We are Virginia Tech: Brad Casper

As Virginia Tech marks the 10-year commemoration of April 16, 2007, members of our community are sharing their reflections. We recognize these words may bring forth personal memories of the tragedy that affected our campus so deeply. While these posts serve as a reflection rather than a recounting, be aware that they may contain potentially distressing material. 

Today, Brad Casper, a member of the class of '82, shares his unique perspective as an alumnus and a father of two current Hokies on the tragedy that unfolded 10 years ago. 

What does an alumnus say to his young children as a tragedy of unthinkable horror and magnitude envelopes his university that had previously only been associated with enthusiasm, spirit, and pride?

What does that same alumnus say several years later when his two young adult children are prospective VT students and contemplating their own collegiate options and futures?

For the first question, answers came slowly and confusedly, as I fought back tears and tried to make sense of a senseless and brutal act. Like 9/11, there were no words on April 16th to comfort or explain. Yet, just like that darkest day in American history, the tragic events in Blacksburg gave way to selfless acts of love and heroism. Tributes to those lost and saved filled the emptiness of our hearts just as the scenes of Virginia Tech filled the airwaves. 

Searching for answers to poignant questions from my pre-teens, Carly and Brody, was like pondering questions to tests that I never studied for. How do you fake it? How do I BS my way through these questions and this situation so that young children don’t fear life itself? 

The answer to those questions, however, came to me far more easily than I imagined. The answers came to me in watching how VT student survivors were responding to endless, and often insensitive questions from reporters. The most courageous and most succinct response from one female undergraduate gave me the strength to respond to my own kids.

Fox reporter: “Oh, by the way...what’s a Hokie?”

VT student warrior: “ What’s a Hokie (incredulously)? What’s a Hokie (now more defiantly)?  We are ALL HOKIES (gesturing with her hands). We are all Hokies.”

She turned and walked away.

The answer became clear to me, too. “Sometimes, kids, bad things happen to good people. Sometimes it takes an act of terror and cowardice to define true character and true community.” All of us have choices how we respond to terrible situations. And the way the Virginia Tech community near and far reacted was epic.

On that day, Hokie Nation rose up. Hokies in Arizona (where we live) and Hokies in Arlington, Atlanta, and Cincinnati responded with pride, perseverance, passion – and ultimately class. And we became forever a cohesive union of worshippers, fans, students, and alumni tribe members who refused to be stained by the blood that spilled. We would not be this generation’s Kent State University. We, instead, would be tied for generations by our love for the place and the people. We would be bound as brothers and sisters, students and alumni to something more powerful than evil and cruelty. 

So, what did I say to Carly in 2013 and to Brody in 2014 when their acceptance letters from Virginia Tech arrived at our home? Not a word about the tragedy. Not a word about being scared. I said, “Be proud.  Be grateful. You are about to embark on experiences that cannot be explained or expressed...only felt inside your heart and soul. Welcome to the Hokie Nation. We are all Hokies.”

God bless the families of those who were lost and those who sacrificed to save others. Your loved ones did not die in vain. Your loved ones left a legacy of how to live and be strong in the face of unspeakable shock and pain.