Virginia Tech: One Year Later

On April 16, 2007, Seung Hui Cho, a mentally unstable English major, killed 27 students and 5 professors at Virginia Tech before shooting himself.

A year later, new and old students, survivors, and friends gathered to hear the 32 victims’ names read aloud. Memorial events include an art exhibit, morning meditations, open-mike poetry events, an evening prayer service and a candlelight vigil.

An official investigation was launched last year to determine responsibility for the tragedy. The public wondered how state laws didn’t prevent Cho from buying a weapon.  Most families have agreed to a settlement and will not be suing the state or the university.

Some victims’ families are still calling for Virginia Tech President Steger’s resignation. Steger says he never considered resigning. Senior Ryan Brown describes Steger’s response: “A lot of times in a group setting [Steger] is very calm, he’s very composed, that’s why he’s our president. But sometimes when you can just have a small side conversation you can see the hurt.”

When Cho began shooting, sophomore Heidi Miller was down on the floor in the back of the classroom. She says that somehow, she’s managed not to get angry about everything. Miller writes in the campus paper that “To me there is no such thing as moving on ... however, there is the idea that you can find some peace somehow, and find a new normal that doesn't mean that everything is OK and right with the world, but rather that you achieve a new balance.”