Samantha Ortiz Schriver, Dean of Students
Tonight, we pay tribute to those at Virginia Tech who were injured or lost their lives. I cannot help but be inspired and humbled by the strength of the campus as they begin to overcome the traumatic events of this past week.
Tonight, we honor those who lost their lives while attempting to shield others from danger – the professors, the RA, the students.
Tonight, we also pay tribute to those volunteers, emergency workers and the campus faculty and staff who selflessly served the campus community with endless messages of hope and healing.
It is times like these that we all gain perspective on the value of each day and our time with each other. I encourage you to reach out to those whom you care about and love. Reach out to other students in our own UNC community – cherish each other and make the most of the time we have together.
It is times like these that we all gain perspective on the value of community. Indeed, tonight, Virginia Tech’s community spirit is so powerful that it has extended across the country. I am so proud to see our UNC community gathering together to join in the Hokie spirit and to lend our support to their community. With that said, we join our friends in Boulder, at colleges across Colorado and the nation in saying, “tonight, we are Hokies.”