Virginia Tech First Anniversary Day of Remembrance

By   Maggie Kwon
ChristianityDaily Reporter

▲Students express remembrances to the victims during the Virginia Tech incident

“Ross Alameddine, Christopher James Bishop, Brian Bluhm, Ryan Clark … may they rest in peace…”

Virginia Tech community will hold a Day of Remembrance on April 16 across campus from 10:30 A.M. to reflect on the lives of the 32 students and faculty that were tragically taken away a year ago. Through light, art and music individuals or groups will be provided to express or witness remembrances. All events will conclude with a candlelight vigil.

On April 16, 2007 the campus shooting of Virginia Tech committed by 1.5 generation student Seung Hui Cho who shot 32 people to death shocked the nation. Many have campaigned for tighter gun laws and better mental health care, appearing before Congress and the Virginia General Assembly. Even Cho’s native country Korea also couldn’t repress one’s shock and held various memorials and candlelight vigil centered on church. CNN and important foreign news reported the spiritual repentance and wind of prayer that occurred in Korea as ‘very special.’

Korean American churches deliver funds to Virginia Tech Center for Peace Studies

This year at the Day of Remembrance in Virginia Tech the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention will be established. Virginia Tech plans to use the second floor of Norris Hall where the shootings took place in part to set up a Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention to honor and respect the memories of those lost to the terrible tragedy.

At the opening ceremony Sung Ho Lee president of The Council of Korean Church in San Jose will participate to deliver the $8,000 fund. The fund is gathered by the Council of Korean Church in San Jose during the past year for professors and students working at Virginia Tech. The Council of Korea Churches in Northern California gave $1,000 and $300 from Council of Korea Churches in Solano. “We thank you for the precious donation of Korean churches in Northern California we will use it well for peace studies,” said a letter sent by Sue Ott Rowlands Dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences at Virginia Tech thankful for the devotion of Korean church.

“As we reflect back on the incident of Seung Hui Cho we can know how indifferent the Korean American churches were regarding 1.5, second and next generation identity and education. Through the tragic incident the Korean American churches looked face to face of the problems and the need of education the second generation immigrants. It is after the incident that we first generation began to take concern and invest in second generation ministry,” said President Lee. After the incident The Council of Korean Church in San Jose set up ‘Youth Department’ and began to concentrate on second generation ministry.