It’s been a year since the country watched the dreadful Virginia Tech shootings unfold, leaving 33 students and faculty dead. In the months following the shootings, darkness and despair lingered as our morning newspapers greeted us with blown up images of a cold, angry-looking killer, and news stories delved into his disturbing writings and troubling behavior. When the media wasn’t focused on profiling the killer, we were inundated with stories on what many considered to be an incompetent emergency response on the part of the university. Stories highlighted regret and anger over lives lost that may have been saved.

Yes, all in all, it was a tough year for Virginia Tech, those associated with the university, and the nation as a whole. And yet, in the aftermath of this horrific tragedy, much healing has taken place and much good has come out of the original evil. While we can’t bring back the precious lives of those lost, we can honor some of the glimmers of goodness and grace that have sprung up since April 16^, 2007.

The Day Of…

While much of the media understandably focused on the horrors of Cho’s massacre, stories of true kindness and heroism emerged almost as soon as the shooting occurred. Who can forget the beautiful images of candlelight vigils and cadets in uniform? What town wasn’t, at some point, covered in orange and maroon, to show support for a school they may not have known much about before that day? Even our rivals, the University of Virginia, donned our school colors – a day I never thought would come!

And now that a year has passed, the campus and nation has had time to reflect on the beautiful lives of those killed instead of on the killer. If you visit Virginia Tech’s remembrance website, you’ll find profiles and pictures of each person who died, with heart-felt words for each one. Students’ talents, faith, achievements and caring natures shine through here.

Some of the most inspirational stories are of the heroes like Henry J. Lee, a sophomore Computer Engineering major, who assisted professor Jocelyne Couture-Nowak in trying to protect his fellow classmates. Or how about the moving story of professor Liviu Librescu? This 76-year-old Holocaust survivor, aeronautical engineer, and researcher gave his life so that his students could live.

And not everyone who put their lives on the line met death. According to wikipedia.org, German students Katelyn Carney, Derek O'Dell, Trey Perkins, and Erin Sheehan barricaded the door of Room 207, saving many lives.

Signs of Human Resiliency