European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 21, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 stars and stripes saturday april 21 2007 Virginia tech rampage Day of mourning somber country Falls silent by Matt Apuzzo the associated press Blacksburg a silence fell across the Virginia tech Cam pus at noon Friday and Bells tolled in churches across the United states in memory of the 32 peo ple killed in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern us history on the Campus much of the Shock from mondays killings had Given Way to grief hundreds of somber students and area residents most wearing the schools Maroon and Orange stood with Heads bowed at a me Morial on the Large Field in front of Norris Hall along with the Bou Quets and candles was a yellow sign covered in Maroon and or Ange Han prints bearing the words never forgotten churches around the country from California to the National Ca thedral in Washington do planned vigils and prayer services in Denver As a cathedrals Bells pealed Colorado gov Bill Ritter and others bowed their Heads in memory of the victims at both Virginia tech and at Little tons Columbine High school eight years earlier gov Timothy Kaine declared Friday a statewide Day of mourn ing for the victims As experts photo  Wedhorn chaplain Liwaj Richard Pacania left Lauren Kelly Center arid Cristina Michta Light candies during a memorial Friday at the George Marshall european Center for Security studies in Garmisch Germany the ceremony for victims of the Virginia tech shooting was held As part of the Hokie Hope Day and a Day of mourning declared by the governor of Virginia the event was organized by Arnii Lockhart a Virginia tech alumnus pored Over Cho Seung Huis twisted writings and parents urged everyone else to focus on Healing from the massacre s Peter read and other parents of the victims also urged television stations to Stop broadcasting the hat filled videos of Cho the 23yearold English major who carried out the killings and sever Al networks agreed to scale Back we want the world to know and celebrate our childrens lives and we believe that1 s the Central element that brings Hope in the midst of great tragedy said read who lost his 19yearold daughter Mary Karen read president Bush who wore a Maroon and Orange tie Friday in Honor of Virginia tech has asked officials at the Justice health and human services and education departments to work with Educa Tion officials nationwide and make recommendations on ways to avoid such tragedies in the future spokeswoman Dana Perino said he has directed them to travel to communities across the nation to meet with educators mental health experts and state and local officials who have responsibility for these policies Perino said the governor also appointed an Independent panel that includes former Homeland Security Secre tary Tom Ridge to look into How authorities handled the tragedy said Friday that the group would look into the time lapse land How students were Noti the dangers and whether privacy Laws and the need to communicate for safety conflicted among other things this was of standout Mur Der Ridge said this was a horribly horribly deranged Young Man when criminologists and psychologists look at mass murders Cho fits the themes they see repeatedly a friendless figure someone who has been bullied someone who blames others and is Bent on revenge a careful plan Ner a male and someone who sent up warning signs with his strange behaviour Long in Advance shooters family sought better life in the states Seoul South father of the gunman in the Virginia tech shootings had said before emigrating to the us that he wanted to live in a place where he was unknown leaving behind a relatively poor existence in the South korean capital a newspaper reported wednesday Cho Seung Huis family lived in a Seoul suburb in a rented base ment apartment usually the cheapest unit in a multiunit building landlord Lim Yongae 67 told Chosun no South to reas largest newspaper the paper reported that chos family decided to emigrate to seek a better life hero professor Laid to rest in native Israel Kaanana Israel Liviu Librescu the 76yearold professor and holocaust survivor who died protecting his students from the Virginia tech gunman was eulogized Friday in a cemetery sur rounded by Citrus Groves As a quiet hero unfailingly devoted to his students and his work i believe you Are looking at us from above at this gathering and saying what dont you have anything to do said Aryeh Librescu one of the professors two sons Librescu said his would not have understood fuss Over his willingness to Block a classroom door so could escape gho Seung Huis murderous rampage the Well liked professor his son imagined would say simply i did what i had to do University offering flexible grading policy Blacksburg a virgin4 a tech said thursday that Stu dents unable to finish course work this Spring because of the trauma of this weeks massacre wont have to and those students will qualify for credit with the grades they had earned before the killer struck in uncharted territory after the nations deadliest shooting ram Page by an individual school officials said they Are seeking to ease students Back into an academic routine with flexibility and com passion when classes resume monday a few weeks before the end of the school year we have decided among our selves that we Are going to focus on the students first Mark Mcnamee Provost and vice presi Dent for academic affairs said at a news conference and so the students Are going to have choices about How they will Complete the semester from wire reports got a question my d ust deploy s we whats 3 with us mix Ehold of hot Iyow lit this ome Schoot souse club a child it will let a love Send your questions to issues with debuts apri 11 with your weekly scene stars stripes