Greetings from Tech country,
First I want to begin this by saying that my heart and my prayers go out to all the victims and their families and friends. What happened today at Virginia Tech is something no one would have ever imagined possible. The city of Blacksburg is not known for its crime or for any kind of violent incidenct, so today was quite of a shock to us all.
I got on campus around 9 a.m. just thinking that it was going to be a normal busy Monday. Aside from the snow, which was very odd, nothing seemed out of place. It was not until I sat down with my friend in my first class that I was made aware of the shooting that took place this morning in West Ambler Johnston Hall, where I lived as a freshman last year. My friend told me a girl had been shot along with her resident advisor early that morning and that the building was surrounded by police.
After we were let out of class at 9:50 a.m., no one was allowed to leave the psychology building. We were advised to remain inside and stay away from doors and windows. Everyone seemed pretty under control, even though anxiety was very obvious on everyone’s face. No one really knew what was going on; we could only rely on our cell phones and the news we could find out from the people around us.
I ended up in a small office on the third floor in a locked room with a couple of other girls looking right at Burress Hall and the drill field. The drill field seemed to be full of police, armed and ready. At one point we saw a couple of people running out of the building with their hands up in the air. There were also four or five ambulances that were present on the hill right in front of Norris Hall. Police personnel were all around the buildings telling students to go inside the buildings and take cover.
It was pretty terrifying. A lot of people downstairs were crying. Many of them would not get off cell phones with loved ones, while others seemed completely overwhelmed by the news. They seemed completely numb. I was in shock. I remained calm only because it seemed so surreal to me. It was like a movie. I could not believe I was actually witnessing this kind of a massacre. I was truly blessed to be safe in Williams Hall and be able to account for all my friends. I was tempted to run across the street into the next building where my boyfriend was at that time, but the police by the doors would not let anyone out.
I still can’t seem to wrap my mind around this. It seems so unbelievably unreal. I have loved this school since the first time I saw it as a junior in high school. I knew this is where I wanted to go to school. It seemed like a quiet little town in the middle of the mountains. There is not a lot around us – a couple of restaurants, some stores and residential areas. The crime rates here seemed like a joke compared to some city schools. However, apparently violence can happen anywhere. I have always felt very safe at this school. I have never felt like I need to watch my back or be careful walking alone. Everyone seems so nice, so welcoming and so accepting. This school community has always been very close and very safe. Our minds are blown. Our student community is very diverse, very multicultural and very understanding of different backgrounds, ethnicities and opinions.
I love this school, and my view will not be changed because of this. We have some of the best programs in the state, and this academic community has one of the highest standards for both the student body and its faculty.
So far I am not sure of any names of people who have been shot. For right now all I know is that there are 33 people who died, including the gunman. Others are still in the hospital, and our hearts and prayers go out to them. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
Sincerely,
Liliana Kostova
Virginia Tech sophomore, psychology major
Editor’s Note: This letter was written on Tuesday following the events at Virginia Tech on Monday of last week.