Frankly, this was the first time I had heard her speak and I was interested in her stong, forceful speech. I had not been paying attention but her tone of voice made me look up.
Initially I thought it sounded too zealous. Some commenters remarked that it was not a suitable speech given the circumstances.
Still, I was very interested in her short but power packed words at the convocation.
Only in America could this happen, not sure if you guys have seen this but there’s his own video he sent to NBC that he made before the rampage on the following link:
It’s terrible and I was appalled that NBC and other stations actually aired some parts of the stuff he sent. It was purely for sensational news and with complete disregard for the families of the victims.
Jewaira
We had a memorial stand in our university for Virgina’s victims. It was a sad event to everyone. It makes you wondering that even going to school these days can be life threating. I saw the speech on TV. It’s wonderful really.
She had a lot of charisma when talking and I think that is what they needed. I think it is more about accepting what happened then moving on. Bes its very sad that this type of thing happens, how in the hell do these guys keep getting these weapons.
I have mixed feelings about this speech. I like how she used it to bring attention to other issues as well, but it doesn’t refer to the families of the victims. Actually I don’t think it referred to the victims either. It sounds more like a pep rally type of thing. It could have been warmer. The only line I really like is that we will embrace our mourning. I think that’s very meaningful.
My wife had this lovely, tiny woman for two dynamic classes at Virginia Tech…driving 8 hours round trip three times a week for the classes for two semester. My wife holds dual History and English PhDs and says this phenemonal woman is among her top FIVE professors.
You missed the mark on this one. You are way off and way wrong. And 1001 Nights missed the points. A HOKIE is anyone who has a LOVE of Virgina Tech. Obviously Nights isn’t a Hokie and hasn’t a CLUE what it means to be one.
And it NEEDED to be a PEP RALLY of the SPIRIT. These students were IN MOURNING. I started out as a trauma surgeon and now do high risk cancer surgery. I saw soooo much death in trauma over the years that all I had to keep me going was the hope that the next one WOULD make it. Cancer is hell but it does offer more hope than many of the gunshots and auto accidents I saw.
These kids were devastated but they HAD to keep on living. They had to have something to bring them out of their grief. And Nikki was that driving force. It took her to say WE ARE VIRGINIA TECH. WE ARE THE HOKIES. WE WILL PREVAIL.
Obviously, those people who don’t live in Virginia have no clue what it means to be a “Hokie Nation”. I graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School and my son is a senior at University of Maryland, but he is a “Hokie” at heart.
Maybe you “gotta” be a Virginian to understand the connection. Ironic isn’t it that my wife and I are HOKIES and I was born in Wales and she in Ireland???????
I give Nikki Giovanni a standing ovation; I give her accolades for turning these students, Blacksburg, Virginia, and many other shools and states from despair to hope in their own lives because they ARE HERE.
WE MUST GO ON. Life is for the living…We remember yes; but we cannot wallow in that grief and despair. And she absolutely, positively DID remember each and every one. Because they ARE and WERE and ALWAYS WILL BE VIRGINIA TECH.
Dylan,
Thank you for your comment and I can appreciate why you would jump to the defense of such a charismatic person as Nikki Giovanni and most especially in the light of the tragic events last week.
You are correct in stating that we don’t know what Hokies are or what it means to be a Hokie. Even though we may have had some part of our higher education in the U.S., we remain outsiders looking in. What we see is a horrible nonsensical happening and despite the daily horrors we see splashed across our news media on the massacres in neighboring Iraq, we still felt shock and disbelief.
I did not post on the Virginia Tech massacre because other Kuwaiti bloggers did. However, I did post Nikki Giovanni’s speech because it was the only speech at the whole convocation that I actually listened to. It drew my attention immediately.
I did read some comments on American web sites that expressed a negative reaction to her speech and I mentioned that in one of my above replies to comments.
1001Nights also expressed what she felt and I understand her viewpoint. People are used to more traditional and sombre speeches especially in reaction to death or to tragedies. Everything about Giovanni’s speech was different. I think people’s main concern was about the relatives of those murdered. Sometimes if people are not exposed to dealing with death and interacting with survivors, they may only know one way of reacting and that is with sympathy and traditional words.
Nikki Giovanni was brave enough to do something different and give them a lift of the spirits.
Finally, thank you again for sharing your viewpoint and may you continue to make people’s lives better in your profession.
Jewaira
I thought Nikki Giovanni had a very excellent speech. It was very uplifting and I think that is what the people of Virginia needed to hear after this tradegy occured. She is a very gifted person. When I watched the connotation I was very sad and crying and when she got up and started speaking something in her voice just uplifted me I broke down crying but at the same time it was because her speech was very powerful and emotional. I have never experienced emotions like this at the same time. I would like to end saying she did an amazing thing and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families..May God heal their hearts.
===========================================
Thank you Rachael for sharing your thoughts with us.
May all those with broken hearts and shattered lives feel grace again.
Jewaira
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This was actually an awesome closing remark.
I can’t imagine what they must be going through
============================================
Frankly, this was the first time I had heard her speak and I was interested in her stong, forceful speech. I had not been paying attention but her tone of voice made me look up.
Initially I thought it sounded too zealous. Some commenters remarked that it was not a suitable speech given the circumstances.
Still, I was very interested in her short but power packed words at the convocation.
Jewaira
==================================
Strong positive words from a charismatic speaker
Jewaira
Only in America could this happen, not sure if you guys have seen this but there’s his own video he sent to NBC that he made before the rampage on the following link:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/
May those poor souls rest in peace.
====================================
It’s terrible and I was appalled that NBC and other stations actually aired some parts of the stuff he sent. It was purely for sensational news and with complete disregard for the families of the victims.
Jewaira
Loren Coleman on copycat effects
Blog post March 28:School Shooting Seasons
We had a memorial stand in our university for Virgina’s victims. It was a sad event to everyone. It makes you wondering that even going to school these days can be life threating. I saw the speech on TV. It’s wonderful really.
She had a lot of charisma when talking and I think that is what they needed. I think it is more about accepting what happened then moving on. Bes its very sad that this type of thing happens, how in the hell do these guys keep getting these weapons.
sad sad day for V Tech
I have mixed feelings about this speech. I like how she used it to bring attention to other issues as well, but it doesn’t refer to the families of the victims. Actually I don’t think it referred to the victims either. It sounds more like a pep rally type of thing. It could have been warmer. The only line I really like is that we will embrace our mourning. I think that’s very meaningful.
Jewaira,
My wife had this lovely, tiny woman for two dynamic classes at Virginia Tech…driving 8 hours round trip three times a week for the classes for two semester. My wife holds dual History and English PhDs and says this phenemonal woman is among her top FIVE professors.
You missed the mark on this one. You are way off and way wrong. And 1001 Nights missed the points. A HOKIE is anyone who has a LOVE of Virgina Tech. Obviously Nights isn’t a Hokie and hasn’t a CLUE what it means to be one.
And it NEEDED to be a PEP RALLY of the SPIRIT. These students were IN MOURNING. I started out as a trauma surgeon and now do high risk cancer surgery. I saw soooo much death in trauma over the years that all I had to keep me going was the hope that the next one WOULD make it. Cancer is hell but it does offer more hope than many of the gunshots and auto accidents I saw.
These kids were devastated but they HAD to keep on living. They had to have something to bring them out of their grief. And Nikki was that driving force. It took her to say WE ARE VIRGINIA TECH. WE ARE THE HOKIES. WE WILL PREVAIL.
Obviously, those people who don’t live in Virginia have no clue what it means to be a “Hokie Nation”. I graduated from Johns Hopkins Medical School and my son is a senior at University of Maryland, but he is a “Hokie” at heart.
Maybe you “gotta” be a Virginian to understand the connection. Ironic isn’t it that my wife and I are HOKIES and I was born in Wales and she in Ireland???????
I give Nikki Giovanni a standing ovation; I give her accolades for turning these students, Blacksburg, Virginia, and many other shools and states from despair to hope in their own lives because they ARE HERE.
WE MUST GO ON. Life is for the living…We remember yes; but we cannot wallow in that grief and despair. And she absolutely, positively DID remember each and every one. Because they ARE and WERE and ALWAYS WILL BE VIRGINIA TECH.
========================================================================================
Dylan,
Thank you for your comment and I can appreciate why you would jump to the defense of such a charismatic person as Nikki Giovanni and most especially in the light of the tragic events last week.
You are correct in stating that we don’t know what Hokies are or what it means to be a Hokie. Even though we may have had some part of our higher education in the U.S., we remain outsiders looking in. What we see is a horrible nonsensical happening and despite the daily horrors we see splashed across our news media on the massacres in neighboring Iraq, we still felt shock and disbelief.
I did not post on the Virginia Tech massacre because other Kuwaiti bloggers did. However, I did post Nikki Giovanni’s speech because it was the only speech at the whole convocation that I actually listened to. It drew my attention immediately.
I did read some comments on American web sites that expressed a negative reaction to her speech and I mentioned that in one of my above replies to comments.
1001Nights also expressed what she felt and I understand her viewpoint. People are used to more traditional and sombre speeches especially in reaction to death or to tragedies. Everything about Giovanni’s speech was different. I think people’s main concern was about the relatives of those murdered. Sometimes if people are not exposed to dealing with death and interacting with survivors, they may only know one way of reacting and that is with sympathy and traditional words.
Nikki Giovanni was brave enough to do something different and give them a lift of the spirits.
Finally, thank you again for sharing your viewpoint and may you continue to make people’s lives better in your profession.
Jewaira
I thought Nikki Giovanni had a very excellent speech. It was very uplifting and I think that is what the people of Virginia needed to hear after this tradegy occured. She is a very gifted person. When I watched the connotation I was very sad and crying and when she got up and started speaking something in her voice just uplifted me I broke down crying but at the same time it was because her speech was very powerful and emotional. I have never experienced emotions like this at the same time. I would like to end saying she did an amazing thing and my thoughts and prayers go out to the victims and their families..May God heal their hearts.
===========================================
Thank you Rachael for sharing your thoughts with us.
May all those with broken hearts and shattered lives feel grace again.
Jewaira
I am always interested how a single event or actions by one person can spiral out and affect the lives of many in a variety of ways.
The latest of course: Fired professor takes dismissal to YouTube
Professor’s statement on being fired on YouTube It is in four parts.