The Daily OrangeA Letter from Ryan Kelly
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Posted: 4/17/07, 11:51 PM EST Section: Opinion
Editor's note: Ryan Kelly requested the space below to address the student body regarding the Virginia Tech incident that occurred on Monday, April 16.
This letter is addressed to my fellow students. Although I am often quoted in The Daily Orange, it is very rare that I get to speak to you one-on-one in print, and I thank The Daily Orange for allowing me this opportunity. On April 16, 2007, a tragedy unprecedented in magnitude and severity occurred at Virginia Tech. It is essential that we, the student body, make it known that we support Virginia Tech and its students, faculty and staff as they mourn those lost in this heinous act of unnecessary violence.
Today I sent a letter to President Adeel Khan of the Virginia Tech Student Government Association, offering our condolences to him and to the student body. I also stated that while I understood that the letter will do little to ease the community's grief and frustration, I felt it necessary to reach out and assure them that their community is in our thoughts and prayers.
I was so pleased to see so many fellow students come together in remembrance and solidarity at last night's vigil at Hendricks Chapel. I encourage you all to stop by the chapel this week to write in the book that will be given to Virginia Tech's student body The chapel will be open from 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. Further events of remembrance and support will be posted on the Student Association Web site, sa.syr.edu, as they are scheduled.
Some may argue that it is hard to truly grieve or relate in a situation that we are so "far removed from." I beg to differ. We are very close to this situation. Virginia Tech is a peer institution, with students that come from near and far to make that university their home, just like many of us at Syracuse University. To have such a tragedy occur at a place that most call home for four years is truly devastating. This tragedy could have happened just as easily on our campus as any other in the United States.
This letter is addressed to my fellow students. Although I am often quoted in The Daily Orange, it is very rare that I get to speak to you one-on-one in print, and I thank The Daily Orange for allowing me this opportunity. On April 16, 2007, a tragedy unprecedented in magnitude and severity occurred at Virginia Tech. It is essential that we, the student body, make it known that we support Virginia Tech and its students, faculty and staff as they mourn those lost in this heinous act of unnecessary violence.
Today I sent a letter to President Adeel Khan of the Virginia Tech Student Government Association, offering our condolences to him and to the student body. I also stated that while I understood that the letter will do little to ease the community's grief and frustration, I felt it necessary to reach out and assure them that their community is in our thoughts and prayers.
I was so pleased to see so many fellow students come together in remembrance and solidarity at last night's vigil at Hendricks Chapel. I encourage you all to stop by the chapel this week to write in the book that will be given to Virginia Tech's student body The chapel will be open from 8 a.m. through 10 p.m. Further events of remembrance and support will be posted on the Student Association Web site, sa.syr.edu, as they are scheduled.
Some may argue that it is hard to truly grieve or relate in a situation that we are so "far removed from." I beg to differ. We are very close to this situation. Virginia Tech is a peer institution, with students that come from near and far to make that university their home, just like many of us at Syracuse University. To have such a tragedy occur at a place that most call home for four years is truly devastating. This tragedy could have happened just as easily on our campus as any other in the United States.
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Catherine Nolan
posted 4/18/07 @ 9:23 PM EST
Ryan Kelly, I commend you on taking the time to write this letter. I think it is very importact that we encourage students to hold their hands out to students at Virginia Tech and also to students at our own campus during this time and other times of need. (Continued…)
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