Grieving VT Students Reported on Tragedy

WSLS NewsChannel 10
Published: April 24, 2007

Collegiate Times
With the chaos of the past ten days slowing down, students at Virginia Tech are now taking time to reflect; including the staff of the Collegiate Times.

The student journalists at the student-run newspaper have been working overtime since last Monday. They've also been grieving throughout the process. Several members of the newspapers staff lost friends in the shootings.

The journalists were then thrown into covering the story they saw unfold first hand, on the campus they call home. "That was the most difficult part because obviously we're grieving along with the rest of the student body.  Some staff members had friends who were killed", said Editor Aime Steele.

One of those staff members was news editor Saira Haider.  She was so busy reporting, she didn't find out one of her friends was killed until hours later.

"My brother had called me, my best friend had called me, I'd gotten 100 im's from other people saying, we lost a friend," said Haider. Haider focused on the reporting as a way of dealing with her grief.

Haider said "It was probably one of the most physically and emotionally exhausting weeks of my entire life."

Steele said "It's just hard to fathom that this actually happened where we spend everyday, where we go to school this actually happened and then we have to write a news story about it."  Aime was starting her 3rd week as editor when Monday's shootings occurred.

Saira, Amie and the rest of the Collegiate Times staff knew they needed to be here- to honor the 32 who couldn't be.

 "Their lives were cut short and its not all about getting the newspaper out.  It's about telling these people's lives", said Steele.

The incredible work of these students is being recognized around the world. A writer for Editor and Publisher, a newspaper journal, is even suggesting the paper be considered for a Pulitzer Prize.