Where to begin...
4-16-07
Anyone connected in anyway with Virginia Tech will always have that date in their mind til the day they die. In our lexicon it's like 9/11 now.
If you have never been to Blacksburg, it is very small town America. Main St still looks like something from 20+ years ago. In the past 14 years they only had 5 murders. The students outnumber the town population. It was this small town appeal that drew me to Blacksburg in 1991. It reminded me so much of Chester, VA, my hometown.
With the news Monday of the shooting, and the loss of 32 students and faculty, I started to crave more information. Then it started to come out, 2 at West AJ, 30 in Norris on the 2nd floor. 2nd floor Norris. My mind started to wander, did I ever have a class there?
Then it hit me.
Summer 1993. I stayed in Blacksburg to attend summer classes because I was changing majors. I decided to take a Psychology class to fulfill a core cirriculum requirement. It was a class about the existence of God or something. I don't know I daydreamed through the class most days and still got an A. Anyways, that class was on the 2nd floor of Norris hall. It was at the front of the building, overlooking the Drillfield. There was about 12-15 of us in the class, I used to sit in the 3rd seat on the row that was against the wall as you came in the door. I could see it in my mind like I was just there yesterday. It was an 8 am class in July, and the hot summer sun would just be getting up to full peak, the humidity not yet kicking in totally for the day. If they had just cut the grass you could smell it through all of the open windows.
I tried to go to bed at midnight, but I wasn't tired. My mind was racing. I stared at the ceiling. 1 am. 2 am. All I could see was being in that room on the 2nd floor of Norris. These young kids and teachers, most of whom never had time to think about what to do.
This is the first part of a multi part blog I will be doing about the event on Monday. I hope you join me for this journey. I hope it is a cathartic one for me and others.
Anyone connected in anyway with Virginia Tech will always have that date in their mind til the day they die. In our lexicon it's like 9/11 now.
If you have never been to Blacksburg, it is very small town America. Main St still looks like something from 20+ years ago. In the past 14 years they only had 5 murders. The students outnumber the town population. It was this small town appeal that drew me to Blacksburg in 1991. It reminded me so much of Chester, VA, my hometown.
With the news Monday of the shooting, and the loss of 32 students and faculty, I started to crave more information. Then it started to come out, 2 at West AJ, 30 in Norris on the 2nd floor. 2nd floor Norris. My mind started to wander, did I ever have a class there?
Then it hit me.
Summer 1993. I stayed in Blacksburg to attend summer classes because I was changing majors. I decided to take a Psychology class to fulfill a core cirriculum requirement. It was a class about the existence of God or something. I don't know I daydreamed through the class most days and still got an A. Anyways, that class was on the 2nd floor of Norris hall. It was at the front of the building, overlooking the Drillfield. There was about 12-15 of us in the class, I used to sit in the 3rd seat on the row that was against the wall as you came in the door. I could see it in my mind like I was just there yesterday. It was an 8 am class in July, and the hot summer sun would just be getting up to full peak, the humidity not yet kicking in totally for the day. If they had just cut the grass you could smell it through all of the open windows.
I tried to go to bed at midnight, but I wasn't tired. My mind was racing. I stared at the ceiling. 1 am. 2 am. All I could see was being in that room on the 2nd floor of Norris. These young kids and teachers, most of whom never had time to think about what to do.
This is the first part of a multi part blog I will be doing about the event on Monday. I hope you join me for this journey. I hope it is a cathartic one for me and others.
posted by Jamie at 7:16 PM
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