4 20 1884 https://april16archive.org/files/original/NG_Dahlgren_Flagpole_91af6e6784.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 12:45:55 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Frank Eak Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Frank Eak Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource A group of Northrop Grumman employees gathered at the flagpole at noon on Friday, 20 April 07, to remember the victims and their families and show their support for the entire Hokie family. Language A language of the resource eng flagpole northrop grumman Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Mike Hammack Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Mike Hammack Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource "Not Forgotten" Time has narrowed, increasing so fast. With no escape, nothing will last. 32 ever so freightened, broken hearts are vast. Fear building courage, their moment shall never pass. ******************************** Virginia Tech holds a special place in the hearts of our family, having a daughter as a graduate of Virginia Tech and one son which is currently attending Virginia Tech Engineering. The events which occurred on 4/16/2007 saddened us deeply. We choose to remember the heroes that day, all who gave their lives, were injured, assisted in the recovery and of course, our law enforcement officers. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource "Not Forgotten" poem poetry vt poem Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Elizabeth Patterson Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Elizabeth Patterson Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource LOST BUT NOT FORGOTTEN They lost their life on that fateful day April 16th together we pray. No motive, no means, to commit such a crime. What began a Monday morning, lost like a drop of a dime. A community, our school, Virginia Tech that is. What turned into a tragedy. once known as a serene state of bliss. It was a snowy, cold, spring morning when their world came to a halt. A day of great remembrance full of pain, grief, and fault. No one can possibly express this magnitude of distress. To hold their hand in silence and mourn those we miss. Where do we go from here? Is there any place to turn? To change the hands of time And take away their fear. Through the darkness of night until the break of a new day. Please remember our HOKIES This, I ask you to pray. Elizabeth Patterson Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Lost But Not Forgotten poem poetry https://april16archive.org/files/original/virginia tech tribute_e6121bc636.mp3 null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 05:58:39 Sound A resource whose content is primarily intended to be rendered as audio. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brian Stewart Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Al McClure Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource It&#39;s a tribute done and aired shortly following the events of Virginia Tech on WUSY in Chattanooga, TN. It includes music from Kenny Chesney and Martina McBride with audio from news accounts and the service held on campus with President George W Bush. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource WUSY Virginia Tech Tribute audio chattanooga music radio sound wusy Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Michael Thomas Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Michael Thomas Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource Its seems very unfair to be caught in something as sad as what happened April 16th. Its a sad world though it seems and most people are to caught up in their own lives to take notice. Think of all the accomplishments that will not be made to society because of these people being struck down in the prime of their lives. All the lost times and stories about these people as to who they were and who and what they may have become are lost now, but they would have filled millions of books and all that is gone, never to be told. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Such a shame. Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Rhonda Snyder Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Rhonda Snyder Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource I am a college student at WCC in wytheville, Va. I am honored to stand with the faculty and students of Virginia Tech as a Hokie. I was able to visit VT on the Saturday after and i was overwhelmed by the sadness and heart break. They will over come because they are Hokies and they are strong. I will continue to pray for those who will grieve endlessly. Know that God is still God and no matter what we go through or the pain we feel Jesus is still here to see us through, to comfort us and guide us to the place He wants us. Much Love in Christ for the families and friends that lost loved ones.. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource We are one. https://april16archive.org/files/original/a day of mourning_e285692467.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-01 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-01 23:29:19 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Melissa Helms Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Melissa Helms Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-01 Description An account of the resource one of the many trees around the drillfield Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource One Tree Drillfield ribbon tree https://april16archive.org/files/original/the stones_f4b8a0c9ad.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-01 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-01 23:26:23 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Melissa Helms Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Melissa Helms Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-01 Description An account of the resource These are part of the 32 stones for the victims near Burruss Hall. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource The Stones burruss Drillfield memorial stones https://april16archive.org/files/original/P1000433_b8bd834768.JPG null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 13:16:18 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brent Jesiek Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource We "Heart" VT sign with orange and maroon handprints, on display at N. Main St. entrance to Blacksburg New School. Photo taken Monday, April 30. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource We Heart VT blacksburg main street new school sign https://april16archive.org/files/original/P1000424_197404145b.JPG null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 13:11:00 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Brent Jesiek Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Brent Jesiek Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource 32 orange and maroon crosses on display at N. Main St. entrance to Blacksburg Christian Fellowship. Photo taken Monday, April 30. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource 32 Crosses blacksburg crosses main street https://april16archive.org/files/original/VT_2e44025de1.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 13:46:01 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Ted Nesbitt Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Ted Nesbitt Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource At the Paul N. Elbin Library, we asked students, staff, and faculty to sign an expression of condolence document. The Student Government Association joined in to gather signatures. Our Campus Security staff began a "Stop a Cop" campaign, asking those interested in signing to come to them -- they carried clipboards while making their rounds. We are a small school, but we have mailed our sympathy roster to VT, with 500 signatures. The irony is that VT&#39;s tragedy has brought our campus closer together. We are truly sorry for your great loss. Ted Nesbitt Paul N. Elbin Library West Liberty State College West Liberty, West Virginia Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource From West Liberty State College [WV] to Virginia Tech condolence sympathy west liberty state college west virginia west virginia colleagues Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource John Starling Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource John Starling Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource <object width="425" height="350"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/SFPE-dCgkC4"></param><param name="wmode" value="transparent"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/SFPE-dCgkC4" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" wmode="transparent" width="425" height="350"></embed></object> Language A language of the resource eng Publisher An entity responsible for making the resource available null Rights Information about rights held in and over the resource null Title A name given to the resource Virginia Tech look back john starling Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Dr. Michael Brown Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Dr. Michael Brown Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource The following is from my 4/19/07 post on my blog, Ocular Fusion. The URL is <a href="http://www.ocularfusion.net/?p=661">http://www.ocularfusion.net/?p=661</a> ------------------------------ It&#39;s been said that there are no more than six degrees of separation between every person on earth. But when I heard that 32 innocents had died in Monday&#39;s massacre at Virginia Tech, it hit me how large and complex that particular web of relationships would be and how far it would extend across the country and even the world. I grew up in Southwest Virginia and was a graduate student at Virginia Tech and a resident of Blacksburg for 2 years. One of my first thoughts when I heard the news was, that in this particular case, there would likely be no more than two degrees of separation between one of the victims and me. Unfortunately, I was right. Paul is my best friend from my Blacksburg days. I met him and his wife Janette at the Blacksburg Church of Christ, and when my wife joined me there in June, 1985 after we were married, the four of us became fast friends and remain so to this day, despite the geographical distance which separates us. Paul graduated with a PhD in Engineering Mechanics and is now a professor of civil engineering at Colorado State University. I emailed him yesterday and asked him how he was and if he had heard from any of our mutual friends. He replied that he had not, but he went on to reminisce about the three years that he had spent cordoned off in Norris Hall, "becoming one" with the intricacies of dynamics and structural analysis and also about a man he met there-Liviu Librescu. He was the 75-year-old professor and Holocaust survivor who held shut the door of Room 204 of Norris Hall as the assailant attempted to enter his classroom. That brave deed allowed enough time for most of his students to escape through the windows. He and another student were eventually shot and killed, however. Their offices were located close together in those days, and Paul had come to know Librescu when he first arrived on sabbatical in 1985. Librescu apparently liked what he saw in Blacksburg (what sane person wouldn&#39;t?). He decided to stay there and gained a full time teaching position at Tech. He had continued to teach to the ripe old age of seventy-five, impressing his students and colleagues with his depth of experience and wisdom and his gentlemanly and scholarly manner. As he faced the dark wrath of Cho Seung-Hui, Librescu was staring into the face of a familiar evil. He stood in the breach protecting his young charges as a man who had suffered-and survived-the senseless brutality, atrocities and nihilism of a Nazi concentration camp. But this time, there would be no escape. Last night, I called Dave and Terri, close friends from Harding who now live in Blacksburg. Dave is director of human resources for a large automotive parts manufacturer while Terri teaches in a local public elementary school. Dave was still at work, but I talked with Terri who understandably sounded exhausted and somber. As you might expect in a university town like Blacksburg, everybody knows somebody, and in her case, the web of connections hit very close to home. Among the dead was one of their neighbors, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, a French instructor who was gunned down in Room 211 of Norris Hall. She was the wife of Jerzy Nowak, a horticulture professor, and had a teenage daughter who is a friend of both of Terri&#39;s children. Dr. Kevin Granata, a world-renown researcher in biomechanics whose speciality was the movement dynamics of cerebal palsy, was also an acquaintance. Terri had worked with his wife, who was a PTSA leader and active volunteer at the elementary school, and taught their children as well. For Terri&#39;s daughter Brooke, a senior at Blacksburg High, star lacrosse player and future Hokie, Black Monday was a cold and harsh reminder that the killer angels among us know no bounds. Austin Cloyd, a freshman who had moved to Blacksburg from Champaign, Illinois when her father took an accounting professorship at Tech, was in the same French classroom as Ms. Couture-Nowak. A year ago, she had been in the same French classroom as Brooke at Blacksburg High. I saw an interview with Austin&#39;s parents last night on NBC. They bravely faced the world through their tear-clouded eyes and reminded us all of how important it is to make good memories when you can, because, as her father said, "you never know when that&#39;s all you&#39;re going to have left." Terri and Dave have talked with Brooke in recent days. Their question: "Are you sure you want to stay and go to school here?" Her steely reply: "Now more than ever." Thirty-two innocent lives, two degrees of separation. As I watched the chilling footage of Cho Seung-Hui&#39;s "multimedia manifesto" last night on NBC news, it occurred to me that we are all connected to this event, two degrees or not. Everyone, that is, except him. For Cho Seung-Hui, who apparently wasn&#39;t connected to his own humanity much less that of his neighbor, the degrees of separation were infinite-a number so large as to be ultimately incomprehensible. A number so large as to be ultimately fatal. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Two Degrees of Separation blog Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Bryan McDonald Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Bryan McDonald Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource There are times when the three hour time difference between the East and West coasts is significant in ways one could never imagine. On April 16, this time difference meant that when I arrived at work at 8:00 am the events at Virginia Tech had already occurred, although it would be some hours until a more complete picture about the magnitude of the tragedy became clear. In the days since I have again felt myself to be part of that unique family that is Hokie nation. I have been in contact with roommates, friends, and teachers that I had not spoken with in years. And I have thought a great deal about the meaning and implications of the shootings. In many ways, this is just part of my normal activities. I work for a research center that examines how forces of global change are transforming security threats that confront states and their citizens. I often spend much of my day thinking about threats and vulnerabilities from terrorism, crime, and infectious disease. But the events of April 16 have presented me with a challenge as I consider the events not only from a security studies perspective, but also as someone who lived in Blacksburg for five years and earned two degrees from Virginia Tech. A few years ago, the center I work for conducted a project on school safety and emergency preparedness. One of the lessons I came away from the project with was an understanding that school shootings occur in places that seem unlikely, most often suburban and rural areas. In this way, Virginia Tech is like many of the other campuses - California State University at Fullerton, the University of Iowa, San Diego State University, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Virginia Appalachian School of Law, the University of Arizona Nursing College, and West Virginia Shepherd University�that have been victims of shooting incidents. None of these schools are located in areas that spring to mind as particularly dangerous or crime ridden. Another lesson I came away from our project with is the understanding that school shootings are like many other forms of modern crisis in that they are often over before first responders arrive. In such instances, the real first responders to incidents are whoever happens to be at the location of an incident. The stories that have emerged about April 16 show a remarkable amount of heroism and selflessness. When faced with an unexpected danger, teachers and students responded, often with very little time to consider their situation, to help others and try and reduce the danger they faced. In the aftermath of the events of April 16, 2007, many people have been trying to make sense of what occurred and asking about the lessons that can be learned from the events. One lesson that seems clear is that geography is no real protection from these sorts of tragedies. As someone who studies security threats, I can see that the events at Virginia Tech make it clearer that on the changing security landscape on which we now find ourselves, people and organizations at all levels of society must ask what they can do to prevent and prepare for events like these. But as someone who spent an important and formative part of my life at Virginia Tech, I am deeply saddened that Virginia Tech will now be among the events we discuss, and that many people&#39;s memories of Blacksburg will be of the scenes of tragedy they saw unfold on April 16. Bryan McDonald B.A. English (1997) M.A. Political Science (1999) Language A language of the resource eng alumni reflection safety security threats Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Kelly Warren Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Kelly Warren Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource Weeping At the Mount The Lord is weeping at the mount What has happened to his dreams? He prayed and prayed for a single purpose That we would live in peace After generations and generations we have forgotten That little thing called love While God chose his Son, one and only begotten So that we may simply come Instead we choose to see ourselves Instead of looking out Light turns a dark shade of greed We have turned from love, without a doubt Taking what isn&#39;t ours, what others need Lives, money, property and jewels Like honey to our eyes We turn from wisdom, and become great fools While the Lord is weeping at the mount What happened to what we shared? Everyday is new, let&#39;s turn around Let&#39;s show each other extra love and care! *Every time a murder or robbery happens, we&#39;re throwing stones at Jesus on the cross! Don&#39;t brush this off, because hate, jealousy and anger we hold on to are also forms of throwing stones! Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Weeping At The Mount christian christianity death forgiveness jesus murder poem poetry Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Shelton Cartwright Jr Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Shelton Cartwright Jr Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource 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&#39;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&#39;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&#39;s wrong dad?" I said "Nothing, I&#39;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. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource I can only say the title is That Day daughter god will wipe away our tears parent recollection story Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jeff Sigmon Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jeff Sigmon Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource Go to: <a href="http://www.coolspring.org/upward2007_devotional_5.asp">http://www.coolspring.org/upward2007_devotional_5.asp</a> For full set of photos and story. On April 21st, in support of those who have suffered from the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Upward Soccer players, parents, and guests were invited to sign a card and write a note to Virginia Tech. A memorial was also created, honoring the 32 individuals who lost their lives, by placing their photographs on crosses under the United States&#39; and Virginia Tech&#39;s flags. Reflect on the photographs below, and read the words of New Hanover Presbyterian Church&#39;s Co-Pastor Shane Roberson: This week began with the shocking and horrifying news of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. As we heard over the media airwaves of the devastating death toll mounting due to one person&#39;s actions, we were all dismayed and in shock. Tragedies like this lead us to a place of bewilderment and the questions arise. Why would someone do something like this so horrible and devastating? Why did so many innocent people lose their lives for no reason? Why would God allow this? Why did this happen? We may never know the answers to some of these questions, but I do want to share a couple of truths about God that we can hold firmly to in the midst of this tragedy. Each one of us is plagued with a condition called sin. The Bible says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:23- 24). Sin causes us to do things that are not right, to live in darkness, to hurt people, and to be destructive. We&#39;re all in the same boat, but we don&#39;t have to be left there. We may never know what caused this individual to go on a shooting rampage throughout the campus and take innocent lives. There will be a lot of speculation and theories posited in the weeks to come. Actions like these are rooted in our sinfulness as people. Sin, and the actions that accompany sin, does not have to have the final say in our lives. God came up with a solution for our sin. He sent His Son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. 1 Peter 3:18 says, "For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God." Jesus Christ, God&#39;s one and only Son, paid the price for our sins when He went to the cross. That gives us hope and gives us life. He paid the price for our sin, from the horrible actions to the smallest unseen offenses. God has the final say in each one of our lives. Here is the final Truth I want to leave with you. God is supreme in His wisdom, and He can make something good of a horrible tragedy such as this. Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." Notice the passage says, "in all things." Only God can take a horrible tragedy and bring good out of it. Look at some of the stories coming out of 9/11. Only God could cause such good. He takes evil acts caused by the choices of men and creates good out of those acts. Look no further than the cross and what God accomplished at Easter. Because of our sinfulness, people beat Jesus and put Him to death, but God had the final say in that tragedy. In fact, that tragedy was our saving grace. We may never know all the answers to the questions that surface, but we can rest assured we have a loving God who went to all lengths to make sure that sin does not have to have the final say in our life. Just look at the empty cross and the empty tomb to show that God can make good things come out of tragedies. We continue to pray for all the families, students, faculty, staff and loved ones affected by this horrible tragedy. Please join with us in praying for all those impacted. In Christ, Shane Roberson Co-Pastor New Hanover Presbyterian Church Lord, right now we acknowledge You, and we acknowledge Your presence and Your sovereignty. Lord, we lift up Virginia Tech and the people affected by the evil that has taken place on the campus. We pray that Your Spirit be with them. We pray that Your loving arms be wrapped around them and comfort them in this tragic time. We pray for families, neighbors, and friends. We pray for staff, professors, and administrators. Lord, we pray for people. We pray for humanity. We pray that this event will not cause people to turn from You but it will cause a nation to run to You like they have never run before. We pray for increased faith. We pray for spiritual growth. We pray for Christian fellowship and salvation of souls. We pray that your hand will move mightily over Blacksburg, VA and over this nation. Touch souls right now and comfort broken hearts. Forgive us for our sins, Father. In Your Son Jesus Christ name we pray. Amen. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land. Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place. " - 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Upward Soccer Memorial cool spring church mechanicsville new hanover church upward soccer https://april16archive.org/files/original/VT1_1c60bc12b4.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 19:21:30 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jeff Sigmon Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Jeff Sigmon Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource Picture of Upward Soccer players & parents signing cards to send to VA Tech students on April 21, 2007. VA Tech Memorial is located behind New Hanover Church at 10058 Chamberlayne Road in Mechanicsville, Virginia. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Upward Soccer Photo cool spring church mechanicsville memorial new hanover church upward soccer https://april16archive.org/files/original/EMU_1a77556939.jpg null Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Omeka Legacy File The metadata element set that, in addition to the Dublin Core element set, was included in the `files` table in previous versions of Omeka. These elements are common to all Omeka files. This set may be deprecated in future versions. Capture Date 2007-05-02 17:14:58 Still Image A static visual representation. Examples of still images are: paintings, drawings, graphic designs, plans and maps. Recommended best practice is to assign the type "text" to images of textual materials. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Jeff Poinier Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource null Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource We support the Hokies. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource Eastern Michigan University eastern michigan university emu hokies Document A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text. Dublin Core The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/. Contributor An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource Tom Caruso Creator An entity primarily responsible for making the resource Tom Caruso Date A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource 2007-05-02 Description An account of the resource My mortality, there it is, right there in my mind. I feel the fear of loss of life. How close proximity to death, to my own death, I have come. At first, as I discovered the reality of the killing that had happened at Virginia Tech, where I work and rarely teach, I wondered how is it that I&#39;m 1700 miles away in the Dutch Antilles in the Caribbean. Why aren&#39;t I in the middle of the chaos in Blacksburg? Was it some higher power that kept me away for a reason? What might that reason be? How might I serve the purposes of that higher power? Is this a sign that I am to leave Blacksburg for some new life, somehow directed by this force now taking root in the separation between me and the horror happening in Blacksburg? Or am I the person who is to watch from afar the early trauma at VT, to return to be some help as the witness? Is this somehow directing me to strengthen my commitment to a mission of creating a world of connection by empowering acceptance and authenticity in myself and others? What can be my purpose from this point on? Then I felt a pull. What am I doing here in the Caribbean when I&#39;m losing my connection with the people I care about and love in Blacksburg? Might I stop my vacation now and return to be of some support? And I felt confused by the countering push back. No, who am I to think I can be of any help to those I don&#39;t even know. And what about my own sense of sanity and well-being, wouldn&#39;t that suffer if I cut off my vacation to respond to something I can not even begin to grasp? When confronted with people offering sympathies because they discovered we were from "there", I tried to empathize with their need to express their horror at what being from that place must be like, and their wish that they could be of some help. I wonder if it might have been clear had I said, "I appreciate your disgust and sadness, because I get that you want this to have never happened and wish you could somehow be of help to those who are suffering, and maybe you&#39;re afraid that it could have been you or your children or loved ones?" Coming back - one week after the tragedy, the horror, and the constant media coverage pointing fingers, honoring the dead with stories of their lives and their heroism, and showing the color in the lives of those who survived, while making decisions that stimulated feelings ranging from pain to elation, refusing to respect the needs of those experiencing loss and creating opportunities for a sense of community and connection to others who may share similar experiences - I wanted so badly to connect to my friends and colleagues who had a more direct experience with the pain. I wanted to be of support. I wanted to be caring and yet, I feared saying words or taking actions that would trigger disapproval from others. That&#39;s my characteristic fear, so it has been a challenge for me to accept myself and allow myself to make mistakes. Arriving in Charlotte at our car, I picked up my cell phone messages which I had not heard since the phone had been left in our car at the airport, expecting that we wouldn&#39;t be able to have much use of these phones in St. Martin. As expected there were messages from many friends and one relative I hadn&#39;t heard from in several years who said, in an apologetic fashion, that she just had to call to see how I was, of course she and the others calling didn&#39;t know that I was no where near the tragedy that unfolded that week. Immediately upon arriving in Blacksburg around 11:00 PM on Sunday my wife and I wanted to see the 24/7 visual happening at the 33 Hokie Stone memorials. We didn&#39;t stop. We just drove by without stopping. I was scared at this first encounter with the people who I didn&#39;t know but who had deep suffering as the result of the massacre. Finally when we arrived home I checked my email, glancing at the 650 messages to see what important notes might be embedded among the usual pomp and circumstance of everyday email. Sleep came quickly that night after our long journey. The next day I took my time returning to work, knowing that this was the first day back for many others as well. After only a short period of looking more closely at what became increasingly apparent to be many concerned email about my well-being from all corners of my life, as well as some brief sojourn into Myspace where I noted in my regularly frequented group, Knowledge and Wisdom, that I had returned, I walked to the memorial service happening at 9:45 AM, exactly one week after the shootings that killed 30 people in Norris Hall, a building which I frequented many times in the first seven years of my work here at VT, and where I had known many faculty who had their offices on the floor where the killings occurred. I felt some solidarity with the many other people I saw, mostly students, but faculty as well, walking towards Burruss Hall and the Hokie Stone Memorials where the service would begin. I was half-way across the Drillfield when the first bell tolled to start the service and trigger the release of the first white balloon for the first person who died. I stopped in my path. Thousands of others in the Drillfield, around Burruss Hall, and all over campus, became silent and motionless as 32 more balloons and an occasional firing of guns honored those who died. After the ceremony, I took the time to walk around each of the memorials and look at what had been left for the victims. Mostly just taking in the thought that these people were connected to hundreds of people, and those hundreds connected to hundreds more. Yes, I was beginning to feel the sadness myself, and beginning to experience a connection. The rest of the day had me responding to hundreds of email, trying to get done work that needed to be done, and talking to those with whom I wanted to connect. Today was more of the same until I connected this afternoon with a colleague who considered one of the dead a close personal friend. That brought the death so much closer, though giving me a chance to offer my support as best I could. Then I had another awakening to the pain, when I was told that a good acquaintance of mine had been shot in the arm. I remembered seeing him on the news on the 16th and thinking he had been hurt. There were at least 29 people other than the 32 dead who had been abused by the killer before he killed himself, and that was even more connection to pain and death. That&#39;s 62 people. If they each had 100 people who would consider themselves family, friends or close acquaintances, just those directly affected would amount to 6,200 people. If each of these people has another 100 people to which they are family or friends or close acquaintances, the number rises to 620,000 connections to the pain caused by that single gunman. That&#39;s a lot of pain, and then I think of the tens of thousands who have died in Iraq, and I realize the pain doesn&#39;t seem to have an end. Sometime this day a thought came to rest deeply in my awareness: I could have been one of those people who were killed. Just before sitting down to write here, this awareness brought up my fear of death. Yes, I could have been in those classrooms. I had been given a list of professors who are outstanding teachers, and in an effort to become a better teacher myself, I have been intent upon visiting the lectures of these professors. With fear of a real, direct connection to the horror of the past week, I checked that list, and none of them were those who had been killed on 4/16/07. However, the killer could have chosen a different time, a different room, a different day, a different building. In fact, another killer could chose a different time, room, day or building. I could have been in one of those classrooms. Or I could just die. That&#39;s what it&#39;s all about for me. I&#39;m fretting my own mortality; the mortality of this body that I call myself. Yet I sense something coming from this, and maybe this is what a higher power had in mind for me: that my death is no different from the death of those who have passed with this massacre, and my life is not only no different from theirs, but it is no different from anyone&#39;s. In the deepest and most profound sense, our lives and deaths are the same, and I am deeply connected to everyone. As such, I died with and as horrifically as those who died on that fateful day at Virginia Tech. Yet I can never die, and those killed are still here with me today. I know them well. Language A language of the resource eng Title A name given to the resource I Know Them Well Through My Mortality buddhism disconnection fear immortality mortality reconnection