ASLA Expresses Condolences to Virginia Tech

In the aftermath of the tragic events on the Virginia Tech campus on April 16, ASLA members who wish to express their condolences to the Hokie community and the landscape architecture program specifically are encouraged to send emails to Professor Dean Bork, ASLA, at drbork@vt.edu. Former ASLA President Patrick Miller, FASLA, teaches at Virginia Tech and told LAND Online that the department has received “heartfelt expressions of concern” and support from across the country and around the world, including places as far away as Iran, China, and Malaysia. He also said that the landscape architecture students, many of whom were friends of the victims, have come together “tremendously.” He went on to say that the landscape architecture students work together in classrooms and studios so much that they are less like classmates and more like members of a fraternity or sorority.

Terry Clements, ASLA, who also teaches at Virginia Tech, said that she was proud of the VT community and how it has solidified and supports all of its members. She spoke of the temporary memorial on the grounds of the Drillfield at VT, describing the 33 individual slabs of pale limestone (known locally as “Hokie stone” from Tech’s own quarry), the flowers and letters left there, and the visitors from around the country who have come there to show their support and grief. She said that the poem by Professor Nikki Giovanni has been a source of strength for students and the community as a whole.

Virginia Tech has also established a tribute website and the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund for donations. Several of the victims’ families have also founded memorial funds in their children’s names. More information on the tragedy and the community response can be found on Virginia Tech’s website.