Volume XWIIII, Issue 12
Educating Women to Excel
April 25, 2007
ON THE
INSIDE:
Editorial
P-2
Letter to the
Editor
p. 3
Campus News
p.4
WEATHER
TODAY: Partly Cloudy.
Low 64, high 84.
Thursday: Mostly
Cloudy. Low 66, high
86.
Friday: Scattered T-
storms. Low 64, high 84.
Saturday: Isolated T-
storms. Low 58, high 81.
Sunday: Isolated T-
storms. Low 57, high 80.
Monday: Scattered T-
storms. Low 60, high 82.
Tuesday: Partly Cloudy.
Low 61, high 84.
Wednesday: Scattered T-
storms. Low 59, high 82.
Source: www.weather.
com
Candlelight Vigil and Supporting
Virginia Tech
By: Maria Santore
Contributing Writer
On Mon., April
16^ when I found out
about the shootings at
Virginia Tech, like all of
us, my heart sank. I imme
diately started calling my
friends in Blacksburg, VA
to check on their safety.
Although several have
close connections to the
shootings, I am thank
ful to say nobody I know
directly was injured or
killed. For the first 72
hours, like many oth
ers on Meredith's cam
pus, I lived off of hear
say. Rumors started fly
ing about people from
my high school. People I
hadn't talked to in years
were calling to say so-
and-so had been shot in
the back and leg. The
next phone call said she
was in surgery. Then they
said she died. I felt numb.
Whom to believe? It was
not until Wednesday
that I would learn those
rumors where false and
that nobody from my
high school was injured.
After the ini
tial shock of the events
on Monday, I realized I
wanted to go home to
my friends and family
in Virginia. I wanted to
hug my friends from Tech
and tell them I love them.
Yet, with so much to fin
ish before graduation,
not to mention my shaky
emotional state, I knew I
would have to find a way
to deal with my feelings
here.
Early last week,
I had two people from
Virginia whom Ihadriever
met, approach me looking
for the same thing I need
ed most: support. Cassie
Drake, Sarah Beeler, and
I became instant friends.
We spent hours together,
sharing stories, laughing,
crying, and comforting
one another.
I"m glad that
Meredith's administra
tors have responded to
this incident with a can
dlelight vigil and offers
of counseling support.
It was healing for Dr.
Jackson and Ms. Meir to
listen to me and to have
Sam Carothers ask for my
thoughts about the events.
I told him that the best
sign of support would
be lots of people at the
vigil. And when I walked
out of the chapel after the
choir concert, it brought
tears to my eyes to see
sixty plus people stand
ing there. In my fours
years at Meredith, I have
never been so moved.
As I said to the group,
our small, private college
has united in support of
a public, large universi
ty. My new friend Cassie
also said something that
night that has stuck in my
head. She stated, "Despite
the hurt that evil brings,
good overcomes evil." A
parent of a student spoke
of a fire many years back
at Yellowstone National
Park and how, through
out all the burnt trees,
today, new trees stand
tall. I think both of them
were saying that although
we have been struck by
such tragedy, through the
support of one another,
Virginia Tech and the
rest of the world will rise
above this evil act.
Yes, I still feel the
urge to go home and be
with my friends and fam
ily, but I have made a
make-shift family here at
Meredith. I have made
new friends while being
comforted and comfort
ing others. My long
time friends have also
offered support through
hugs, cards, phone calls,
facebook messages, and
e-mails. To see Laura
Wagner with her legs
painted orange brought
a smile to my face. Stacy
Cabeen and Rebecca
Thompson, both student
teachers who wake up
before the roosters, made
the effort to be there.
Megan Hembree, Kelly
Thompson, and Lauren
Thie, seniors and campus
leaders with lots of work
to complete, all made it a
point to attend. Caroline
Peterson, who spent
part of the weekend in
the hospital with tonsil
litis, dragged herself out
of bed to show her sup
port. To see those young
women and so many
more Meredith students,
faculty, and staff, pause
for a moment to remem
ber, reflect, and, most
importantly, unify was
uplifting.
As for my friends
at Tech, I still feel for my
best friend who had class
es with the shooter, that
same best friend whose
roommate's sister lost her
closest pal, and another
buddy who lost her class
mate. I feel for not only
them, but everyone in
Blacksburg. I feel, through
them, that I have been
Vigil Cont, on pg. 3
On left; Maria Santore at
Meredith's Candlelight Vigil