Stories of unity providing perspective and insight and some comfort and hope.

Virginians and Americans are always united, regardless of school affiliations and geography.

• I was at VT yesterday helping my son move out of his dorm and it was very emotional. The weather was absolutely prefect and completely beautiful which contrasted with the emotions we felt as we walked the drill field contemplating what we saw as we prayed at the numerous memorials to the Apr 16 victims. It was sad, disheartening, and sobering; while at the same time it was somehow peaceful, encouraging, and yes even uplifting. Being there with the 100’s of others who were also there, and seeing the concern and grace provided by the 10’s of thousands who have proceeded us left us speechless. It was inspiring to see that the victims are being honored + will not be forgotten. The out pouring of concern from literally all over the world displayed at the Squires student union was very moving, there must be hundred’s of thousands of signatures, if not more. 

  I deduce those of you who have visited VT have had a similar experience, which is why I’m sharing mine with you. My wife + I have also spoken to other friends + neighbors who have visited VT since the tragedy and everyone has somehow been changed by it. Though it’s difficult to make sense out of this senseless act, the VT community is working together to bring out whatever positives can be found in it; mourning yes, but not focusing on just the negative. 

  I thank God that those closest to us were not directly involved and ask you to pray for all of those who were.

  -Tom Billheimer
   

• I know everyone out there is humbled by what has happened this week. Please plan on attending the forum at the Airport Marriott, starting at 6:30 pm. I hope this will help us to begin the healing process and define what the Triad Alumni might do to help.
  
  -Thomas Hughes
   
• Hello Everybody,

   

  I've been quite disturbed by the media's vilification of Dr. Steger and Chief Flinchum during the recent tragedy. I feel it is borne out of the media's irresponsible and insatiable desire to uncover and sometimes invent stories that will fill the hours of air time they have chosen to devote to this tragedy. These men are nationally recognized for the work that they do and acted in a manner that was in line with the training and best practices of their professions. I would like to stop the second guessing and focus on incremental improvements, healing and moving forward.

  If you'd like to show your support for Dr. Steger and Chief Flinchum please sign the following petition.

  http://www.wesupportvt.com/

  Thanks.
   

  - Jill Heyman, Vice President, PTVTAA
   
• A member of my staff works at the Greensboro Coliseum at night. She said that Kenny Chesney performed last night and was wearing a maroon tank top, trimmed in orange.
  
  -Molly Whitehouse
   
• On the attached message - Pastabilities - a great restaurant on Lawndale Dr....Is making today "Hokie Day" and offering 10% of ALL sales to the VT Family Fund.
  
  Just FYI - I know the owner - and she is a Wake Forest girl...This is pretty cool and thought we should pass it on.

  Everyone Eat at Pastabilities tonight!

  -Amysue Kashubara
   

• This is truly awesome. We have a plant-wide PA system that automatically activates when one of our production machines needs technical assistance.
  
  The PA system starts with a 10 second music clip that is followed by machine information. This thing goes off about 100 times/day and is heard by several hundred people throughout the operation.

  I was pleasantly surprised when I was asked to help put together today's music clip - Today's music clip is Tech Triumph.

  -John Elliott-Rubbermaid Commercial, Winchester VA
   

• This morning's event at SW Guilford HS was a HUGE success - probably a couple hundred kids and adults. Riley Inman (SW alum and VT soph) was there with his family.
  
  FOX8 was there to photograph the VT on the field, and the Jamestown newspaper is also running an article.

  Thanks for making it possible. I'll be in touch sometime soon.

  -Tom Parker
   

• Glancing up at the TV screen, The ominous rock buildings look like tombstones.
  The howling wind screams death and destruction.
  The sounds of gunfire make my heart pound.
  Then all is eerily quiet.
  Until the media begins to loudly, relentlessly rant and rave about "what if," "why not," "what if," "why not?"
  Chants of "Go Hokies" fill the air, Candles burning brightly.
  Tears streaming, sun beaming.
  Hugs, kind words, new day.
  The names and faces of those so senselessly gunned down seem to radiate with hope, love and promise.
  They are safe. They are well. They are heroes.
  Senseless? Absolutely.
  Glancing up at the TV screen.
  The magnificent rock buildings look like towers to heaven.
  The gentle breeze whispers spring and rebirth.
  The sounds of laughter make me smile.
  Then all is wonderfully noisy.
  Those left behind loudly, proudly vow to be kind, to succeed, to reach out, to remember, to pray, to reflect, to survive and to thrive.
  Chants of "Go Hokies" fill the air, Students shining brightly.
  Futures gleaming, faces beaming.
  Hugs, kind words, new day.
  Thank God there is good in most everyone. Thank God the good forgive. Thank God we have the chance to continue. Thank God for the 32 souls who inspire us.

  "Go Hokies."

  - Reflections on a Tragedy from Kimberly Ann
   

• To the people of the University of North Carolina @ Chapel Hill:

  I am a Hokie.

  I finished my degree work at Virginia Tech in 1974, and in all these years, I have never  regretted my choice to go to Blacksburg. My collegiate joys and sorrows, all those lifetime "firsts" for me that happened there, the shaping of my personality and life course, all make  Virginia Tech a home, an Alma Mater -- a nourishing mother-- in more ways than I can hope to describe. I became the man that I am there. To have this ugly nightmare play out in my emotional home, is a desecration of my special place. My special place, and that place which is the Nourishing Mother to countless other Hokies, since 1872.  The hurt, the disgust, is beyond my ability to express.

  We are Virginia Tech.

  I could not be more proud of the current generation of Hokies living and learning at Virginia Tech than I am today. The clarity of thought and action, the selflessness, the love for one another, the support, the unanimity of the University in the face of this "monumental horror", helps me and all VT Grads everywhere. I can see where this current generation of Hokies is 'growing up' at Tech, prepared well for their futures, no matter how those futures are mapped.

  We are the Hokie Nation.

  We are a nation: a loud, proud, boisterous family stretching North and South, Coast to Coast, and far-flung around the world. A "Nation" of thousands and thousands of people who all share the same "mother", anchored in Blacksburg. When we celebrate, we do it together. When we cry, we cry together. When we need to, we close ranks, hunker  down, and face our problems together. We subscribe to the adage: "If you're going through Hell...KEEP ON GOING!" And we help each other to keep on going. But as we do just that, we also wonder: Does anyone else even understand what is happening to us? Not just reporters digging for stories, or prodding curiosity from morbid outsiders, but people who, without trying to explain it to them, simply understand the violation we feel, and therefore, become part of our family.

  My son is growing to manhood at your Alma Mater, the University of North Carolina, and has kept me informed of activities on your campus. I have heard of the ribbons being worn, in Maroon and Orange. I have heard of the message posters being signed by so many of you, expressing support and love. And I have heard of your candlelight service, in memorial to those who's lives were snuffed out before being able to live our motto: "That I May Serve". I have passed news of these activities to my Hokie Colleagues, and the effect on us is profound. You have touched were we live. You understand what is happening to us. Our Carolina Cousins hunker down with us, and help us through Hell.

  We are a loud, proud family at Virginia Tech. But we are neither elitist nor exclusive. We welcome our Carolina Cousins into our family, into our nation, with open arms -- and great thanks. We are the Hokie Nation. You are the Hokie Nation.

  For today, we are ALL Hokies...

  -Damon Wilson, VT '74
   

• Dear Friends,

  The past few days have been an emotional rollercoaster. I am so lucky to have such great friends (many of you Hokies yourselves) and family. I just recieved this article and I wanted share it with you. I think it does a great job of expressing the pain that the Virginia Tech family is feeling right now. Fellow Hokies, you know these feelings very well. For the rest of you, here's a great explanation of how and why we're hurting the way we are, but also why we'll overcome this.

  GO HOKIES!

  Campus tragedy will only bring tight community closer...
   

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  They are clashing colors, maroon and orange. As they say, it's a combination only a Hokie could love. But Tuesday, maroon and orange came together in a moving display of sympathy, support and pride. Watching Virginia Tech students in school colors grieve together at the convocation in Cassell Coliseum got me choked up. I couldn't speak. When they concluded the afternoon by together yelling "We Are Virginia Tech!" and "Let's Go Hokies!" I lost it. Surprising feelings rushed forth. Here were students in a basketball arena doing a sports chant. It was such a familiar expression of unity, but this time summoned for an infinitely more profound occasion. AP Photo/Gerald Herbert The Virginia Tech community has come together to mourn the lives that were lost. It's a campus I know well, from many visits through the years. You don't arrive at Virginia Tech accidentally. You have to work to get there, journeying into the Blue Ridge Mountains. It's lovely ... picturesque ... and seems very far away from the dangers of the outside world. There is a collective strength of spirit there that feels quite different from other campuses we visit. It's a big school, of about 26,000. But it feels like a tight community. The official name is Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. It's not a curriculum or a setting for everyone. But most students who are there want to be nowhere else. That spirit seems to endure long after leaving Blacksburg. Once a Hokie, always a Hokie. All of this made watching the images and hearing the horrific accounts Monday even more chilling. All the networks showed maps marking the buildings the shootings took place. In between them is the spot "College GameDay" was staged in September, on the mall near the library and the parade ground. Those of us who work on "GameDay" (and on the entire ESPN college football project) have a strong affection for Virginia Tech that goes back many years. The pain there is unimaginable and will not soon fade. We hope that the sense of unity and togetherness that makes it a special campus will remain. During the Hokies' run to the championship game in the '99 football season, it was the amazing spirit of Virginia Tech that helped us take "GameDay's" road shows to a level we'd never imagined. At the urging of Frank Beamer, an orange and maroon horde of about 13,000 wedged in to a corner of Lane Stadium one Saturday morning. For us, it was a mind-boggling display. Sure, we knew they hadn't necessarily shown up to hear three guys on a set many yards away talk football. They came to show the nation how strongly they felt about their team and their school. And I can't tell you how much it meant to us to share the day with them. When "GameDay" revisited Blacksburg later that season, we figured that the novelty had worn off and expected a much smaller crowd. Instead, an even bigger, more spirited throng roared for 90 minutes. After that, our little traveling circus was never the same. The ante had been upped for every other school. Virginia Tech set the standard. We really have savored each visit since.  " The pain there is unimaginable and will not soon fade. We hope that the sense of unity and togetherness that makes it a special campus will remain. "

  This week, that powerful sense of community at Tech is being shown to the world. It is heartening. Unfortunately, much of the world always will associate this campus in the mountains only with this massacre. Many will conclude from this senseless, psychotic act that the current college generation in America is warped by violence ... and hopeless. To me, news events of recent weeks have revealed something quite different. It strikes me: The many Tech students I have seen interviewed were so thoughtful and reasonable, even in moments fresh with confused fear. A strong sense of humanity shines through. In a way, I saw the same sense of dignity and wisdom-beyond-years displayed by the Rutgers women's basketball team and the three former lacrosse players from Duke. Under intense scrutiny, it was the college kids who were level-headed, displaying tolerant, thoughtful restraint and a sense of perspective, while so many adults embarrassed themselves, grandstanding for the voracious 24-hour media machine, foaming at the mouth on cue. Not the students. It made me feel pretty good about the generation that will inherit this place. To the community of Virginia Tech and to the families of the victims, our thoughts will remain with you during the long, difficult healing process. Your sense of unity has never been more needed. It was touching that under the weight of so many other emotions, Tech students seemed saddened that the school they love forever could be branded as the site of an historic massacre. To those of us who have spent time there, Tech always will be recognized for much more than the hours of tragedy April 16, 2007. We look forward to our next chance to experience Virginia Tech pride first hand.

  Chris Fowler is the host of ESPN's "College GameDay."

  -Chris Fowler ESPN.com (Archive)
   

• The Final Emotion
   

  I am in the business of writing, of articulating my thoughts, of putting into words what others may only sense as a blur of feelings. I have never backed down from the challenge, be it capturing the emotion of a landmark victory, the pain of an agonizing defeat, the triumph and heartbreak that are part and parcel of athletics, even the horror of 9/11 over five years ago. It is my calling, my passion, my God-given talent. But I fear this ... this is too much. I am not speaking lightly when I say that I cannot comprehend the loss suffered by the families, friends, and loved ones of this tragedy. I have tried to imagine what it must be like to suddenly lose someone close to you in this way. But I can't. I have a wife and three children, and when I try to put myself in that place, that terrible place where so many people have been thrown with no recourse, I can't. It has only been two days since it happened, but it feels like forever. I am exhausted from being exposed to the brunt of it, from the message boards to the constant news coverage, to the conversations of family and friends, to the scenes on the Virginia Tech campus. Others have said they can't sleep. Not I. When I have fallen into bed past midnight the last two nights, sleep has come easily. It's getting up the next morning that has been difficult. We never thought this would be us. We have watched these kinds of tragedies from afar, but this one has hit us where we live. The media have descended from around the world, poking, prodding, and worst of all, trying to place blame. An immense amount of pressure has been brought to bear on the Virginia Tech community, first by Cho Seung-Hui himself and then by the crush of international attention. While some of the coverage has been compassionate, much of it has not been, and some of it has bordered on cruel and sensationalistic. None of this surprises me, but being at the center of it still stings, and it changes your perceptions forever. As I searched for meaning in what happened, I finally found it. I found it in the incredible poise, control, and togetherness shown by the Virginia Tech family. The true character of a person, group, or institution shows itself under pressure, and what the Virginia Tech community has shown us is grace, cohesion, intelligence, and compassion. I have always thought that there was something different about Hokies, and the last few days have proven it. We always talk about the passion that Hokies have for Virginia Tech, about the special connection they feel to the university, and this tragedy has shown that talk doesn't ring hollow. If it wasn't true, if there wasn't a special bond between members of the Virginia Tech community, then they would have flown apart in the face of this adversity. They did not. They drew together and showed the world a united front.

  Those interviewed by the media refused, for the most part, to be drawn into the baiting questions that sought to place blame on university president Charles Steger and the Virginia Tech Police Department. The very students who were in danger Monday let the world know where they stand when they applauded Dr. Steger at Tuesday's convocation service. The vultures were circling, hoping to pick the bones, but the people at Virginia Tech refused. They showed what it means to be Hokies. They drew together. The students in particular have exceeded my expectations. We tend to think of them just as kids. Loud, shallow, self-centered, focused on the trivial, often spoiled. Adorned with body piercings, tattoos, and too much facial hair.

  What we have seen instead, in the countless interviews of students on news channels up and down the dial, are bright, articulate, respectful individuals that any university would be flattered to call its own. Well-groomed, well-spoken, wearing dress clothes, ties, even suits, patiently answering questions, keeping their composure in the face of more than most of us will ever experience. I am on the one part humbled -- they are better people than I was at their age -- and on the other part proud. Well done, students of Virginia Tech. You are representative of the type of people Virginia Tech is admitting and producing -- you, not Cho Seung-Hui -- and I am proud of both you and my university. From the beautiful and gifted Reema Samaha to the cheerful, intelligent and talented Ryan Clark, Cho's victims were pictures of inspiration. These were not vapid, self-centered individuals. It is sad that their lives were cut short, but perhaps the way they conducted those lives will inspire others. They make me wish I could go through college again, to be more like them. By the nature of what I do for a living, my window into the Virginia Tech world is athletics. Among the fans, athletics is about passion. It is about pride in victory and anguish in defeat. These emotions are always strong, always out of proportion to the importance of the games themselves, but I have always felt that with Virginia Tech fans, there was something beyond the typical fan relationship with their sports teams. Now that I have seen that passion and togetherness extend beyond the playing fields and the stadiums and coliseums and into the glare of this awful spotlight, I know it to be true.

  Being a Hokie is not a mercenary relationship. It is not a business proposition. It is not an exchange of goods and services for money. It is a shared bond, a love that comes from somewhere we don't understand and can't explain to others. We do not take from this university; it gives to us. Perhaps when we first arrive on its campus, we have our own selfish interests in mind, but by the time we leave, we are transformed.

  We are Hokies.

  It is sad and tragic that this happened to us. Because we love this university, we are devastated by what happened here. But if it was necessary for us to suffer in order for others to benefit, it is a burden we will bear, because our motto -- Ut Prosim, That I May Serve -- tells us that's what we must do. If our tragedy brings you together, if our loss makes you safer and makes you value what is important in life, if our suffering is not in vain, then we are prepared to shoulder this load ... so you don't have to. That has always been the mission of this university, and we are honored to carry it out. Do not let the deaths of these 32 victims be in vain. Look into your hearts and see what it teaches you, and how you may be better because of what we have gone through. And know that when the bodies are in the earth, when the media has left, when others have moved on and life resumes its course, that for us, there is only one emotion left: Love. Love for this university, love for the people who died on April 16th, 2007, and love for those who are left behind.

  Remember this, and what happened here will not have been for naught.

  - William Neal Stewart, TechSideline.com

  Virginia Tech, BSEE 1987
   

• Football fans to don VT colors
  
  In light of Monday's shooting at Virginia Tech, some Penn State students are organizing a large-scale demonstration of support in the Beaver Stadium stands Saturday -- and Penn State is footing the bill. A group on Facebook called "VT Zone at Blue-White Game" has already acquired more than the 800 student members they need to form a massive "VT" symbol in student seating sections EC and EU, rows Uthrough 24. Shortly after he and his friends began organizing the VT Zone, Bill Solomon (senior-actuarial science) learned that Penn State would pay for 800 T-shirts, some maroon and some orange. The shirts have been ordered and will be handed out on a first-come-first-serve basis to any students who wish to be part of the VT symbol.

  -Jim Tuttle, Collegian Staff Writer
   

• If I'd Had My Way
  If I had my way...that day
  It would have been an ordinary Monday
  Filled with your morning class
  As you built on a dream that would last
  If I had my way...that day
  It would have been an ordinary Monday
  Filled with routine tasks, even mundane
  But never a day shattered by the insane
  Never a day exploding in horror and pain
  If I had my way...that day
  It would have been an ordinary Monday
  I would have heard from you that afternoon
  Your voice full of life as a melodious tune
  We'd make plans to see each other soon
  If you had your way...that day
  It would have been an ordinary Monday
  And you would be with me here right now
  We'd say "I love you" again... somehow
  Somehow I must find my way now
  Knowing if you had your way...that day
  It would have been an ordinary Monday

  -Joanne Gonwa
   

• Father, right now we acknowledge You & we acknowledge Your presence & Your sovereignty. Father we lift up Virginia Tech & 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 & comfort them in this tragic time. We pray for families, neighbors, & friends. We pray for staff, professors, & administrators. God, 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 & salvation of souls. We pray that your hand will move mightily over Blacksburg, VA & over this nation. Touch souls right now & comfort broken hearts. Forgive us for our sins Father. In Your Son Jesus Christ name we pray. Amen.

   

  ***Please forward this so that we can get a nation praying for Blacksburg, VA and for our nation.***

  First of all I would like to say, please let us pray for the families of VT. As an alumni of VT im deeply sadden by the sensless killings. But I know we will heal, and be back to being Hokies, the best school in the Nation. I'm proud to be a Hokie, and I will always consider fellow Hokies MY Family. So we must all bond as one and do what we can for the families.

  God Bless

  -Antonio Banks
   

• Hey man
   

  Meredith is home. We found out yesterday the shooter lived diagonally across the hall from Meredith. Same dorm, same floor, same hall for 8 months. He was in there loading gun clips when she walked by Monday on her way to work out at 8:00 am. That realization has been very disturbing to all of us especially her Mother and herself. She came back about 9:00 am about the time he left for Norris. Could have walked right by him...could have looked at him .... could have been a victim. She was interviewed Monday nite by the FBI and the State Police but did not recognize the guy. It was like his roomates said ..."he was invisible". She was asked by a number of media people for her comments but she said she would rather not talk about it - everyone said they understood and were sorry for the tragedy - not a normal response from the media. We are very fortunate and blessed to have her home as there too many who won't get to go home or will go home with some very painful scars. Thanks to you and everyone else (copied here or not) who have offered up thoughts, calls, emails, etc this week. Go home and hug your kids.

  -Pat Duncan
   

• Hey mom-

  I know that you're probably asleep right now so I didn't bother to call the house. I just wanted to let you know about an Aggie tradition that I have never told you about, and that I just found out about myself. That tradition is Echo Taps.

  It is a special version of Silver Taps that can be done any day and its purpose is usually to honor the deaths of presidents. Echo Taps can also be held to pay a tribute to those who die in disasters such as September 11th and Hurricane Katrina. Instead of having the Ross Volunteers march in and do their version of a 21 gun salute, two bugle players stand at opposite ends of the quad to play Silver Taps (the special rendition of Taps only Texas A&M is allowed to play). One player begins the song while the other echoes him. Not many non-regs (those not in the corps) attend Echo Taps because it is little known outside the corps.

  Tonight, at 10:30, I went to my first Echo Taps in honor of Virginia Tech and those who lost their lives today. Like usual, the entire corps came out from their dorms and lined up along the sides of the quad but there was something different - hundreds of non-regs were lined up at the top of the quad and alongside the corps members. Although Echo Taps is a short ceremony, lasting about 5 minutes, so many students came to interrupt what is commonly known as a corps tradition to show their support and respect for Virginia Tech and the victims of this tragedy.

  I just thought that you would like to know that all of us at Texas A&M are thinking about those in Blacksburg and each and every member of the Virginia Tech family is in our prayers.

  I love you,

  - Jennifer

  P.S. I'll be sporting the maroon and orange tomorrow!
   

• Thanks for all the e-mails, information, and support of VT. My daughter will be attending VT in the fall so this has been a trying week for us as both a VT alumni and future Hokie. I just found out today that my nephew in Miami has decided to accept VT's offer of admission. He will be majoring in Architecture. That makes 8 Hokies in my family; my wife, 2 brothers (one is an Architect in Va Beach), sister-in-law, nephew, and daughter.

  Go Hokies

  -Peter May '84, Mooresville, NC
   

• Dear Tom,

  On behalf of fellow North Carolina State University Wolfpackers everywhere, the Guilford County Wolfpack Club would like to express our sorrow regarding the unfortunate events that took place yesterday in Blacksburg. This is a terrible tragedy and we offer our condolences and support to the alumni and Virginia Tech family. We hope that everyone will find a way to heal and move forward as time begins to heal your heartache. This tragedy will not be forgotten and we would like in any way possible to assist in your healing.  Please know that Hokies are in the thoughts and prayers of all Wolfpackers.  Since Virginia Tech's entry into the ACC, I personally, and I know of many others who, have been impressed with the friendly competition of the Hokies.

  May God Bless and grant you comfort.

  Sincerely,

  -Ann Hunt Smith, Chair, Guilford County WPC,  336-449-1273
   

• Thank you for being such a thorough President. As a fellow alumni, I am grieving for the victims, their families and friends. I am also grieving for Va. Tech's reputation. Va. Tech is such a wonderful University.  It is sad that this tragedy may affect future student and athletic candidates choice of schools.  You have my support for any effort we decide on to help those affected.  You have been a great communicator of events and meetings.

  We appreciate your leadership.

  -Lisa Zimmerman Ward , Class of 1989, Winston-Salem resident
   

• Hi Mr. Hughes,

  My name is Nikki and my husband is Rob. We are new residents here in Greensboro and Hokies's all the way. I found your e-mail and after today's events my husband and I wanted to get in touch with the local Hokie Club to see if you all were doing anything and if so if we could participate even if it's just praying. We are both from Giles County about 30 min. from Blacksburg we spent the day contacting relatives and friends that were on campus today. We have heard that a young man from our hometown was one of the victims today. Possibly the first in his family to attend college. I feel that at a time like this the HOKIE nation needs to unite and support those that have been affected today. Please feel free to e-mail me back with any information about the Triad Hokies. Thoughts and Prayers!!

  - Nikki Stafford
   

• don't know if you saw this
   
  My husband posted the following to an MSNBC blog this afternoon, but
  they have removed it. We guess they don't like to hear critical voices...
  
  ------------------
  
  It is time to leave. It is probably a few days PAST time to leave. This
  was a story that needed to be told. But it has been told. We know
  who lived. We know who died. We know who did the killing, and how.
  We even know why: he was a lunatic. Once those facts are known,
  the story is over. There is no suspect on the run. There is no hunt for
  the identity of a killer. There is no suspect in custody, against which a
  case is being built. On Monday morning, a lunatic shot and killed 32 of
  the finest of their generation. Then he took the cowardly way out, and
  took his own life. That was the whole story that needed to be told, and
  by sometime on Wednesday it had been.
  
  But you, the media, couldn't let it end there. There were the endless
  stories that attempted to manufacture motives and blame. There were
  the "human interest" pieces that were anything but. There was the
  idiotic story on CNN yesterday that actually went so far as to say that
  the classroom buildings at Virginia Tech included such "deadly design
  flaws" as having second story windows that were two floors above the
  ground. And then the coup de grace: giving the killer exactly the stage
  that he clearly demanded.
  
  You should be ashamed. Deeply ashamed.
  
  Yes, the killer's motives are relevant. Yes, they are part of the story.
  But there is a difference between a) reporting that materials had been
  received, and saying "here are brief snippets of his transcript", and b)
  putting him on stage for a multimedia presentation that victimizes an
  already shocked and horrified campus, community, and country.
  
  You should be ashamed. Deeply ashamed.
  
  As a proud and loyal Hokie, the only positive that I've seen in this
  tragedy has been the poise and grace of the students and faculty at
  Virginia Tech. Although I graduated nearly 20 years ago I've maintained
  close ties with the school. I'm both proud and gratified to see that we
  can be as proud of today's Virginia Tech, and today's Hokies, as I was
  during my all too brief stay in Blacksburg.
  
  Yesterday I detected a sea change in the coverage coming out of
  Blacksburg. Students, professors, and families were refusing to talk to
  the media. They were uniting under one message: You've crossed the
  line, and it's time for you to go. It's nice to see that you've gotten the
  message.
  
  After telling a story that needed to be told, you crossed the line and told
  the story that shouldn't have been told. And, like the killer's bullets, it
  can never be taken back.
  
  You should be ashamed. Deeply ashamed.