President Addresses Campus Security in the Aftermath of Virginia Tech

On behalf of Trinity International University, I wish to extend heartfelt condolences to the loved ones of the thirty-three people tragically killed on the campus of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Virginia, on the morning of Monday, April 16, 2007. The victims included students and faculty as young as nineteen and as old as seventy-six; they came from Virginia, Georgia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Illinois, Canada, Peru, Romania, South Korea, and India. For those who survived, this event will remain etched in their memories throughout their lives. They will be looking for answers to the question of why this tragedy happened. We pray that they will find their answers in our loving God.

My thoughts are with my colleague, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. Knowing that hindsight is clearer than foresight, I have been thinking, "What would we at Trinity have done in that situation? What would I have done?" There are so many competing claims upon a decision-maker at such times. The Bible commands that we pray for those in leadership. Pray that the executive team at Trinity will have the wisdom to know what decisions best serve those in our community. These days, I am praying for the many family members and friends of those who lost their lives in this tragedy. At the same time, I pray for President Steger, the Virginia Tech leadership team, and the law enforcement agents who were involved in the situation. Humanly, they will surely relive that day of tragedy again and again—and will need somehow to know the presence and peace of Christ.

The day after the shooting, I met with Trinity's senior leadership team to assess our current state of campus security and our emergency response plan and to discuss lessons we can learn from this tragedy. Several years ago, in the aftermath of 9/11, we renewed our focus on campus safety through the work of the Trinity Safety Committee. Though we can never promise that no one will ever be harmed on our campus, the work of the Trinity Safety Committee has been thorough and effective, helping to make Trinity as safe a campus as practically possible.

A couple of years ago, our campus was impacted by several racially-motivated threats. We reacted according to our emergency response plan by taking steps to secure the safety of our students. Thankfully, the incident turned out to be a hoax. Still, through this difficult ordeal, we came to appreciate the value and success of our emergency response plan, the expertise of our local law enforcement authorities, and the spiritual strength of the Trinity community. Since then, we have revised and improved our level of campus security and our emergency response plan.

In the coming days, we will continue to evaluate our security procedures based on the lessons learned at Virginia Tech. We take our students' safety very seriously. In this, as in all things, we put our trust in God alone.

If you are wondering what you can do in response to this horrible tragedy, remember that you can pray. Pray for our brothers and sisters in Blacksburg, Virginia; for the family of the troubled, lost soul who committed this crime; for the loved ones of those whose lives were senselessly taken; for the Christian community in Blacksburg to minister to those who are hurting; for many to place their trust in God as a result of this tragedy; for God's name to be glorified in the midst of all this pain and suffering.

Dr. Gregory L. Waybright

President

Trinity International University