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Good Afternoon Dr. McNamee,

By way of introduction, my name is Justin Kozuch. I am not a student of Virginia Tech, but I have been following the developments of the shooting and the aftermath for the past week and a half. I would like to take this opportunity to offer my condolences for the tragedy that has befallen Virginia Tech. What happened last Monday shocked and saddened me and many others around the world, and I truly believe that the Hokie spirit will prevail over the sadness that lingers on campus.

Even though I am not a student of Virginia Tech, I have a vested interest in what happens to this building for a number of reasons.

On Wednesday April 18th, we established a Facebook group, which can be found at http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2317683565. The purpose of this group was to organize a movement to have Norris Hall renamed to commemorate the heroic actions of Professor Liviu Librescu. Since the establishment of this group, it has grown to over 1,200 members from all over the United States, one of which is Joe Librescu, the son of Professor Librescu.

On the following Thursday morning, we posted a petition calling for the renaming of Norris Hall to Librescu Hall. As of today, there are almost 20,000 signatures pledging their support. Petitioners are from all over the world, from as far away as India, South Africa, China and Australia. The petition can be found online at http://www.petitiononline.com/04172007/petition.html.

My interest is also personal. Like Professor Librescu, I am Jewish, and my grandfather, like Professor Librescu, are Holocaust survivors. You could say I have an emotional attachment to this cause because of the amount of time I’ve spent following the tragedy, reading the articles, watching the news and speaking with reporters about what has happened. It is truly refreshing to see how Virginia Tech students and teachers have banded together in a show of support for one another.

Dr. McNamee, this is a cause I firmly believe in, as I feel that renaming the hall would help the healing process. Norris Hall should not be allowed to remain synonymous with such a horrific event, instead, I feel it should be renamed to honor the memory of a heroic man, a man who gave everything he had to save the lives of his students. Current students and future generations should not forget that. We live in a world full of danger and sadness, and Librescu Hall should be a beacon of hope and happiness that everyone can turn to as an inspiration, and as a testament to the will of the human spirit.

We hope that this letter will serve as a turning point concerning the decision as to what should be done with Norris Hall. The renaming is a fitting memorial to a man who endured the horror of the Holocaust, succeeded in life, and sacrificed his existence to save the lives of his students.

Sincerely,

Justin Kozuch