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Petition: Rename Norris Hall to Librescu Hall

We have established a petition with the intent to formally request that Virginia Tech administration rename Norris Hall to Librescu Hall to honor the memory of Dr. Liviu Librescu, the Virginia Tech professor who sacrificed his life to save the lives of his students. Below is the text of the petition.

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On April 16th, 2007, Cho Seung-Hui, a student of Virginia Tech, senselessly murdered 32 students and teachers before taking his own life. His shooting spree lasted over 2 hours, and when it was all over, the fabric of our lives, our families, and the families of our friends, neighbours and fellow students were ripped apart.

We then learned of the heroic acts of Dr. Liviu Librescu, our beloved Professor of Engineering Science and Mechanics. When the second shooting began, Dr. Librescu instructed his students to leave the room, and blocked the door with his body. As the last students escaped the room through a second floor window, Cho Seung-Hui shot and killed Dr. Librescu through the very door he was barricading. The greatest irony behind his death is that Librescu, a Holocaust survivor from Romania, died on Yom HaShoah, or Holocaust Martyrs Remembrance Day.

Had it not been for the brave and selfless acts of Dr. Librescu, many more families would have been torn apart that day. We should forever remember the heroism of our dear professor, acts that saved the lives of many. There are numerous ways in which we can do this, from bursaries to scholarships, to planting a tree or erecting a statue in his honor.

We, the undersigned, feel that the most fitting way to honor the memory of our dear professor is to rename Norris Hall to Librescu Hall. Norris Hall should not be allowed to remain synonymous with a place of darkness and terror. Renaming the building will begin the healing process and help us remember Dr. Librescu for what he truly was. A friend. A colleague. A hero among the ages.

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The petition can be signed at http://www.petitiononline.com/04172007/petition-sign.html, and the current signature count can be viewed at http://www.petitiononline.com/mod_perl/signed.cgi?04172007

I thank you for your support, and I encourage you to join our Facebook group to stay up-to-date with the progress of our petition of our campaign.

Update I - April 20th, 2007, 10:52 am: The blogs are waking up this morning, we have started to get blog coverage for the petition:

http://www.washtimes.com/metro/20070420-122921-7613r_page2.htm
http://mynuet.livejournal.com/456627.html
http://www.castingoutnines.net/2007/04/19/memorializing-professor-librescu/
http://veeee.livejournal.com/96553.html
http://cantotalk.blogspot.com/2007/04/you-can-not-say-enough-good-things.html

I’m also being told that the petition was mentioned on FOX News this morning on Geraldo’s show, and he was quoted as saying that “it’s a wonderful idea”.

More updates to come throughout the day as more word comes in.

Posted By: Justin Kozuch
Posted On: April 19th, 2007
Posted In: Updates
Trackback To: Petition: Rename Norris Hall to Librescu Hall
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