"We Are All Hokies!"

I haven't been in the mood to post given the news of the tragedy at Virginia Tech. You will find that the politicians, university administrators, and many of my colleagues listed in the Old Dominion Blog Alliance links have said it all. A lot of questions remain to be answered, and facts are emerging slowly.

At this time, I can only offer my condolences for the grieving families and friends of the murdered students and professors, and wishes for a speedy recovery for the wounded.

On a personal note, our family did a vacation to that area of Virginia only last summer. Part of our itinerary was to visit Blackburg and Virginia Tech. The people who worked at the campus visitors' center were quite friendly, the campus was quite open, and we had a good time. The campus uses a lab facility as a Museum of Geosciences in Derring Hall. Our kids had a lot of fun there and one of the researchers gave my older son a polished rock (which he still has).

Virginia Tech has a fantastic academic reputation. I am an engineer by training, and even though I never went to that school, I have always held it in high regard. The bios I have read of the victims show the talented professors and students that the school attracts. Let's hope that we never have another tragedy like this again, anywhere.