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Virginia Tech President’s Letter To School Community

April 20, 2007

Dear Fellow Members of the Virginia Tech Community:

First, I wish I could speak to each of you individually to thank you for your courage and dedication and to tell you how much your support has meant to our students, to their families, to the members of our extended community, and to me personally.

During the horror of the last few days, the one bright light in the darkness has been the strength and spirit so prevalent across campus.

As both President Bush and Governor Kaine noted, and as the world has seen, Virginia Tech is a community in the truest sense of the word. I know I speak for many others when I tell you how proud I am of you, and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you.

After this traumatic experience, it will be difficult to resume our lives and duties. But start again, we must. By working together with the spirit and bond strengthened by this tragedy, we will move forward in a way that will honor the memory of those we have lost.

In that vein, we believe it best to resume classes on Monday, April 23. Commencement will proceed as scheduled on May 11. Our graduating seniors and their families need and deserve this time to mark their accomplishments and to start the next phase of their lives. All of the deceased student victims will be honored with posthumous degrees.

For our students, information about course work has been posted on the Virginia Tech home page. There will be a great deal of flexibility in providing options for completing the semester.

In closing, I can only echo a few of the stirring words of Nikki Giovanni: "Through all our sadness . . . we will prevail."

I thank you, and again ask that you take care of yourselves, your families, and each other.

Most sincerely,

Charles W. Steger
President