On April 16, 2007 things changed. Shock fell over the Virginia Tech campus, Blacksburg, the nation and the world as the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in U.S. history took place. 

This incident, which killed 32 people and injured 17 more, made an impact on many issues including gun awareness, mental health, and campus security at universities worldwide. There’s no question that April 16 made an impact on Virginia Tech, but one thing is for sure; Virginia Tech as a whole has learned from it, gained experience from it, and grown from this unthinkable tragedy. 

When I was applying to colleges and eventually chose Virginia Tech, I constantly heard comments from people like: “Why would you go there, aren’t you scared?” and “Is it safe?” Let’s be realistic. Before the shooting, the town of Blacksburg could be known for being virtually crime-free. Blacksburg police reported one murder in the year 2006, and there has only been one reported since then. The crime rate has been steadily decreasing over the years.

Virginia Tech as a campus might be one of the safer campuses to this day simply because of the tragedy. As a student, I receive VT Crime Alerts whenever any type of incident occurs in this area. This is a safety precaution done by the University Police Department. There are also 89 blue light safety phones located all over campus and its boundaries, along with routine VT Alert System testing that is done to ensure the community knows what to do in an emergency. There was much criticism and controversy after the shooting occurred about the actions taken by the university, and since then the safety precautions have taken more of a spotlight for improvement.

The VTV Family Outreach Foundation, established by families and victims of the shooting, created the 32 National Safety Initiative to promote safety on college campuses. This has been in full swing especially since a November 2013 Virginia Supreme Court Ruling, which stated “there was no duty for the Commonwealth to warn students about the potential for criminal acts.” This case was brought on by a lawsuit from two victims’ families in the wake of the shootings, who claimed that the university could have prevented the deaths. The court decided that there was no way the Virginia Tech officials could have known that the gunman would have continued his rampage after the initial shooting.

In the aftermath of such an emotionally, physically, and structurally damaging event such as this, there will always be two sides. In this case, the university can only continue to improve despite controversy, and that is the most important thing to realize. This event not only increased the safety precautions on Virginia Tech’s campus, but also continues to affect campuses nationally in the pursuit of student safety, and that gives me reason enough to feel safe.

Aside from the technical matters of safety here at Tech, something that has really stood out in the past seven years is the sentiment that is especially prominent during the month of April. This is something I would have never been able to describe before coming to school here, but it is something I now appreciate. The fact that so many people, both directly affected and unaffected by the shooting, can come together to appreciate how far we’ve come since then is comforting at the least. Between the annual vigil, the wreath ceremony on the Drill Field, and the 3.2 for 32 Run, our Remembrance Day is a sign of how strong the sense of community at this school is. Virginia Tech chooses to remember the 32 victims of the shooting not in sadness, but in encouragement and tribute to what they brought to the university during their time here.

Now after hearing that, let's rewind. When I hear those negative remarks mentioned earlier, I think back to how I felt my freshman year, the first time I witnessed April 16^th on campus. I have never felt so safe. The massacre was seven years ago and Virginia Tech has moved away from fear and into confidence, and that, as well as the legacy left behind, is something that should be respected.