, it's sinking in. When I finally got home to my front door that evening, all was okay until I opened the door and saw my daughter sitting on the couch, between the door and her I became a basket case. She looked at me and asked "what's wrong dad?" I said "Nothing, I'm happy" and gave her one big and long hug I will never ever forget. It is painful to think that other dads can no longer hug their daughters or sons. My prayers go out to each one and to their families. Some day God will wipe away our tears, but until that day, let us never forget.
A panoramic shot taken at the Virginia Tech candlelight vigil. Original source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:2007_Virginia_Tech_massacre_candlelight_vigil_4.jpg/ This file has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its author, anonymous. This applies worldwide.
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Image:2007_Virginia_Tech_massacre_candlelight_vigil_4.jpg This file has been (or is hereby) released into the public domain by its author, anonymous. This applies worldwide.
Submitted by Shreya Mandal on 17 April 2007 - 2:34pm. Yesterday, as I sat in the lobby of the Elizabeth Detention Center waiting to testify at a hearing, I learned about the violent incident that took place in Virginia. A small flat-screen television hangs on a wall in the detention center's lobby. I sat there for almost six hours, each hour getting more and more agitated at the cell phone and video coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings. Normally in these situations, I get up and turn the television off. But I was in a situation where I could not get away from the images bombarded at me. CNN shot the ongoing campus scenes throughout the whole day, reiterating over and over again that this was the biggest shooting ever to take place in American history. At first while I listened to the news reporters, I masked my fears, needing to act like I was in control, that everything was okay, and that I was strong enough to stomach the events they televised. I distracted myself from the flat-screen television and tried to focus on preparing for my testimony. But as the hours went by, officers at the detention center passed by me, shouting out the latest death toll. First 21, then 22, then 29, then 31, then 32, and finally 33. It was impossible to tune out. I felt my mind and my heart drift back to when I was 16 years-old, when I was also on campus during a college shooting rampage. That was almost 15 years ago. At various times yesterday, CNN provided history and statistical information of previous school shootings like Columbine and The University of Texas massacres. I waited for them to list my alma mater. But one school they didn't list was a small early undergraduate program called Simon's Rock College, tucked away in Great Barrington, Massachusetts. This is where a college campus shooting occurred on December 14, 1992, the first shooting to occur in the United States in the 1990s. Each moment I looked up at the television screen, heard the ringing of gunshots, or saw limp bodies being taken away by police officers, I went further and further back to that cold evening in 1992. A tightness settled into my chest and fear steadily grew in the pit of my stomach. It was the end of my very first semester of college and winter break was on the horizon. While most others were studying for final exams, I was involved in my usual course of procrastination and found ways not to study. It turned out that procrastinating saved my life that night. Rather than studying for exams, I attended a dance performance that took place on the other side of campus, away from my college dormitory on the main Simon's Rock campus. A friend and I went to the performance together for a little while before we began studying for the next exam. Little did we know about the murder and mayhem that occurred a few yards away from the building. A couple of hours passed and the friend decided to head back to the dorm so she could go back to studying. Enamored by the performance, I decided that pre-calculus could wait a little more and stayed behind. We said our goodbyes and told each other that we would see each other later. I went back to enjoying the performance. Ten minutes later, the friend returned very agitated and said, "There's something going on out there, I heard gunshots." Within minutes, the performance stopped. Fifteen years later, the exact sequence of that night's events seem blurry to me. But I remember someone announced that a shooter was going around campus shooting at people, and that the best way to ensure our safety was to stay calm and stay in the building. We did not know who it was. We did not know that it was a student. And most of all, we did not know if we were safe for sure. I remember staying in the building for a few hours with other classmates, wondering if someone was going to come in and shoot at us. Would I ever see my family again? Waiting quietly for answers and relief was a challenge. Listening to everyone's speculation and witnessing panic around me was even more difficult. We had no way of knowing what would happen next. That night, four people were wounded. Two people were shot dead. One of them was my professor, Nacunan Saez, and the other was a beloved student, Galen Gibson. They were both very bright, creative, and vibrant people that were loved by the entire Simon's Rock College community. But we were all victims that dayâï¿½ï¿½all 350 students, faculty members, staff, and college administrators. And because Simon's Rock is such a small tight-knit liberal arts school, the pain of what happened hit us hard. We all went through a terrible and traumatic event that I will never forget. I know that the entire Simon's Rock community is holding a vigil to honor the tragedies that occurred at Virginia Tech and on their own campus so many years ago. Ironically similar to yesterday's incident, the shooter at Simons' Rock was also a young Asian student. He was born in Taiwan. His name is Wayne Lo. During trial, Lo's psychiatrist testified that he had Schizophrenia, while the prosecution argued that he had Narcissistic Personality Disorder. The prosecution "won" at trial and Wayne was found guilty of all 17 counts he was charged with. He was sentenced to two consecutive terms to Life without the possibility of parole. I did not know Wayne directly, but had friends who knew him. Even though I had been traumatized by the events back then, I felt that I was not in the position to judge what really happened to him or understand why he committed such a heinous crime. I was only 16. At the time, I also did not feel I was entitled to expressing the deep fear I felt since I had not been shot during the rampage at Simon's Rock. I rarely spoke about the incident that took place, until now. It seems not much has changed between then and now, except that more and more senseless acts of violence are occurring in our schools across America. The scared young faces of dismayed students, the attempts to make sense of the situation, the desperate need for answers, make the rampant violence and victimization even more palpable. Here we go again. And as time goes on, the violence is getting more and more intense, each ordeal is of greater magnitude. Another bit of irony rests in my career choice as a mitigation specialist. Often times my job is to assess mitigating factors that explain away crimes like murder. But yesterday's crisis demonstrates that we also need to look and understand the complete cycle of violence, the significant trauma that victims experience, and the insurmountable pain and torment that victims' families feel. To me the nature of violence is never a black and white issue. In my experience, the answers we look for are usually in the gray area. But today my heart is with the victims I knew fifteen years ago, and the 33 killed yesterday at Virginia Tech. -- Original Source: http://www.culturekitchen.com/shreya_mandal/story/university_homicide_trauma_revisited_0 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0.
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 2.0
Evenimentul Zilei Nr. 4846 7 Iunie 2007 Silvia Vrinceanu Focsaniul va avea, de luna viitoare, un nou cartier, "Erou prof. dr. Liviu Librescu", situat chiar in centrul orasului, in jurul templului evreiesc, construit in 1896. Consiliul Local Focsani a decis, saptamana trecuta, sa atribuie fostului cartier evreiesc numele profesorului in semn de omagiu pentru ca si-a aparat cu viata studentii in timpul masacrului din 16 aprilie de la Universitatea Virginia Tech din SUA. Propunerea se afla acum la avizare la Comisia Judeteana de Atribuire de Denumiri de pe langa Institutia Prefectului, urmand sa fie aprobata in cateva zile. Decizia municipalitatii focsanene a fost salutata si de fostii studenti ai profesorului evreu de origine romana. Tinerii au facut o baza de date digitala cu toate materiale publicate in lume despre masacrul din 16 aprilie. Baza de date, care cuprinde peste 350 de documente, poate fi accesata pe site-ul www.april16archive.org. Profesorul Liviu Librescu a stat la Focsani pana la varsta de 14 ani. -- Sursa Originala: http://www.expres.ro/article.php?artid=308428
Silvia Vrinceanu-Nichita (silvia@ziaruldevrancea.ro)
Profesorul erou din America, plecat din Focsani
De, Silvia Vrinceanu Nichita | 18.04.2007 Profesorul Liviu Librescu, impuscat mortal intr-un amfiteatru al Universitatii Virginia Tech din SUA, este originar din Focsani, unde a trait pina la 14 ani. De asemenea, sotia regretatului profesor este fiica unui stomatolog evreu din Focsani. Ambii au supravietuit Holocaustului si au emigrat cu greu in Israel in timpul regimului comunist. In masacrul de luni, de la universitatea americana, au fost omorite 32 de persoane si alte 29 au fost ranite. Ziarul de Vrancea se afla in corespondenta cu renumitul profesor in vederea publicarii unui articol despre opresiunile antisemite din perioada copilariei sale. Putini stiu ca masacrul care a ingrozit planeta in cursul zilei de ieri are legatura cu Focsaniul si cu prigoana evreilor care s-a produs in aceasta zona a tarii in timpul Holocaustului. Liviu Librescu, în virsta de 76 de ani, profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Virginia Tech din Statele Unite ale Americii, care a fost ucis in atacul de luni, alaturi de 31 studenti, a copilarit mai multi ani la Focsani, unde tatal sau, un avocat evreu repudiat, a avut domiciliul fortat, in timpul prigoanei antiseminte. La Focsani, unde a urmat cursurile Colegiului Unirea, profesorul Liviu Librescu a cunoscut-o si pe cea care i-a fost alaturi toata viata, sotia sa Marilena. Ambii au fost supravietuitori ai Holocaustului din Romania. Chiar in aceste zile, cind comunitatea evreiasca din toata lumea se pregateste sa comemoreze revolta evreilor din ghetoul de la Varsovia, unul dintre simbolurile de rezistenta si eroism in timpul Holocaustului, reporterii nostri se aflau in corespondenta cu apreciatul profesor univesitar pe tema ororilor din timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial. Potrivit studentilor sai, citati de presa internationala, profesorul Liviu Librescu a cazut la datorie, împuscat de un bursier sud- coreean, în momentul în care se pregatea sa înceapa cursul în amfiteatrul universitatii. Stirea despre carnagiu a facut inconjurul planetei si a facut sa curga lacrimi in America, unde profesorul preda si locuia cu sotia, in Israel, unde are doi fii si multi prieteni, dar si in Romania. Despre profesorul Liviu Librescu s-a spus ca a fost un adevarat erou. Profesor de aeronautica la Universitatea Tehnica din statul american Virginia, dascalul a murit dupa ce l-a infruntat pe atacatorul care a produs cel mai mare masacru din istoria scolilor americane. Chiar daca regimul Antonescu i-a trimis tatal in lagarul de exterminare din Transnistria, profesorul Liviu Librescu iubea Romania si vorbea cu placere despre Focsani, orasul in care a trait mai multi ani si unde venea adesea inainte de razboi pentru a-si vizita bunicii din partea mamei. "Imi face placere intotdeauna sa primesc stiri care imi amintesc de orasul in care am petrecut multi ani, desi au fost ani de suferinta, cind tatii nostri, al meu si al sotiei mele, au avut domiciliul fortat in Focsani. Au fost vremuri foartegrele pentru noi! Tatal meu a fost deportat de aici in Transnistria dupa ce a lucrat o vreme la Soveja, intr-un batalion de munca", ne-a povestit profesorul Liviu Librescu cu putin inainte de tragedia in care avea sa sfirseasca. La Focsani, Liviu Librescu si-a cunoscut si sotia, pe Marilena Semian, fiica unui stomatolog cunoscut in orasul acelor vremi, cu care s-a casatorit in anul 1968. Sotia sa, medic de profesie, a urmat liceul de fete din Focsani, dupa care a absolvit facultatea de medicina. Ulterior si-a urmat sotul in Israel si mai apoi in Blackburg - SUA, unde a primit o bursa. Cei doi au avut impreuna doi fii, Arie si Iosef, de profesie ingineri, care traiesc in Israel. "Munca obligatorie la Focsani" "In anii copilariei, scrie profesorul Liviu Librescu intr-unul din e- mailurile sale, inaintea inceperii razboiului, Focsaniul a constituit pentru mine orasul in care veneam cu parintii sa-mi vizitez bunica, Paulina Finkelstein, mama mamei mele, si de asemeni, familiilesurorilor mamei mele, Ianconescu si Filderman. Impreuna cu parintii mei, Izidor si Mina Librescu, locuiam atunci la Ploiesti. Tatal meu era avocat, dar din motive rasiale, in tot timpul razboiului, a fost radiat din baroul de avocati. Tatal meu a fost dus la lagarul de la Teis. Dupa desfiintarea lagarului, a fost trimis cu domiciliul fortat la Focsani. In 1942, ne-am mutat la Focsani pentru a ne reuni cu tata, dar vremurile potrivnice au facut ca el sa fie trimis la munca obligatorie la Focsani, apoi la Soveja. Dupa Soveja, a fost deportat in Transnistria. Dupa razboi s-a intors cu sanatatea mult subrezita si cu moralul foarte scazut. Tata a reintrat in barou, dar in anul 1948, cind regimul comunist s-a instaurat la putere, a fost din nou radiat pentru motivul ca s-a opus "democratizarii baroului". Au fost ani foarte grei pentru noi", scria profesorul Liviu Librescu. Fortat de comunisti sa demisioneze In ciuda nenumaratelor probleme pe care le-a intimpinat in copilarie, profesorul Liviu Librescu a urmat politehnica la Bucuresti, sectia de aviatie, pe care, dupa cum ne-a spus, a absovit-o in anul 1953. Dupa o cariera prodigioasa, a ajuns un nume in domeniul sau, obtinind zeci de premii si titluri onorifice internationale. Pentru a ajunge in Israel, pe vremea comunismului, a trebuit sa renunte la tot in Romania. "Pentru a putea depune actele de emigrare in Israel a trebuit in anul 1975 sa-mi dau demisia si am fost fortat sa stau trei ani fara lucru", a tinut sa mai spuna profesorul. "In Israel am fost atestat profesor la Tel-Aviv University. In anul 1985 am plecat in «sabatical», la Virginia Polytechnic Institute in U.S.A. De atunci, lucrez aici ca profesor la Engineering Sciens and Mecanics Department. Am desfasurat activitate stiintifica materializata prin trei carti si peste 300 articole aparute in reviste internationale de specialitate", a continuat cel care avea sa fie ucis in timp ce incerca sa tina piept atacatorului care a omorit 32 de persoane si a ranit alte 29 in campusul universitar. Aproape deloc cunoscut in Focsani, profesorulLibrescu este recunoscut in SUA ca fondatorul teoriei si aplicatiilor in domeniul structurilor de tip sandwich. Munca sa de cercetare, dupa cum se arata si in impresionantul sau CV, publicat pe site-ul universitatii, a inclus domeniul aerospatial cu aplicatii NASA. Facea parte din consiliile editoriale ale mai multor publicatii de specialitate si a prezidat numeroase congrese internationale in inginerie mecanica. Invitat la Focsani luna viitoare Apreciatul profesor a fost coleg de scoala la Focsani cu alti evrei cunoscuti, printre care si cu Zvi Ben Dov, fost director al aeroportului din Tel Aviv, actualmente director general al organizatiei A.M.I.R., care are ca scop infiintarea unui muzeu al evreimii romane. Fosti colegi la Colegiul Unirea, cei doi tineau in ultimul timp legatura prin Internet, dat fiind ca Zvi Ben Dov a scris in Israel, in limba ebraica, doua carti despre comunitatea in care s-a nascut si i-a reunit aici pe toti focsanenii israelieni. Liviu Librescu ne-a spus ca de oameni ca Zvi Ben Dov sau Matei Grisaru il leaga amintiri de neuitat din anii de scoala primara. Pentru ca a reintrat in legatura cu prietenii din copilarie, astazi cetateni ai statului Israel, profesorul Liviu Librescu a fost invitat in luna mai sa viziteze Focsaniul, alaturi de cei dornici sa revada locurile copilariei. "Inainte de Paste i-am trimis lui Liviu felicitari si mi-a rapuns cu multa amabilitate. I-am scis ca plecam la Focsani sa ne vizitam orasul copilariei noastre si l-am invitat sa vina cu noi, intr-o excursie de suflet. Liviu mi-a raspuns ca din pacate nu poate sa fie cu noi, pentru ca era implicat in unele proiecte la universitate, desi i-ar fi placut sa revada locurile copilariei. Am vorbit cu prietenii nostri si saptamina viitoare o sa fie adus aici, in Israel, unde va fi inmormintat. Eu am sa fiu acolo", ne-a spus Zvi Ben Dov, "motorul" comunitatii de vrinceni din Israel si cel mai focsanean dintre israelieni, cum a fost numit de cei peste 300 de membri ai comunitatii evreilor plecati din orasul de pe Milcov. Ura violenta, ucis de violenta Profesorul Liviu Librescu ura violenta si dorea sa arate tuturor ororile Holocaustului, in special cele din Romania, unde au fost exterminati peste 500.000 de evrei. Ca o ironie a sortii a cazut prada furiei violentei chiar in timp ce dorea sa ne faca tututor cunoscuta tragedia care a cuprins si meleagurile noastre acum 60 de ani. Fara indoiala, acest carnagiu ne arata ca intelegerea Holocaustului este mai necesara ca oricind, pentru ca astfel de evenimente sa nu se mai repete. In acest context, trebuie spus ca profesorul Liviu Librescu se numara printre cei care au cerut insistent Institutului Yad Vashem din Israel, memorialul dedicat celor sase milioane de evrei omoriti in timpul Holocaustului, decorarea reginei mama Elena cu titlul de "Dreapta intre popoare". Titlul se acorda de catre statul Israel celor care si-au riscat viata pentru salvarea de vieti evreiesti in perioada Holocaustului. Iata ca dupa mai mult de 60 de ani, profesorul Liviu Librescu avea sa-si sacrifice propria viata pentru a-i salva pe studentii sai de la Universitatea Tehnica din Virginia. -- Sursa Originala: http://www.ziaruldevrancea.ro/index.php?articol=11768
Silvia Vranceanu (silvia@ziaruldevrancea.ro)
De, Silvia Vrinceanu Nichita | 01.05.2007 Focsanenii emigrati in Israel cer municipalitatii ca o strada din Focsani sa poarte numele profesorului erou din America, Liviu Librescu u dascalul care s-a sacrificat pentru propriii studenti a copilarit la Focsani in timpul Holocaustului u un focsanean caretraieste in Haifa a povestit lucruri inedite despre Liviu Librescu Focsanenii emigrati in Israel dupa cel de-al doilea razboi mondial cer Primariei Focsani sa ofere numele profesorului erou Liviu Librescu unei strazi din municipiul de pe Milcov. Dascalul israelian de orgine romana, care si-a sacrificat propria viata, pe 16 aprilie, pentru a-si salva studentii in amfiteatrul Universitatii Virginia Tech din SUA din fata unei ploi de gloante, a trait in Focsani alaturi de familia lui in perioada celui de-al doilea razboi mondial si tot aici a cunoscut-o pe cea care i-a fost alaturi toata viata, vaduva sa, Marilena. Israelianul de origine focsaneana Zvi Ben Dov, directorul general al organizatiei A.M.I.R. care militeaza pentru infintareaunui muzeu al evreimii romane, i-a trimis zilele trecute primarului din Focsani, Decebal Bacinschi, in numele fostilor focsaneni emigrati in Israel, o scrisoare in care militeaza pentru recunoasterea numelui omului de stiinta Liviu Librescu in orasul in care acesta s-a format ca om. De altfel, acestia il numesc "focsaneanul" pe Liviu Librescu. Comunitatea de focsaneni din Israel a luat decizia de a-i scrie primarului Decebal Bacinschi la funeraliile "profesorului erou". "Prof. univ. dr. Liviu Librescu a trait si a invatat la scolile din Focsani si era atasat de locurile unde a copilarit. Presa romana, americana si israeliana a publicat pe larg istoria vietii sale si exceptionalele realizari in domeniul aeronauticii si nu numai. Fapta eroica a prof. univ. Liviu Librescu a fost elogiata de Presedintele Romaniei, Traian Basescu, ca si de Presedintele USA, George Bush. Noi sugeram ca, in memoria sa, o strada din Focsani sa primeasca numele profesorului focsanean Liviu Librescu", a detaliat Zvi Ben Dov, sustinut de israelienii de origine focsaneana. Primarul Focsaniului, Decebal Bacinschi, ne-a declarat ieri ca are toata deschiderea pentru acest proiect, declarindu-se impresionat de destinul omului de stiinta plecat din Focsani. "Am citit si eu in presa povestea acestui om extraordinar. Ar trebui conceput un proiect de hotarire de Consiliu Local in acest sens. Ar trebui sa facem si niste cercetari, sa vedem cam in ce zona a orasului a locuit profesorul Liviu Librescu, pentru ca viitoarea strada sa fie pe acolo", ne-a spus primarul Decebal Bacinschi. Amintirile unui coleg Chiar in timpul prigoanei antisemite, regretatul profesor Liviu Librescu s-a mutat la Focsani cu familia, unde locuiau bunicii sai din partea mamei si unde tatal sau, un avocat exclus din barou pe motive etnice, a avut domiciliul fortat inainte de a fi deportat inlagarele din Transnistria. Inginerul Matei Grisaru din orasul israelian Haifa, fostul sau coleg de scoala, isi aminteste ca in acea perioada portile liceului de stat din Focsani "s-au inchis ermetic"pentru tinerii evrei. "La Liceul Evreiesc infiintat in pripa cu sprijinul Comunitatii, in afara colegilor pe care ii cunosteam de la scoala primara, a aparut unul nou. Nu ne-a trebuit mult timp pentru a afla ca in cadrul persecutiilor la care au fost supusi evreii in acele timpuri a fost si izgonirea lor din orasele considerate de importanta strategica. In felul acesta, familia Librescu a ajuns in Focsani, orasul in care locuia unchiul lui Liviu, avocatul Ianconescu, nume cunoscut de marea majoritate a locuitorilor orasului. Liviu avea pe atunci 11 ani. Integrarea lui in rindurile celorlalti elevi s-a facut aproape instantaneu. De Liviu m-am apropiat din primele zile,poate chiar din primele ore in care el a aparut in clasa. Apropierea s-a reflectat nu numai in cadrul scolii, dar ea s-a concretizat si prin vizite reciproce, prin vizionarea unor filme la care ne era permis sa mergem si, oricit ar parea poate de curios pentru virsta copiilor care eram atunci, prin controverse pe diverse teme, inclusiv cele religioase. Discutiile, incercarile de a patrunde in miezul lucrurilorpentru aflarea adevarului sint poate amintirile care, in decursul multor ani, mi-au revenit in minte cu prioritate. Cind razboiul a luat sfirsit, drumurile noastre s-au despartit", isi aminteste fostul focsanean Matei Grisaru, despre care si regretatul Liviu Librescu spunea, intr-un e-mail, ca il leaga amintiri de neuitat din anii copilariei. Inginerul Matei Grisaru spune ca inca de atunci copilul Liviu Librescu dadea semne ca va ajunge un om mare. "Dintre toate materiile cel mai mult il interesau cele cu caracter tehnic, matematica avind prioritate aproape absoluta. Il invidiam uneori pentru modul direct in care prindea, din aer as zice, explicatiileprofesorului, dar niciodata nu ezita sa explice si celor care il solicitau ceva ce ei nu intelegeau. Pe Liviu l-am mai intilnit uneori la Bucuresti, nefiind deloc mirat atunci cind am aflat ca a devenit cadru universitar in domeniul tehnic", isi aminteste fostul sau coleg de scoala. (Silvia VRINCEANU) -- Sursa Originala:http://www.ziaruldevrancea.ro/index.php?articol=11943
Focsanenii au fost la mormintarea eroului din America
De, Silvia Vrinceanu Nichita | 21.04.2007 Focsaneanul Zvi Ben Dov, emigrat in Israel in urma cu jumatate de secol, ne-a transmis ieri amanunte despre funeraliile profesorului Liviu Librescu Liviu Librescu, profesorul care si-a salvat studentii din fata unei ploi de gloante sacrificindu-si propria viata in amfiteatrul Universitatii Tehnice din Virginia, a fost condus ieri pe ultimul drum, in Israel, tara in care locuiesc si cei doi fii ai sai. La funeralii au fost prezenti si citiva focsaneni israelieni, care au copilarit cu profesorul Liviu Librescu in perioada celui de-al doilea razboi mondial, cind au fost nevoiti sa indure ostilitatea dusa pina la extrem fata de populatia de origine evreiasca. "Am participat impreuna cu prietenul meu focsanean Jack Gheber la mormintarea lui Liviu. Au fost sute si sute de oameni, rude, prieteni, profesori de la universitate, plus o delegatie special venita din Romania, in frunte cu ambasadorul Romaniei in Israel, pentru a inmina familiei ordinul national «Steaua Romaniei» in grad de mare cruce, oferit post-mortem de presedintele Traian Basescu pentru eroismul de care a dat dovada. Impreuna cu Jack, ne-am dus la Marilena, sotia lui Liviu, si ea tot din Focsani, si am consolat-o. Eu i-am inminat «Ziarul de Vrancea», care a sosit in Israel in urma cu doua zile, adus de prietenul nostru Nicu Stoinescu. I-am transmis condoleante de la grupul vostru din Focsani", ne-a transmis ieri, prin e-mail, Zvi Ben Dov, liderul focsanenilor din Israel, directorul general al organizatiei A.M.I.R. Acesta si-a ebraizat numele dupa ce a emigrat, in Focsani fiind cunoscut sub numele de Puiu Zilberman. De precizat ca Zvi Ben Dov si Jack Gheber au fost colegi cu Liviu Librescu la Focsani, inainte de a emigra in Israel. "Mama lui Jack a fost directoarea scolii evreiesti de fete din Focsani, unde a studiat si Marilena, sotia lui Liviu. L-a recunoscut si pe Jack si pe mine imediat. La funeralii am intilnit si alti prieteni focsaneni, pe dr. Fritz Scwartz, pe ing. Armand Rotenstraih cu sora lui Emilia si altii", ne-a mai relatat Zvi Ben Dov. Focsanenii care locuiesc in Israel ne-au spus ca la inmormintarea profesorului Liviu Librescu au participat zeci de jurnalisti din toata lumea, care au fost interesati de viata pe care "eroul din America" a dus-o in Romania, ca victima a regimurilor Mihai Antonescu si Nicolae Ceausescu. Reamintim ca "Ziarul de Vrancea" a relatat in exclusivitate povestea de viata a "eroului din America", care a trait din plin opresiunile antisemite la Focsani, in timpul celui de-al doilea razboi mondial, unde locuiau bunicii din partea mamei. Tot in orasul de pe Milcov, tatal profesorului Liviu Librescu, un avocat eliminat din barou pe criterii etnice, a avut domiciliu fortat inainte sa fie trimis in lagarele din Transnistria. Liviu Librescu fusese invitat sa viziteze Focsaniul in luna mai, invitatie pe care a declinat-o cu parere de rau din cauza proiectelor stiintifice in care era implicat. Sotia profesorului a anuntat ca nu se va mai intoarce in America si a multumit tuturor celor care au fost alaturi de familie in aceste momente grele. (Silvia VRINCEANU) -- Sursa Originala: http://www.ziaruldevrancea.ro/index.php?articol=11809
Silvia Vrinceanu Nichita (silvia@ziaruldevrancea.ro)
Decenas de miles de personas lloran a las víctimas de tiroteo en universidad Virginia Tech
Contribucion de Democracy Now Miércoles 18 de Abril de 2007 Decenas de miles de personas lloran a las víctimas de tiroteo en universidad Virginia Tech Decenas de miles de estudiantes, familiares y miembros del cuerpo docente se reunieron ayer en la Universidad Virginia Tech para llorar a las víctimas de la masacre del lunes, que dejó un saldo de 33 muertos. Este fue el peor tiroteo dentro de una institución universitaria en la historia de Estados Unidos. Anoche se llevó a cabo una vigilia con velas. Ayer temprano el Presidente Bush habló en un servicio religioso que tuvo lugar en el campus. El Presidente Bush dijo: "Para cuando culminó la mañana, había sido el peor día de violencia en el campus de una universidad en la historia de Estados Unidos. Y para muchos de los que se encuentran hoy aquí, fue el peor día de sus vidas. Es imposible comprender tanta violencia y sufrimiento". El Presidente Bush ordenó que la bandera de la nación se izara a media asta. Marisa Plescia se encontraba entre los estudiantes de la Universidad Virginia Tech que estuvieron presentes en el servicio religioso. Marisa Plescia dijo: "Posiblemente esta fue la situación más devastadora que me haya tocado vivir. Probablemente ayer fue uno de los días más aterradores de mi vida. Me encontraba en el campus cuando todo comenzó. Simplemente salimos corriendo del campus. Vivo cerca del campus así que regresé a mi auto. Pienso que es realmente importante que todas las personas estemos hoy aquí. Lo que sucedió fue horrible". El estudiante de Virginia Tech Cho Seung-hui de 23 años fue identificado como el asesino El servicio religioso se realizó horas después de que el Jefe de la Policía de Virginia Tech, Wendell Flinchum, identificara al estudiante responsable de la masacre. Wendell Flinchum dijo: "Pudimos confirmar la identidad del atacante de Norris Hall. Esta persona es Cho Seung-hui. Era un surcoreano de 23 años de edad que vivía en Estados Unidos como residente extranjero. Cho estaba inscripto como un estudiante no licenciado que cursaba el último año del doctorado de Inglés en Virginia Tech. Cho se encontraba en Estados Unidos con una residencia establecida en Centerville, Virginia, y vivía en el campus en Harper Hall". La Policía dice que Cho Seung-hui se suicidó luego de asesinar a balazos a una treintena de estudiantes y miembros del cuerpo docente en la residencia universitaria Harper Hall. Profesores dicen que advirtieron a las autoridades universitarias sobre Seung-hui Mientras tanto, un par de profesores de inglés de Virginia Tech revelaron que anteriormente habían advertido a los funcionarios de la universidad sobre Cho Seung-hui. Un compañero de clases dijo que sus escritos eran "muy gráficos" y "extremadamente inquietantes". Lucinda Roy, directora del departamento de inglés de la universidad, habló con NBC News. Lucinda Roy dijo: "Sentí que debía sacarlo de mi clase porque no estaba a gusto con el hecho de que estuviera con los estudiantes, y los propios estudiantes habían expresado su incomodidad. Le dije una y otra vez 'por favor recibe asesoramiento, yo misma te llevo' porque estaba sumamente deprimido". Dos compañeros de habitación de Cho Seung-hui le dijeron a la CNN que hablaba sobre suicidarse y había acosado a tres mujeres del campus. Uno de ellos afirmó que Cho había exhibido "grandes señales de advertencia" en el pasado. El martes, el Gobernador de Virginia, Timothy Kaine, ordenó una revisión independiente sobre la manera en que la Universidad Virginia Tech manejó la masacre del lunes. Coreanos temen reacción de los estadounidenses tras el tiroteo Las secuelas del tiroteo en Virginia Tech también están siendo monitoreadas de cerca en Corea del Sur. El titular del sitio web del periódico Korea Herald dice: "Masacre pone en alerta a coreanos que residen en Estados Unidos". Residentes de Seúl expresaron su preocupación por las reacciones que los estadounidenses de origen coreano puedan afrontar. Un hombre surcoreano dijo: "Quedé impactado cuando escuché que el asesino del tiroteo en Virginia Tech había sido identificado como un estudiante surcoreano. Como surcoreano, me preocupa que las personas surcoreanas que viven en Estados Unidos sean prejuzgadas por su origen". Actualmente hay aproximadamente cien mil estudiantes coreanos en Estados Unidos. En este país, la Asociación de Periodistas Asiático-Estadounidenses está exhortando a las agencias de noticias a que sean cuidadosas cuando mencionan el origen étnico o el estatus de inmigrante del atacante. En una declaración, el grupo dijo: "Nos preocupa el hecho de que algunos medios de comunicación destacan que el sospechoso es un inmigrante de Corea del Sur, cuando tal dato no aporta nada y es irrelevante en la noticia". -- Fuente Original: http://verbal.democracynow.org/es/2007/4/18/titulares Licencia de uso: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Estados Unidos.
Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-SinObraDerivada 3.0 Estados Unidos
Sonia Rao Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News In light of the Virginia Tech shooting tragedy Monday, student body president Liz Brown asked members of the Council of Representatives (COR) for input Tuesday on how the Notre Dame student body could show its support to the campus located in Blacksburg, Va. "Immediately after this happened, [student body vice president] Maris [Braun] and I started talking about what we should send as a student body," Brown said, noting that both she and Braun had already received e-mails from concerned students with suggestions. "One of the ideas that has been tossed around is some kind of letter that we would write and solicit signatures from the student body from a variety of points on campus," Brown said. "We just want to get as many signatures of support as possible to send in one package. We could also have blank cards at those sites that people could write messages on." Braun said she looked on Virginia Tech's Web site and saw the school was observing National Maroon and Gold Day. "I think that it would be a really cool thing if we could get Notre Dame students to observe this day sometime next week or something ... maybe notify them through advertisement in The Observer, sending an e-mail out or whatever," she said. In addition to these ideas, members suggested that the student body observe a moment of silence sometime next week, either at a designated location or just during first minute of class at a certain time. -- Original Source: http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/18/News/Leaders.Consider.Responses.To.Tragedy-2849121.shtml
EDITORIAL - Media exploits killer's manifesto
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/20/07 Just days after the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech, NBC made the inappropriate decision to release videos of killer Cho Seung-Hui angrily ranting about the reasoning behind his crimes. Cho had sent a package that contained 43 photos, 28 video clips and a 23-page letter directly to NBC headquarters in New York during a break in his shooting spree on Monday. After NBC first released the shocking "multimedia manifesto" on the NBC Nightly News broadcast, 24-hour news networks quickly followed suit, constantly showing the disturbing video excerpts and photo clips. The media's release of Cho's photos and diatribe gave a deeper look into the mind and motivations of the killer, a decision that has had a great ripple affect across the country. While NBC stands by its decision to release the material, we believe the choice was made too hastily, without much thought or sensitivity for the families of the victims of the shooting, who have only had days to handle the emotional effects of losing their loved ones. Forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant Michael Welner appeared on "Good Morning America" yesterday to discuss the troublesome consequences. "This is a social catastrophe," Welner said. "This is perversion...[Cho] needs to create and produce his own picture in order to give himself a sense of power. Nobody saw him that way...that's why he set this up and he did this to achieve immortality." Welner's argument is logical. This footage does not present the public with any deeper knowledge about the crimes and, for that reason, it is not at all newsworthy. Instead, showing the video is a disrespectful and insensitive action toward the Blacksburg victims. Furthermore, the broadcast footage gives the fame-seeking Cho an audience and a stage where he can attempt to justify his crimes. In other words, it gives him exactly what he wanted. The problem is that 24-hour news networks have the unsettling habit of overeagerly reporting breaking news before having time to reflect upon the consequences of their coverage. NBC and other media outlets are pressured to constantly search for exciting and stimulating material to put on the air and as a result, they neglect to spend time on research and deliberation. That's what went wrong here. Cho's video collection was treated as news gold and was broadcasted without enough forethought. NBC and the other news networks had an obligation to act more responsibly. The videos and photos should have been carefully investigated before they were broadcast. Someone should have sat back and reflected upon the material and the negative repercussions that could follow. Unfortunately, our media tends to do this kind of thing all the time. As soon as we turn on our televisions, we are bombarded with news tickers, terror alerts and breaking stories that are blown up and emphasized to the extreme. Networks play on fear and paranoia to attract viewers, giving us shocking and reactive spurts of material that only serve to rouse our emotions. Instead of focusing on being the first to get the scoop, NBC and other media outlets should concentrate on thoughtfully investigating material before putting them on the air. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 20, 2007
EDITORIAL - Va. shooting cause for reflection
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/17/07 Many news outlets are calling it "the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history." For us, yesterday's shootings at Virginia Tech were a horrible tragedy, and they're also a reminder for all of us to examine our own campuses. We join college students across the nation in extending our condolences to the families and friends of the Virginia Tech students who died yesterday. Certainly those students were in the forefront of our thoughts and in the background of our actions today. Shock will diminish and the bleak reality of this heinous event will become clearer in the days to come. It's too early to know many of the important details of the shooting, but we do know that this will have an effect on college campuses across the country for years to come. Many students watch or read the news and wonder if their own campuses would be able to handle a similar situation. We also wonder if the communication methods in place now are capable of keeping us abreast of developing situations on campus - not all of us have PDAs and BlackBerrys. Certainly, entire university communities are going to be looking for answers from their own administrators about safety measures that are in place and how they'll be augmented to better handle potential future emergency situations. In the hours after the shootings, it seems as if many are quick to blame Virginia Tech for the shootings. After a thorough investigation into Monday's events is completed, Tech might receive criticism for its handling of the shootings - it might not. But as is the case at most campus, you do the best you can - universities and colleges aren't necessarily responsible for the actions of disturbed people. They certainly can't check every single person at every single door in every single building on their sprawling campus. They have to maintain security on campus while striking a careful balance with civil liberties. Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, in a statement to The Pitt News, said "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of the victims and stand ready to be of assistance to members of the Virginia Tech community in any way they would find helpful." And we hope that the college community in Blacksburg will be able to find solace in the offers of condolences from people across the world and be able to recover from an event that has already affected so many, from the victims to their families and to all of us who watch the television and read the stories online and ask: Why? There has never been an act as violent in college history, and we hope that the future does not hold anything more tragic, but instead a chance to work with members of the community to make sure that we minimize the chances of this ever happening again. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 17, 2007
Leader Sunday April 22, 2007 The Observer Julia Pryde is not a household name. She was a 23-year-old graduate biology student who wanted to encourage recycling at the cafeteria at Virginia Tech University. Her face is not as universally known as that of Cho Seung-hui, the man who shot her and 31 others on campus last week. Cho secured his status as an icon of infamy by taking time, amid the massacre, to send a video manifesto to a TV network. Cho wanted not only to terrorise his fellow students, but to stare the world in the face, or rather, to force the world to look him in the eye. NBC has been criticised for showing the footage. Although there was a legitimate public interest in airing the material - it helped explain the dark motivation of the killer - the decision to run it on a constant loop within hours of the killings was clearly not taken with any consideration of sensitivity to survivors or victims' relatives. NBC apologised and toned down their coverage. But in the modern media age, Cho's broadcast would always have found a worldwide audience. He would still, one way or another, have forced everyone to hear his awful message: it is you who are responsible for this, not me. That is not true, of course. Cho was a psychopath, determined to kill. It may be the case that his determination was expedited by easy access to guns. But that is a feature of American society and American politics with its own strange logic, immune to comment by outsiders. The image of Cho striking murderous poses crosses all cultures. It is the face of modern, media-literate terror. That is not a fair emblem of modern American society. A truer symbol is found in the packed classrooms and lecture theatres of Virginia Tech, filled, just days after the massacre, with students who were determined to get on with their education - a triumph of youthful optimism over deadly nihilism. Pickleme April 22, 2007 8:16 AM Tragic though this all is , one has had a media onslaught day after relentless day,whilst ignoring 200+ killed/maimed/injured etc etc etc ad nauseum, a day in Iraq and thousands more in just as violent and senseless episodes elsewhere in world that are ignored or glossed over by media. . And disturbing though Cho was, one has surely to remember that this kid was desperately needing psyche help ? . I feel as sorry for him as his victims. That not one person bothered to follow up on the signs of his mental instability, and it seems enough powers that be and indeed students noticed, but did nothing is somehow as shocking as his mental breakdown that ended in this tragic episode .How sad is that.? winemaster April 22, 2007 2:03 PM Of course Cho, what ever his mental instablity, psychotic modus operandi at age 23, was not born as a killer. It is violent America that made him one, and for that matter, he is not exclusive, not that such maniac sociopaths are acceptable. Nevertheless, innocent Americans are not the only people that are dying or are killed. The war on Iraq and in Afghanistan; and the real terror of poverty, hunger, starvation, diseases like AIDS, malaria, denge fever, rift valley fever and hundreds of deadly viruses, parasites is a much bigger toll in thousands every day. The difference is the indifference of America to other people. As far as emblem of America, we have George W. Bush, that is showing up the whole world with his megalomaniac, compulsive-obsessive, sociopath mentality, divine religious mandate, being the messenger of his. Plus the like minded perverse ideology of inequality and rights only of their kind, not to mention their malignant narcissism, chronic scape goating, uncorrectable grab bagging, while sacrifcing others with coercion, reckless abandon and impunity to promote their own, outward, hypocrite self image of good and perfection. MDELELWA April 22, 2007 6:12 PM To me Cho represents at an individual micro level what the American nation stands for in the world. It is a vast, wealthy, but sickly nation that readily lashes out with a violence whose totality is as chilingly complete as Cho's at nations that pose no immidiate or even remote danger to it. To understand what dark forces operated and lived in Cho's mind we need to first understand the American national psyche-the sickly desire of one nation to dominate and control the rest of the world and its willingness to visit total destruction on those who stand on the way of its crazy, demented, schezophrenic designs. Of course I do not mean to trivialse the loss of the relatives of the dead students. Their loss is particularly severe in that all those lost were young people so full of promise and potential yet cut down in their prime years by a single lunatic. Inevitably so many lives there have been roughly touched by the hand of fate and altered for ever. Some will inevitably never recover from this loss. And all of them will go through life saying 'only if' so and so had not died in that shooting. Indeed a vacuum never to be filled has been left in the lives of many parents, siblings, children and loved ones. No words can ever articulate their pain. However this tragic path that Americans now grieving have to tread on is a well worn path. Countless Iraqs walk it daily. Many in Afghanistan have to too. All because of America's madness. Black Africans bear a simillar loss on a daily basis because of the American policies on issues of AIDS etc. All this means the world is a tough neighbour-hood. The likes of Cho are forever larking everywhere, foreever ready to visit mayhem and chaos and destruction within communities at all levels. In that vein as we take a pause to reflect on the tradegy and loss at VT lets also reflect on the countless lives lost elsewhere on that same day-dozens of kids succumbing to hunger and AIDS in Zimbabwe due to sanctions imposed by the West, and over and above all the 200 plus lost in bomb blasts at the very time the VT carnage was underway in Bhagdad Iraqi. It is a world gone mad. davidfletcher26 April 22, 2007 8:03 PM I doubt if America is a more aggressive culture than Britain and I also dont think they have any more violent nutters than we do. What is different is the ease with which such a young man can get hold of a high power handgun or an assault rifle. The knowledge that this kind of weaaponry is available helps to feed meglomaniac fantasies of mass killing. America is not a uniquilely evil society as some would like to think. Was the British Empire that good or that of Soviet Russia? WoollyMindedLiberal April 22, 2007 10:02 PM This poor young man was clearly a victim of religious delusion and is emblematic of the problems caused by the pernicious 'Christianity' strain that has plagued our civilization these last 2000 years. The time has come to grow up and put behind us these infantile games of make-believe which disturbed individuals take seriously with the terrible consequences we see daily in Iraq and every year in the USA. vandygirl April 24, 2007 8:58 AM I am a college student in the USA. I would like to say to all who will listen that what happened is at Virginia Tech is a tragedy, but it is not representative of the US or our citizens. We are a large and varied country, and I promise that most of us are not psycopathic, gun-happy murderers. In fact, most of us are disgusted and disturbed by the actions of people like Cho, but we are not the ones you hear about in the news. We are the ones forgotten by the media and the world (including within our own borders). And please don't let this become a debate on the war in Iraq - there is massive opposition to the war by people in the US, and many of us who disagree with the actions of our government and support the Iraqi people. Cho is not symbolic of the US or its people. There are many of us who are aware of the many crises facing the world today - yes, even those that occur outside the US - and we do sympathize with them. We do not hold our lives to be any more important than other peoples, and we are not indifferent to the rest of the world. Please don't assume all people in the US are the same, and don't judge us by the ones you hear about in the news - inevitably those are ones who have committed atrocities rather than the average US citizen. And as for the media - It is not the fault of the people if the media descends into the tabloid news that it so often is. The students at Virginia Tech have asked all media to leave their campus, an action supported by many. They need their time to grieve in private without being used to boost ratings. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2062898,00.html
In consideration of the fee of GBP 0.00 ("the Fee") Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM") grants the Licensee the right to: publish on its website for 10 years. Contact info:Eve Thompson-permissions.syndication@guardian.co.uk
'I pretended to be dead ... people died on top of me'
Bobbie Johnson and Lee Glendinning Wednesday April 18, 2007 The Guardian Within hours of news of the Blacksburg shootings, a picture of the terror inflicted by 23-year-old Korean student Cho Seung-hui was being built online through videos, blogs and message boards. Clay Violand, 20, a student at Virginia Tech, described on iChat, an online messaging service, how he pretended to be dead as his classmates fell on top of him. "I watched my fucking classmates get mauled in front of me and I was the only one who wasn't shot. I feel crazy. People died on top of me," he told his friend Alana Fragar, who also attends Virginia Tech. "I am the only person who didn't get shot in my French class in Norris and I have no idea why and I don't know what to do. "I pretended to be dead and people got shot in the face ... I keep seeing gross images of blood and gunshots in the face and ... I have no idea why I lived. I didn't even get blood on me. I don't get it." Friends of Emily Hilscher, the first victim of the shootings, had gathered online to create an instant memorial. Using the social networking site Facebook, hugely popular among American college students, friends built a page asking each other to collect their pictures of the 18-year-old from stages of her life. "We want everybody that joins to post one or more things that made Emily cooler than you," it said. Tributes and messages had poured in from friends, family - and even strangers as far away as Norway. "It didn't matter who you were or if she knew you ... she would be your friend in a heartbeat," said one friend. "Emily was so spunky and full of life," said another. "She had such a creative personality, and was always making such fun new things." Youngsters gathered on the site to post tributes and messages for other victims, such as 18-year-old Reema Samaha. "Reema you were one of the funniest people I know ... We all love you," said one. Facebook is a mainstay of American college life, and used by around 18 million people. Within a day, more than 120,000 people had joined a discussion group named "A tribute to those who passed at the Virginia Tech Shooting", leaving messages of condolence and confusion. Many Virginia Tech students spent the day trawling through pages set up by their friends to see if they were safe, or logging on to local news websites just to keep up with events. Planet Blacksburg, a student-run website, was among those which kept updating despite being crashed by the amount of web traffic. Local newspapers such as the Roanoke Times were also overwhelmed by visitors. Videos shot by students on their mobile phones were broadcast within minutes of events unfolding, while Bryce Carter, 19, chose to document his experiences on his blog. "I heard several faint gunshots from across campus ... snipers on the library," he wrote. "We saw a Swat member hide behind stairs, seemingly expecting a shooter to walk by ... they had no clue where he was, a scary realisation." One unsavoury side of the internet began to emerge as speculators started offering gruesome website names for sale: sites such as BlacksburgTheMovie.com were registered within hours. in a day, more than 120,000 people had joined a discussion group named "A tribute to those who passed at the Virginia Tech Shooting", leaving messages of condolence and confusion. Many Virginia Tech students spent the day trawling through pages set up by their friends to see if they were safe, or logging on to local news websites just to keep up with events. Planet Blacksburg, a student-run website, was among those which kept updating despite being crashed by the amount of web traffic. Local newspapers such as the Roanoke Times were also overwhelmed by visitors. Videos shot by students on their mobile phones were broadcast within minutes of events unfolding, while Bryce Carter, 19, chose to document his experiences on his blog. "I heard several faint gunshots from across campus ... snipers on the library," he wrote. "We saw a Swat member hide behind stairs, seemingly expecting a shooter to walk by ... they had no clue where he was, a scary realisation." One unsavoury side of the internet began to emerge as speculators started offering gruesome website names for sale: sites such as BlacksburgTheMovie.com were registered within hours. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2059737,00.html
Staff: Bobbie Johnson and Lee Glendinning
In consideration of the fee of GBP 0.00 ("the Fee") Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM") grants the Licensee the right to: publish on its website for 10 years. Contact info: Eve Thompson; permissions.syndication@guardian.co.uk
First students are buried as US mourns Virginia Tech victims
Paul Harris in Blacksburg Sunday April 22, 2007 The Observer America began to bury its dead yesterday from the Virginia Tech massacre that cost 33 lives - the worst mass-shooting in the country's modern history. Three funerals of students killed by Cho Seung-hui were taking place last week. It was a tragedy that made headlines around the world and deeply shocked America. Among those being buried were Austin Michelle Cloyd, 19, the daughter of a Virginia Tech lecturer. She was being buried in Blacksburg, the tiny campus town tucked away in the Blue Ridge mountains of southern Virginia. Elsewhere, Jarrett Lee Lane, 22, was being buried in his home town of Narrows nearby, and Minal Panchal, 26, an Indian-born post-graduate student, was being buried in Odenton, Maryland. The funerals end a week of mourning and regret over the killings. Services are being held all over the country in victims' home towns and are likely go on well into next week. They come after a day of remembrance on Friday that saw a moment of silence observed across the nations. Across Virginia, many people have been wearing the college colours of maroon and orange. Police continue to investigate the shootings, seeking to find out how Cho, 23, carried out the murders. 'The why and the how are the crux of the investigation. The why may never be determined,' Virginia state police spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. Cho carried out the attack in two assaults. The first killed two students in a dormitory hall and was followed by a pause of several hours before he rampaged through a lecture building, eventually killing 30 more. The investigation is focused on the first killings to see if there was any link between Cho and Emily Hilscher, 19, believed to have been the first person shot. The Cho family expressed its sorrow: '[The family will] do whatever we can to help authorities understand why these senseless acts happened. We have many unanswered questions as well,' it said. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2062988,00.html
In consideration of the fee of GBP 0.00 ("the Fee") Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM") grants the Licensee the right to: publish on its website for 10 years. Contact info: Eve Thompson-permissions.syndication@guardian.co.uk
Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington Saturday April 21, 2007 The Guardian Americans united in a collective day of mourning for the victims of the campus massacre yesterday, with church services and vigils from Capitol Hill to California. Yesterday's solemnities were centred on a moment of silence for the dead across the state of Virginia at noon after the governor, Tim Kaine, declared a day of mourning. Forty other states held vigils for the dead at the same time. "This has touched the globe," Mr Kaine told a memorial service . "The universality that we all suffer, we all grieve, has touched hearts around the world." The sombreness of the day was deepened by the knowledge that it was the anniversary of another school shooting - of 13 students and one teacher at Colorado's Columbine high school in 1999. After days spent trying to decipher the motives behind Cho Seung-hui's rampage, which left 32 dead before he turned the gun on himself, yesterday was given over to the victims. On the grassy expanse called the Drill Field at the heart of Virginia Tech campus, just outside Norris Hall, where Cho killed all but two of his victims, church bells tolled as students and professors gathered on a sunny day. Almost all the mourners wore the school colours of orange and maroon as they drew close to the makeshift memorial on the grass, a semi-circle of stones surrounding large placards covered with handwritten tributes to the dead, large wreaths and humble bouquets of flowers. Elsewhere in Virginia, bells chimed for each of Cho's victims at an interfaith memorial at Virginia Commonwealth University. "The thing that matters most today is to remember the friends and families of those who lost loved ones," Virginia's lieutenant governor, Bill Bolling, said. There were services at Washington's national cathedral, as well as a moment of silence in the House of Representatives. In Santa Monica, California, Virginia Tech alumni were scheduled to hold a memorial service later in the day. The first of Cho's victims was also buried yesterday in the Israeli town of Raanana, not far from Tel Aviv. Liviu Librescu, 76, was an expert on aerospace engineering and had taught at the university for more than 20 years. As a child in Romania, the professor had survived the Holocaust. On Monday, he was shot while shielding students from the gunman. Virginia's coroner has yet to complete the identification and examination of all the bodies so that they can be released. However, some families have held small memorial ceremonies. Private services were held in Virginia on Thursday for Waleed Mohammed Shaalan, 32, an Egyptian who was pursuing a doctorate in engineering. He was married with a one-year-old son; his PhD supervisor was also among the dead. There were also services in Virginia for Partahi Lumbantoruan, 34, a teacher in his native Indonesia whose family sold land and cars for his tuition at the university. He came from a military family and was pursuing a doctorate in civil engineering. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2062300,00.html
In consideration of the fee of GBP 0.00 ("the Fee") Guardian News & Media Limited ("GNM") grants the Licensee the right to: publish on its website for 10 years. Contact: EveThompson;permissions.syndication@guardian.co.uk