Hokies - life lessons in their own words

Today the Hokies football team of Virginia Tech takes the field against ECU for the first time since the shootings four and a half months ago that left 33 people dead. This would be enough of a challenge to put into perspective - but the football players had yet another blow - the downfall of favorite son Michael Vick, whose name adorned a building at the school and whose picture held a "shrine-like" place.

So what have students taken away from these incidents? A few articles I've found provide some interesting quotes.

Linebacker Vince Hall -
"You've always got to make the right decisions, and if you do wrong, you're going to pay for it and all you can do is serve your time for it and change." via nwi.com

Tailback Branden Ore-
"I think anybody that's in that kind of position knows that just as quick as you get built up, they'll break you down. You've just got to be careful of what you're doing and who you are hanging with.' via nwi.com

Wide receiver Justin Harper -
"You've got to value each day." via nwi.com

Others say the Hokie campus is now a more caring, compassionate place as a result of the tragedy. Most say that opening day of the college football season marks an important point as they move forward.

"No one will forget," one student said. "But I also think this weekend is an important time for Virginia Tech. Football is important here. It brings the whole community together. With everyone back for the start of the semester, I think it is a good way to go forward, to move on - to keep everything in our hearts, but to have a good time. It's also a great opportunity, especially with national TV here, for us to express our thanks to everyone who has been so supportive. The Hokies really appreciate everyone being so nice, rival schools, everyone across the nation has been there for us. I think people realize it could happen anywhere." via courant.com

"“I would say the student body as a whole cares more that our team is playing than it does about the wins,” said Kevin Schmid, a sophomore business management major. “It's been a rough couple of months, and for our football team to come out and play to begin with, is amazing in itself. It's definitely more important for our team to simply play because it helps us move on and get ourselves back to the regular school-like activities.” via sportingnews.com

“I envision the entire stadium applauding and giving ECU a standing ovation,” said Ryan Watson, a business major. “There have been numerous e-mails sent encouraging Virginia Tech students to respect our opponents who supported us through the hard times. The game will remain the same, but I believe there will be less animosity towards the ECU players and their fans.” Via sportingnews.com

And the VT football team's tradition of carrying a metal lunch bucket out to the field continues. In honor of the victims, a list of their names has been placed inside. In this video, players talk about the significance of this tradition - and their desire to honor the victims of the shootings.

NAMI provides resources on mental health issues and Virginia Tech

"The tragedy raises sharp issues about the nation’s fragmented mental healthcare system, which NAMI has raised for years. Some of them are now being debated in the news media and legislatures, including Congress. They range from stigma, privacy rights, court-ordered treatment, gun control, mental health and suicide prevention screening programs, and mental health services on college campuses.

The purpose of this Web site page is not to engage in debate at this time, but to provide information and resources to people who are still seeking to understand and cope with tragedy—and to direct them where they can express support to the Virginia Tech community."

Via NAMI website

National Alliance on Mental Illness consists of individual living with mental illnesses, their families and friends.

Fr. Jonathan writes about the Virginia Tech tragedy

"For now, we can only speculate about what may have been the cause of a life gone wrong. Cho Seung-Hui’s writings reveal a heart full of hate, anger and violence. The characters in his plays were victims of abuse. They hated authority and they wanted revenge. So did Cho...
I’ve worked in a university campus ministry. I know there are a countless number of young men and women whose hearts and minds — at least bits and pieces of them — are rotting from within, just like Cho’s. They look desperately and silently for love, to love and to be loved. Carrying emotional baggage from home and with no compelling guides in their newfound world of absolute freedom, they end up looking for happiness in all the wrong places.
But as we’ve seen, some don’t. ...
Of course, this bleak scenario of meaninglessness isn’t just a college thing; it’s a human thing. What’s gone wrong and what’s the answer?
This I know for sure: better security, more laws and revamped structures are not going to get to the heart of the problem.
The only way to deal with the heart is on a one-to-one basis. The work begins in the home and it continues in every human contact that follows — at work, school and the local gym."

via FoxNews

Click above to read the rest.

"Violence Comes to Class"

In the face of the shootings at Virginia Tech, I found this post by Sr. Edith, a college professor, who writes over at Monastic Musings:

"After the shootings at Virginia Tech, I am probably not the only faculty member thinking, "Could that happen here? Could someone show up in my class with a gun in statistics class this afternoon, ending my life and those of my students?" The sad truth is that it could happen in just about any classroom on any college campus in America."

She raises a great question:

"Rather than ask what pushes one person so far over the edge that a massacre seems the best, or only, way to deal with the extreme emotions, I wonder what situations push so many people close to the edge - and how we might change that."

Click above to read the rest.

Helping students feel safe after tragedy

In this 2001 post 9/11 article, experts talk about how parents and educators can deal with the fears of students on issues such as feeling unsafe, talking about tragedy and violence and limiting exposure to TV coverage. Studies have shown that even those who are not present at a tragedy can experience a form of PTSD, especially children who have difficulty processing repeated images of TV coverage of events.

"Gateway to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder"

Today's tragic shootings at Virginia Tech will affect many lives. It is imperative that the students and staff who personally experienced this tragedy give voice to their experiences in its aftermath.

Click above to learn more about PTSD and to find resources for help and support.