Expressions of Remembrance to afford opportunities for reflection
As Virginia Tech’s 2011 Day of Remembrance draws closer, a complete schedule of events has been set.
Among those events are Expressions of Remembrance to be held across campus on April 16, as the university community comes together to remember the lives lost in the 2007 tragedy.
All Expressions of Remembrance events are free and open to the public. The scheduled includes
- Reflection and Music (10 a.m. to 1 p.m., War Memorial Chapel): Musicians will perform as individuals come for quiet reflection and remembrance. Candles will be available to remember lost loved ones. For information, contact Jamie Joslin at (540) 231-6240.
- Open House (1 to 3 p.m., second floor, Norris Hall): The Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, the Dr. Liviu Librescu Student Engagement Center, and the Norris Hall Art Gallery will be open. For information, contact Amy Splitt at (540) 231-2345.
- A Community of Learners: A Legacy of Achievement (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., second floor, Newman Library): A exhibition highlighting the academic achievements and interests of the 32 victims. Included are photographs, publications, program descriptions, representations of academic awards/citations, and other items that illustrate achievements and interests. Note: The exhibition will be open April 11 through April 18. For information, contact Lesley Moyo.
- Memorial Exhibit and Slide Show (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Holtzman Alumni Center): The Virginia Tech Alumni Association will display in the Alumni Museum selected memorial items presented to Virginia Tech in the days following April 16, 2007. A slideshow featuring images taken around the world illustrating the outpouring of support following the tragedy will be shown in Assembly Hall. For information, contact the alumni association at (540) 231-6285.
- Video of April 17, 2007, Convocation (11 a.m. to 5 p.m, Graduate Life Center at Donaldson Brown Auditorium): For information, contact e-mail Kelly Griffin.
- Photography Exhibit (11 a.m. to 5 p.m, Old Dominion Ballroom, Squires Student Center): This is a part of the exhibit held April 16, 2008, in the Perspective Art Gallery. Images presented were taken in the months that followed the tragedy. For information, contact Mary Tartaro.
- Pastels of the 32 Hokies lost on April 16, 2007 (11 a.m. to 5 p.m., G. Burke Johnston Student Center): California artist Elizabeth Wallace created a set of 32 pastel portraits for each of the 32 victims. President Charles W. Steger commissioned Wallace to create a second set of pastels for the university community to keep in perpetuity. For information, contact e-mail Kelly Griffin.
- Remembrance Through Art Performance (1 to 3 p.m., Burruss Auditorium): For information, contact Adrienne Ginter.
- Free play (11 to 5 p.m., BreakZONE, Squires Student Center)
The 2011 Day of Remembrance will begin at 12:01 a.m. on April 16, with the ceremonial candle lighting at the April 16 Memorial located in front of Burruss Hall. The candle will be extinguished at 11:59 p.m.
Runners and walkers may participate in the third annual 3.2-Mile Run in Remembrance, which will begin at 9:40 a.m., April 16 on Alumni Mall. To register, visit the Department of Recreation Sports website. Once registered, participants will be asked to check in on April 15, between 4 and 8 p.m. or on April 16, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. in Commonwealth Ballroom of Squires Student Center.
Also on April 16, a community picnic will begin at 11:30 a.m. on the Drillfield, and a university-wide commemoration and candlelight vigil will be held on the Drillfield at the April 16 Memorial starting at approximately 7:30 p.m.
Parking on the Drillfield will be restricted beginning April 15 at 5:30 p.m. through the morning of April 17. The Drillfield will be closed to vehicular traffic beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday morning to accommodate the 3.2-Mile Run in Remembrance. Free public parking for all events is available in the Perry Street lots and parking garage, located off Prices Fork Road.
In addition to these Blacksburg events, the fourth annual Remembrance Blood Drive will be held on Friday, April 15, at the Virginia Tech Southwest Center in Abingdon. The blood drive is a partnership with the Virginia Tech Southwest Virginia Alumni Association and Johnston Memorial Blood Bank. In addition, the southwest center is and the Southwest Virginia Alumni Association is sponsoring a 3.2 mile run on Saturday, April 16. For information on both events, contact Penny McCallum at (276) 619-4311.
The Virginia Tech Richmond Center, in partnership with the Richmond Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association and in conjunction with Virginia Blood Services, will host a blood drive at the center Friday, April 15, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For information, contact Melissa Maybury Lubin or call (804) 662-7288.
The Reynolds Homestead in Critz, Va., is planning a food drive on Saturday, April 16 to collect nonperishable items. For information, contact Kay Dunkley or call (276) 694-7181.
