 "Photo: Student Publications Photography Staff at Virginia Tech - Annabelle Ombac")
BLACKSBURG, Va. - Classes began Monday at Virginia Tech, but students are still deciding if the semester ended for them April 16.
Fourth-year student Rahel Seyfou said it was hard to be back in chemistry class Monday.
"The past week went by really fast," she said. "It's kind of one big day."
She tried to concentrate and do her work, but other students distracted her by talking about how scared they were every time someone opened the classroom door.
"I tried not to think about it," Seyfou said.
The professor asked if anyone wanted to cover class material, and one student said yes. Her professor decided to continue class and told students they could leave if they were not ready, she said. One-third of the class left.
Seyfou said some people are satisfied with their grades, and others are not ready to sit in class and learn.
"You can't stay away forever," she said. "It's only gonna get better from here."
If students choose not to finish the semester, they have two choices, according to a memo by Provost Mark McNamee. Their grades can be based on materials turned in before April 16 or supplemented with material they want to complete before the semester's end.
Students can choose either option through the last day of classes. If students attend class and complete assignments, they can still decide to have their grades based only on material submitted before April 16.
The grade decision came one week after English major Seung-Hui Cho, 23, shot two people in a residence hall around 7:15 a.m. Two hours later he opened fire in a building across campus, killing 30 more before turning the gun on himself.
Many students said the first day of classes was devoted to discussing the tragedy.
"It's almost like a white elephant if you don't address it," junior Karen O'Donnell said.
O'Donnell hasn't talked to anybody who is planning to end the semester early, she said.
"Most of us are more than proud to be at Tech," she said.
Sophomore Taylor Hathaway said she thinks the routine of going to class will help the healing process.
Three students in her first Monday class died in the tragedy. One sat in front of her, and they were working on a project together.
"It was weird not having her there this morning," she said.
Hathaway plans on taking her exams and finishing the semester but does not plan to complete the project, she said.
The political science major said nine people died in her department.
Her class didn't cover class material Monday morning. Instead, the teacher and students discussed whether they wanted to take exams, and when and how they would take them.
"It's whatever we need to do to take care of us first," Hathaway said.
Counselors were available if students needed to talk, but she didn't see anyone approach them.
"Everyone is just trying to deal with it by themselves," she said.
One student died in senior Sarah Huffer's class. Her chemical engineering class was working on group projects and has decided to finish them through e-mail.
She said the deceased student's group members also want to complete their project. Huffer said she has no excuse if they are willing to do it.
Apart from the project, Huffer has decided to end her semester. She said she thinks most students will do the same.
Senior Cecilia Arrington wants to finish the semester but was not ready to return to her electrical theory class Monday.
"It's not enough time to get back into things," she said. "It's only been a week."
The civil engineering major knew two teacher's assistants, a professor and a classmate who died.
Arrington went home to Shantilly last week, but people didn't understand, and she felt like she couldn't talk about it.
"It feels good being back around Tech students," she said. "It's good to have support back home, but it wasn't the same."
Back on campus, she is deciding how to end the semester and what exams to take.
"You can't stay here and do nothing," she said. "You have to stay occupied and keep your mind from wandering."
No material was covered in class Monday, but her class would probably start discussing course material the next class, she said.
"I'm graduating, so we gotta keep going," she said. "We can't just stop."
Sophomore Mike Smith is going to finish the semester so he has closure. Coming to school next semester would be weird if everyone leaves now, he said.
"I think we should give 110 percent for the people who can't make it," Smith said. "You'll know who a true Hokie is - whoever's still here 'til the end."
Ashley Gebb can be reached at agebb@theorion.com
Karen McIntyre can be reached at kmcintyre@theorion.com
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Read more of The Orion's on-location coverage of Virginia Tech:
- Virginia Tech tragedy
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