Sad Day for My Alma Mater

I am totally floored by this. I have been watching coverage all day trying to get a grasp on this. I can't tell you how upsetting it is to see the places that I know so well being swarmed with swat teams and gunmen. 32 people dead is unfathomable. Even though I don't know the people involved, it is still very personal.

I spent my freshman and sophomore years living in East Ambler Johnson before moving off campus so this hits really close to home. East and West AJ were dorms where many Marching Virginians' are housed as they are closer to the practice field. Watching video of shots being fired in front of those wonderful Hokies stone buildings leaves me speechless.

I emailed with Dave, the Marching Virginians director (who is a very good friend as well) and at least one of the students killed was a band member…this is such an awful thing.

I was watching a press conference with the Va Tech president and the Chief of Police. There seems to be a lot of questioning about access to buildings and dorms…the thing that people seem to be forgetting…this is Blacksburg! Blacksburg is one of the safest places I know. It is an idyllic, peaceful town in the middle of no where. There is no way that anyone can prepare for this type of thing. As much as we would like to think that this type of thing can be prevented, it can not.

This sort of thing does not happen in Blacksburg of all places. Not at my university. I hate that Va Tech will now forever be remembered for this tragedy.