It Sucks Actually

Even though I am a Virginia Tech graduate and one of the first people to live in the Ambler Johnston dorms -- they opened the year I was a freshman -- where the first shooting took place, I really don't want to get sucked into explaining why I was physically shaking for two hours this morning and close to tears several other times during the day. I just was.  I'm sure many of you have had something at sometime in your life that's had a like effect on you.

Blacksburg is a place that's very special to me. It's the only place that I've ever lived where I felt safe enough to keep my doors unlocked. My best friend still lives there. I've spent much of the day thinking about old friends and email-ing with them as well as professors. I have that same feeling that former New Yorkers did after 9/11. Part of me feels like it's been wounded and is calling me home.

I do want to say though that I'm appalled at the media coverage so far. It's been extremely unprofessional and subpar. I don't want CNN to be apologizing for "having to bring you this story" or mentioning that there's a large international population at the school and then "welcoming our foreign viewers." I find the fact that they are already pointing fingers and blaming the administration and law enforcement nauseating. Yes, it's a big school. It's also a small, college town. There's absolute no way they could have seen this coming. You can't prepare for a psycho.

Oh, and who didn't go to a school where there were bomb threats anytime it got near to finals?

Comments

[Brill Bundy]

Tech is a big engineering school and the threats usually were directed at those buildings. I always figured it was a geek thing. English majors tended to be more internal with their attempts to get an extension ... well, know you, until now.

College, for me, was a great time (so much so I extended my stay for the five-year plan) so I'm sure I've romanticized the town. I have been pleased to see that the gazillion students they've spoken to over the past couple of days have all come across as sensitive and articulate. As Eric says, "That wouldn't be the case if this had happened at my alma mater."

My sister and brother-in-law forwarded me this bit of levity yesterday It's an email someone at the Dallas Morning News sent out: "Thanks to those of you who have expressed concern about my fiance's cousin, who was shot four times in yesterday's massacre at Virginia Tech. We believe he is the man being carried out of the building on today's newspaper cover. The shooter hit him in the shoulder, buttock, hip and knee. The bullets shattered his femur and broke parts of his hip and shoulder, but the doctors stabilized him late yesterday and now believe he should recover after a number of reconstructive surgeries. He will probably look awkward when he dances at our wedding this October, but then again, he was an awkward dancer before any of this began and he really wasn't looking forward to his finals anyway."

[Chris]

Bomb threats, no. Suicide, mental breakdowns, at least one OD, but no bomb threats.

Oh, wait. Didn't they empty Boone during finals one year? Or was that for a fire alarm?

And yeah, Caldwell was a real toilet in some places. I'm glad to hear it's getting better.

[The Nickel-Plated JA]

Wow, Brill. That could be chamber-of-commerce stuff for Blacksburg; even though I went to a small college in a small city (where Chris was my editor!), I never felt *that* safe in Caldwell -- though gentrification, as suburban development has finally pushed out that far, does seem to be doing wonders for both the town and for Albertson.

For the record, Steph's cousin Duane and his wife Noreen are also former Hokies.

And (help me out here, Chris) I can honestly say I don't recall a bomb threat at Albertson, ever -- finals or any other time.

[Kiley]

Comment from Blacksburg...
I almost punched a reporter yesterday.

It would have been nice.

[LisaTodo]

I'm so sorry, Brill. My friend Liz is a fellow Hokie (http://blog.washingtonpost.com/celebritology/2007/04/a_day_of_silence.html), and I can't grasp the awfulness. My thoughts are with you.

[Leslie]

I'm really sorry, girl. You better today?

[Chris]

I'm sorry, Brill. I hope you're okay.

[Mayrav]

I can only imagine how the students must be feeling right now. NU was hit by the Unibomber, but that was during the summer, when hardly anyone - save for KFS, I think - was around.

You read a paragraph like this and wonder how this could happen:

Spaventa described the horror of sitting in class in a nearby building and hearing the attack. "We were in class and got an e-mail about the first shootings, but classes kept going," she said. "And then we got another e-mail saying to stay where we were, that there was a shooter on the loose. Then we heard five shots."