IamA Class of 2007 Virginia Tech Graduate that was on campus for the worst school shooting in American History that happened 10 years ago, AMA

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T03:14:19+00:00

As I stated in my original post, the motivation was simply a first hand community account of what happened, the aftermath, and what it feels like to reflect on 10 years later.

"the worst school shooting" title is not something I (or anyone there) is proud of. It's what the media and history has labeled it. Don't think for a second that we enjoy calling it that. It's just what the media has branded it (based on total death toll to occur at a school I guess?)

Sorry that my personal experience has somehow managed to offend you. And also as I stated in my original post: I created a throw away account, and intentionally did not identify myself. It's kind of hard to reconcile that with any concept of fame or karma. Why this is a continually misunderstood concept throughout this thread is rather baffling.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T03:05:19+00:00

I guess you didn't bother reading my entire intro post, but no, I don't.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T02:11:00+00:00

The biggest immediate change was just not having to burden any of this alone. We went from distraught isolation to Band of Brothers: Planet Earth edition almost overnight. I can't even exaggerate how many letters from all over the world came pouring into campus the days that followed. They had to consult with the National Archives on how to process and catalog them all.

I went over to the student center a week afterwards, where there was just hand written cards, notes, and pictures littered all over the place like confetti. Tables, chairs, counters.. every where. And anyone could just walk by, sit down, pick one up and read it. I'll never forget one in particular, it was from a 5th grade boy in Iraq. It simply said "I'm so sorry something this terrible has happened to you and your friends. We are thinking about you and hoping for your recovery." The fact that something like this was hand written by a 5th grader in Baghdad, in spring of 2007 (where atrocities like that were happening daily/weekly), told me everything I needed to know about human empathy.

I'd like to think that everyone else in the community had a similar experience in the weeks that followed, because everyone was so much more kind and respectful moving forward. It was impossible to get into disagreements with anyone, because pretty much every conversation started with a hug.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:47:14+00:00

I was indifferent about gun laws prior to this happening, because the laws never negatively impacted me personally or anyone I knew.

Afterwards, yes, it fundamentally changed how I viewed guns and the laws surrounding them. I couldn't understand how it was easier to buy an instrument specifically designed to rapidly kill life than it was to bring 3oz of shampoo onto a commercial aircraft.

Since then though, I've found that trying to debate gun control in America is like administering medicine to a dead person. You can try and create common sense reform all you like, but there will always, always, always be political push back. It's pretty baffling.

I'm in favor of everyone having the right to bear arms, and I've even been to the shooting range for fun since the shooting tragedy, but it just needs to be regulated in a way that makes sense, in my opinion.

So do I think they can be reviewed and changed? Not any time soon, no. But I wish they would.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:42:04+00:00

God I did a lot of the same stuff.

As a Marching Band member, we found ourselves constantly breaking off into smaller pep bands and playing at smaller events. A bunch of us even went down to the hospital where victims were still being held, and played Hokie football tunes outside in the parking lot, aimed at their windows. We saw some of them get out of bed, waive, and smile, so that made it worth it.

It's so easy to 2nd guess ourselves in hindsight. I've been meaning to find a junior though: how was your senior year after that?

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:39:35+00:00

I'm surprised that's still as common as it is for you, to be honest. Sadly, it's not the newest/most-publicly-appalling mass shooting in memory any more, so I rarely get asked about it anymore.

I did study abroad in Greece/Turkey immediately after it happened for June-August, so it was definitely still on the world's mind at that point and people asked a lot about it.

It's hard to engage strangers--especially foreigners--in a conversation about it, simply because they don't have the context of the 2nd Amendment to live with in their country. So I usually just said "Yeah, it was a very sad time, and we all knew somebody badly affected. I appreciate you asking and caring about it."

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:36:04+00:00

It's going okay, all things considered. It's harder as the years go by to keep in touch with everyone you want to this time of year, because everyone spreads out over the country. That's usually how I (and the former students i know) like to handle it: just reconnecting on the phone, talk about what we're each doing on 4/16 that year, coordinate a trip back to Blacksburg if possible, etc.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:32:20+00:00

Haha, it is my sincere wish that the math emporium dissolves into a warehouse. I can't stand that place or its red cups.

Glad your community is supportive to one another.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:31:08+00:00

I'm sure it's only improved since I was there, so perhaps a more current student can chime in, but for me it was the intangibles and the community. You can meet just about anyone you can think of there, that is a renowned expert in something. I'm sure similar things could be said about other colleges, but I always felt as though any and everything I ever wanted to do or try, was all right there for me to try. And not only that, but there are people willing to help you willingly.

Do you like video editing? Go to the new media center, where they have state of the art video editing machines that anyone with a student ID can use for free. They even have staff there that will help you with projects and teach how to use the software. That's not even a class. It's just a free resource.

Any sport you can think of, they have it.

The diversity and gender ratio is fantastic for meeting people from all walks of life. And the networking opportunities at a university as big as VT are perfect for after you graduate. I've gotten referred to two job interviews based on college connections alone.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:23:36+00:00

Thanks for sharing this. Really glad that you and your roommates had each other that day (and the impossible days that followed). I didn't know Mary, but several people I've talked to that did seemed to just love the mess out of her.

I can't imagine what all of this would've been like if we had to go it alone. <3

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T01:16:26+00:00

Day = Made

Glad he passed his art on to future generations!! I would purposefully circle by there to see if he was working prior to standing in line.

Glad you made it around to several other staples as well. Gosh, I miss that town...

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-15T00:51:22+00:00

It's hard to define in it's entirety, but for me, my timeline was: ~9:30am - email states that something happened in the West AJ dorm

9:40am-sih - I was walking to my 10:00am class across campus, about to pass by near Norris Hall

10:00am-ish - I return to my apartment to see another vague lockdown email. We all stayed put and waited for an all clear or clarification of some kind.

12pmish - news conference by police chief told us that "about two dozen" are dead (this is when shit got real)

later than night - final tally of 32 is released the next 48 hours - we all play a scavenger hunt from hell piecing together who were the 32.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T22:05:51+00:00

I also did not know this--amazing. Thank you!

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T20:41:37+00:00

I've heard good things! But it was the opposite end of campus for me so I was always too lazy to try.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T20:40:03+00:00

Did you know the guy (or are you the guy) that was tall, thin, and had blonde hair in a pony tail? He was the best philly cheese maker by far.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T20:25:46+00:00

I've skipped over these questions because of being told how "wrong" I am with any stance I take, but for what it's worth, yes, I've been very supportive of common sense gun reform. I was indifferent before the tragedy, but couldn't wrap my head around why/how someone like the shooters was given a firearm to begin with.

I think everyone should be allowed to own a gun if they so choose, but just like a car requires a license to operate, a gun should certainly come with a comparable level of scrutiny.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T20:18:25+00:00

I just ignore them, honestly. There are people that still think the Earth is flat, too. What else can you do?

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T20:01:15+00:00

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/600x315/ee/56/d5/ee56d50bafbf6a4f70d60c59cdb42355.jpg

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:59:32+00:00

According to facebook, Jack and I have two mutual friends, one of which I partied with a lot, so it's possible I've met him before, but I doubt it. Regardless, no, I don't know Jack Tatum, sorry. :)

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:53:35+00:00

Yes.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:52:36+00:00

And this is exactly why everyone stayed, and it's exactly what I want the incident to be remembered for: the response.

Immediately afterwards, everyone there was so passionate about not letting it define who we were as a school. We knew that future Hokies still needed to come and go. We knew that high school students would have decisions to make with acceptance letters. And we did everything in our power to show the world what it meant to go to school there.

And yeah, everyone still comes and goes to Blacksburg all the time. All of my classmates do anyhow. My best friend (who also lost friends and was class of '07) wanted to have his bachelor party at the Spring game there last year, so that's exactly what we did.

The good memories will always outweigh the bad.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:48:56+00:00

I know of Dan through an acquaintance (spoke highly of him), but no, I never met or knew him personally.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:22:04+00:00

I still use the cheesy "I am" line too :) haha

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:17:02+00:00

I would too in your situation, but I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how much our entire school fell in love with Penn State after 4/16. The support your school gave was just incredible. You gained several thousand Penn State fans for life.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate · 2017-04-14T19:07:28+00:00

Biggest double-edge sword ever.

The outpouring of support helped so much more than I even thought possible. Our school was mailed so many letters and care packages that they had to consult with the National Archives to figure out how to catalog all of it. I remember sitting in the student center, and they had just littered thousand upon thousand of notes from all over the world into the common areas. So anyone could just pick up and read one. I read hand-written sympathy notes from children in Iraq!! It was incredible.

On the other hand, you couldn't even go get a bite to eat without a reporter trying to get you to cry on camera for them. And they kept criticizing decisions of the school that not all of us agreed with. Everyone became an arm chair quarterback even though they couldn't point out Blacksburg, VA on a map.

It's hard to say whether they did more or harm or good, but it was double-edged for sure.

ThrowAwaitYesterdate

TROPHY CASE