Va. Tech shootings were felt by Koreans

BY EUNJI KIM

FOR THE FREE LANCE-STAR

BLACKSBURG--

The Drillfield at Virginia Tech has 32 engraved Hokie stones placed to mourn, to reflect in the memory of the people who lost their lives here.

The morning dew on yellow rose petals was like teardrops that symbolize the tragedy of April 16, 2007.

Today is the three-year anniversary of the fatal shootings at Virginia Tech, in the peaceful town of Blacksburg.

Gunshots echoed through Norris Hall on the Virginia Tech campus. There were snow flurries early that morning while students were busy preparing for their finals. Two buildings--Norris and West Ambler Johnson Hall--turned bloody. Ambulances came; police officers surrounded the campus.

The gunman, Seung-Hui Cho, was found already dead by his own gun. His toll: 32 people--27 students and five professors--were dead. It was the deadliest peacetime shooting incident by a single gunman in United States history, on or off a school campus.

LOSS OF FRIENDS

"My dad lost his old friend, and my friends' friends died," said Benjamin Saunders, 21, an international affairs major at the University of Mary Washington. He is from Blacksburg.

Sixty percent of Blacksburg's population either works at Virginia Tech or attends classes there. "It was not others' story, but my neighbors, and my friends," Saunders said.

Not only was Blacksburg inconsolable, the grief spread throughout the country. It also captured international attention. Koreans were especially shocked and distressed. Indeed, the gunman Cho was Korean-American.

Koreans 'terrified'

Hyun Wook Lee, a graduate student in mechanical engineering, got a phone call from a friend warning him not to go to school because there was a big incident on campus.

"At first, I was so shocked that the gunman is a student of my school. A couple of days after, I got to know that he is a Korean-American through the newspaper, and I got terrified," Lee said.

His parents, who live in Korea, worried about a possible backlash at Koreans. They even suggested he transfer to another school.

But he decided to stay because he was close to getting his master's degree.

"Friends in my lab and other professors encouraged me to keep studying," he said.

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EunJi Kim, 21, of South Korea is an exchange student majoring in English at the University of Mary Washington. She has been attending Sungshin Women's University in Seoul.

She visited Virginia Tech to talk with Korean students and faculty about how they were affected by the fact that the student responsible for the bloodshed was Korean-American. This story is adapted from one she wrote for Campus Herald, a Korean magazine.

Anniversary events

Virginia Tech honored survivors of the April 16, 2007, massacre yesterday with the dedication of two sitting benches at the April 16 Memorial on the Drillfield.

The following events are scheduled for today, the third anniversary of the shootings that left 33 dead including the gunman.

A ceremonial candle was lit at the April 16 Memorial about midnight.

A 3.2-mile Run in Remembrance will start at Alumni Mall near the North Main Street entrance of campus at 8 this morning. Officials expect more than 5,000 participants.

A community picnic on the Drillfield will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

Several events will be held at various locations from 11 a.m. until 5 p.m. as part of the Expressions of Remembrance. Among these events are a community arts project, a memorial slide show and a display highlighting the academic achievements and interests of the 32 victims.

From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., presentations will be held in the Squires Student Center to showcase student research, involvement, cultural experiences and general scholarship.

The War Memorial Chapel is available from 1 to 8 p.m. for private reflection and remembrance. Musicians will perform from 1 to 5 p.m., and candles will be available to light in memory of lost loved ones.

An open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. on the second floor of Norris Hall. The Norris Hall Art Gallery also will be open during those times.

A panel discussion on community resilience is scheduled for 4 p.m. at the Lyric Theatre.

At sunset, a commemoration and candlelight vigil will be held on the Drillfield at the April 16 Memorial.

Date published: 4/16/2010

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