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April 30, 2007
From One Tech to Another
After the tragedy at Virginia Tech, Texas Tech students are reaching out – both across the nation and to each other.
Written by Gretchen Pressley
Horrible. Unbelievable. Devastating.
These words and more ran through the minds of every student at Texas Tech in the shockwave following the news about the Virginia Tech massacre.
Yet even in the midst of their own grief after hearing about the shootings at Virginia Tech on April 16 that left 33 students and faculty dead, Texas Tech students reached out across the country and offered their support and prayers to their fellow students.
Since that fateful day, members of the Texas Tech community have signed banners, sent flowers, written words of encouragement and raised thousands of dollars to help the victims’ families, said Mason Moses, the recently elected president of the Student Government Association.
“When I first heard about the incident at Virginia Tech, it was just shocking,” said Moses. “It’s kind of scary because I go online, I look at pictures and those buildings don’t look that different from Holden Hall or the BA. That makes it really hit home. The next thought is 'wow, what can we do to help'?”
With help from the SGA, several student organizations and the Double T Crew, Texas Tech raised more than $5,000 for the Hokie Memorial Fund by selling t-shirts that read “Together we mourn, from one Tech to another.” The SGA also created postcards for students to express their condolences to Virginia Tech.
Pulling Together
Mason Moses, current president of the Student Government Association.
Moses also said in light of this tragedy, members of the Texas Tech community must also take this opportunity to look after each other.
“We want every student to feel that pride in their school and to feel that sense of belonging, so they can say ‘I am a Red Raider.’ But in the end, it comes down to the students. Students need to take it upon themselves to reach out. If you are a freshman and there is someone in your dorm you don’t know, go talk to them. If there is someone in one of your classes who is not involved, try to engage them or invite them to an event your organization is having.”
One thing that Moses doesn’t want to change is the open atmosphere of the Texas Tech campus.
“A college campus like Texas Tech is a very open campus,” he said. “Talking with the police chief and others, I think we’ve all seen a heightened sense of security these last couple of weeks. But it is really up to us, the students, faculty and staff, to try to recognize when someone could be a danger to others. If you know someone who is very upset, who is making threats, tell someone.”
Reaching Out
Moses stressed that the most important thing that the student body can do to protect itself is to reach out and include everyone in the Texas Tech community.
“Everyone here is a part of the Texas Tech family,” he said. “Reach out to someone who is different than you. That can go a long way to help someone out. They may just be scared to take that first step. And anything we can do to facilitate that is the best thing we can do for one another.”
For more information about Texas Tech's response to Virginia Tech, read President Whitmore's message.
Story produced by the Office of Communications and Marketing, 806-742-2136.
Web layout by Gretchen Pressley