STEWART COPELAND

Terrible terrible to hear this over streaming on WRVA/Richmond as I was here at work in Cincinnati. My years at VPI are synonymous w/ The Police's last two albums, not deadly tragedy. What a terrible memory for the more recent students and alumni..........a largish, tree and grass filled campus, between downtown Blacksburg and surrounding Alleghany Mountains (western part of the Appalachians in VA). You could look out of the rear 3rd floor windows of the Architecture buiding right into glorious sunsets over the distant hills (and over a rather large parking lot, easy to ignore tho'). There is a conical green pastured hill that stands over town and campus, a view that could remove your mind for a moment from the usual school busy-ness.......it was then a place where a person could walk in reasonable safety at night and complete in the day........
These kids and adults sadly now have such different images and reactions after all this. So close to Break for Holidays, what a way to head home at the end of a term.

Meanwhile Tech Officials are in Washington appealing a $55,000 fine for not responding appropriately during the first shooting.

It's easy for me to say that this can happen anywhere near any campus, and happen again, but Blacksburg is such a small town; it really is the college community. The timing couldn't have been worse.

Thoughts and prayers to all...