You are hereWUVT staff: "There's nothing new to say"
WUVT staff: "There's nothing new to say"
7:05 p.m., Squires Student Center, Virginia Tech
As mourners gathered on the drillfield at 8 p.m. to hear the last scheduled public reading of the names of the students and professors lost one year ago on April 16, Len Comaratta, Jessica Riddle, Rana Fayez and other WUVT staff worked in their third floor studio in Squires to produce their weekly music show, "The Local Zone."
Maintaining a sense of normalcy was uppermost in their minds.
"It’s like a scab, and they just keep scratching it until it bleeds," Comaratta said of the news coverage of the first anniversary of the worst school shooting in U.S. history. “There’s nothing new to say."
Instead, Local Zone – a two-hour local music show – focused quietly on its core mission: giving air time to local bands. Tonight’s in-studio band was Sol Creech. It wasn’t an overt tribute to the victims and survivors of last year’s tragedy. But the choice of the band and the set list were meant to uplift listeners.
"We're a band of peace and love and positive vibes," drummer "King George" said.
Last year Sol Creech played the Local Zone show on April 18 and in Comaratta’s mind provided some comfort in the wake of the shootings. That assured their return to the show on the anniversary.
"The vibe they had and the presence they brought to everything last year – if any band came on tonight, it was going to be them," he said.
The 8-year-old show airs Wednesdays on WUVT from 7 to 9.
Submitted by Tonia Moxley | The Roanoke Times
There is much to learn (c.f. www.vtlessonstolearn.com). I wrote a poem in the War Memorial Chapel after spending the day on campus and experiencing the emotions in memory of that day (the formatting is lost somewhat here):
Learn To Prevail—32 to 33
What can we learn from that most tragic day?
The 32 who were slain would have something to say:
Would they want us to sorrow, be depressed, whine or wail?
No! They would want us to live to our fullest and prevail!
And these 32 slain would now want us to see:
The final number who died here that day—33.
For each life is a soul our CREATOR has made,
And our memories of them will not die, only fade.
We must seek to be honest with the facts of the past,
If we hope to prevail and learn lessons that last.
Seung-Hui Cho was a soul that was troubled for sure,
Thinking thoughts that were evil—selfish thoughts, thoughts not pure.
He could not find the peace that we all seek to find,
He instead found deep turmoil—thinking thoughts that did blind.
32 victims that day would now have us to know,
That we dare not forget that poor soul—Seung-Hui Cho.
They would have us prevail, find true peace, use our eyes;
They would have us see JESUS, who was killed, but did Rise!
Fix your eyes on this JESUS, find forgiveness from sin;
Learn to help troubled souls—love and serve ALL men.
Charles Pugh
April 16, 2008
**Dedicated to my LORD; Inspired by my VT Community and my day on campus—04/16/08.
*Jessica RIDDLE
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