The Long Haul: We Remember

6 years have passed.

We will neVer forgeT .

We are Virginia Tech.

We are sad today and we will be sad for quite awhile.
WE are not moving on, we are embracing our mourning.

We are Virginia Tech.

We are strong enough to know when to cry and sad enough to know we must laugh again.

We are Virginia Tech.

We do not understand this tragedy. We know we did not deserve it but neither does a child in Africa dying of AIDS, but neither do the invisible children walking the night to avoid being captured by a rogue army. Neither does the baby elephant watching his community be devastated for ivory; neither does the Appalachian infant killed in the middle of the night in his crib in the home his father built with his own hands being run over by a boulder because the land was destabilized. No one deserves a tragedy.

We are Virginia Tech.

The Hokie Nation embraces our own with open heart and hands to those who offer their hearts and minds. We are strong and brave and innocent and unafraid. We are better than we think, not quite what we want to be. We are alive to the imagination and the possibility we will continue to invent the future through our blood and tears, through all this sadness.

We are the Hokies.

We will prevail, we will prevail.

We are Virginia Tech.

by Nikki Giovanni

April 16, 2008 & 2009
April 16, 2010
April 16, 2011
April 16, 2012

I would be remiss if I did not recognize the events that unfolded in Boston yesterday. I was following Boston all day- it is such an awesome, life changing event for so many people and I was thrilled with the happiness and excitement surrounding the race. To have so many huge accomplishments marred, the loss of life, all of those injured... I am horrified. Just the Boston events along would be terrifying, but combined with the fact that it was the day before our day of remembrance, well... I was glad to come home to the VT flag outside and a cuddly puppy and kitty.