April 17, 2007

President Charles W. Steger
Virginia Tech
210 Burruss Hall
Blacksburg, VA 24061

Dear President Steger:

Words cannot express the sorrow and shock that all of us at Montana State University feel at the news of the tragedy on your campus this week. During events such as this, higher education becomes a family. I hope you know that this great family stands ready to assist in any way it can.

I only hope that it brings consolation to the majority of your students to know that they are close to the family and friends who have always supported them. Many others, though, are far from home and lack the sight, touch or voice of family and friends that can bring such consolation. To these members of the community we owe a special degree of understanding, kindness and compassion.

Today, wherever we are from, we are all Virginians, we are all Hokies. We all stand together with people from everywhere to mourn for those who were also from everywhere and who will never again be with us. We send thoughts and prayers of comfort to the families and friends of the deceased and to those who have survived. Their reality, far more than our own, is changed forever. I want to assure you that we are making contact with the 61 Virginia students on our campus to be sure their needs are met in this difficult time.

Our society looks to us with high expectations. No one expects us to deny the mixture of anger, sorrow, remorse and fear. But beyond that, the society needs our help to understand these events, to place them in the context of our society and to pursue the better world, which it is our job to pursue, with the highest standards of citizenship, civility, respect and humility.

Though we stand at some distance from you in miles, please know that we stand next to you and your community in confronting the aftermath of this terrible event. Please call of us if we can help.

Sincerely,

Geoffrey Gamble
President

PDF version of this letter