Virginia Tech Tragedy  

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Sara Valencich, president, Residence Hall Association

Thank you students, staff, and members of the community for coming tonight to honor the victims at Virginia Tech. My name is Sara Valencich, and I am the President of the Residence Hall Association. The shooting shook the Department of Housing and Residence Life significantly. In Virginia, we lost two of our own. These two victims were residential assistants. These Hokie campus leaders created places and communities for their residents, and they were representatives of what we should strive to achieve. They hoped for student success, hoped for tolerance, diversity, and academics, and hoped for a community where all would find a second home.

The shooting at Virginia Tech shook the entire country. The shots that rang out resonated in our ears. Whether you felt guilty or sad or angry, you felt something. We all felt something. Some of us wondered if we were safe. We felt scared. Others couldn’t figure out what had happened, how or why. We felt insecure. Some of us protected ourselves and hid our feelings by trying to focus on something else. We all felt defensive.

We all need to come together at this time. No matter how we feel, whether our emotions or feelings are different, we need to unify and be strong in showing of support for Virginia Tech. What we’re doing is important. It matters. It shouldn’t matter how you feel or whether you agree or disagree with your neighbors. We are all here because we want to prove that a strong foundation can’t be shaken.

Those of you standing in a crowd are a part of a strong community. We may be all the way in Colorado and we may not be sure if Virginia Tech will even see us, but know that they can feel us. They can feel our strength, our solidarity, and our community. Though shots might shake the country, a strong community can strengthen the foundation. The UNC campus is a community. It is not only the homes, it’s the feeling we get from knowing we’re unified and knowing we have something to hold on to. Just as the Virginia Tech RAs opened their doors and formed the communities for their students, UNC, as members of our own solid community, are opening our doors and offering our love, support, and homes for all the students at Virginia Tech.