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The true actions of human nature can be seen in those situations that test us the most. In the heat of the moment, our internal fight or flight instincts kick in, the eternal pull between self- preservation and self sacrifice. Not many can honestly admit they would stay, would sacrifice their own life for another. Would you? It takes moral courage, the essence within a selfless, altruistic person, to be able to stand up when all seems lost. Liviu Librescu harnessed this authentic courage in his actions that frightful night.

On April 16, 2007, senior Seung-Hui Cho, walked onto the campus with one goal in mind, the Walther P-22 pistol nestled discretely under his jacket. His motives were unknown to the hustle and bustle of his fellow students. It was impossible to recognize that

Monday as the day of the deadliest shooting incident by a single gunman in the whole of U.S. history (Moxley 2). Buried in the engineering department, deep in lecture, Liviu Librescu was continuing the day as normal when the news finally arrived. An enraged student was now on campus firing at any civilian he could find. And as if the shooter had known the class had gotten the news, gunshots rang throughout the hallway. Not even hesitating, Librescu sprung into action barricading the door shut with his own body. His first instinct was the well being of his students.

Frozen in shock, the students tried flipping over desks, not sure what else to do. Librescu started yelling orders to break the windows to jump to safety. Students began to plunge to the grassy safe haven below as the 76 year-old man continued to persist against the brutal force of the shooter. Suddenly an echo ran through the room as Librescu fell to the floor. A hole in the door visible as the smoke cleared. From outside the window, students heard the gunshot, suddenly

2 aware of its meaning. For the days since that fatal evening, his students walked through the halls and corridors Librescu once knew.

From the beginning, Librescu possessed the determination to overcome and defy the limits put on him. Born in , he survived as a child, losing his father to its horrific monstrosities. Determined to overcome the oppressive acts, he fought to pursue his passion for engineering despite the criticism by the Communist party. Through all the mass chaos and unimaginable horror, Librescu never once flinched in the face of danger. His extraordinary moral courage was reflected in his ultimate sacrifice. Dr. Ishwar Puri, a fellow colleague at Virginia Tech, commemorated Librescu stating, “Professor Librescu died as he lived, devoted to his students and to his profession” (Virginia Tech 1). If it wasn’t for his courageous actions, those innocent students would not be able to pursue their dreams for the future, as Librescu had done in his pursuit of aeronautical engineering. His actions have been immortalized in the hearts of each survivor. The death toll that day, already at 32, would have soared if Librescu had not heroically used himself as a human shield. He knew the risks yet put the lives of his students above his own.

As Librescu witnessed the injustice of the tyrant Nazi party from a child’s perspective,

Lucien Bunel fought in secret to save those around him. A parallel to Librescu, Bunel was a teacher at Petit Collège des Carmes in Avon, France (“Lucien Bunel” 1). When he saw the impending fate of the Jewish population, Bunel provided sanctuary to three Jewish boys supplying them with false papers. For as long as he possibly could, Bunel protected the children, constantly shifting the safe houses and eventually harboring the boys in the school itself. Like

Librescu, Bunel felt a passion for his craft and for the students around him. While the rest of the

3 community neglected the appalling acts of the totalitarian, he enacted a small defiance against the stifling force of the Nazis well aware of the considerable risk of being caught. He put the safety of the three teens above the value of his own life. Before long, a snitch informed the military of Bunel’s betrayal. With nowhere to run, he was caught for his efforts to protect the

Jews. Just as Librescu had done, Bunel paid the ultimate price for his rebellion. Yet he would not have changed his actions, for he gave those boys support when the world turned its back.

Both Bunel and Librescu displayed moral courage in their efforts to protect their students. In the face of imminent pain and suffering, neither backed down. The two shared a similar moral compass to be the advocate for those who needed it most. How could two men, separated in time, both refuse to concede even at the cost of their life? It is phenomenal how both

Bunel and Librescu utilized moral courage in the time most would not have dared. I can only hope that in my time of need, my teachers will be there for me as Bunel and Librescu were their for their students. In today’s society, school shootings have augmented in number bringing fear and unease to each student. To know courageous people like Librescu are there continues to amaze me. Shortly before his dismal fate, Lucien Bunel, recounting his benevolent deeds, stated,

“if per chance I should be killed, I would thereby bequeath to my students and example worth far more than all the teaching I could give” (“Lucien Bunel” 1). I aspire to have the tenacity of

Bunel and Librescu if I ever am put in a situation as they were. I will always remember their awe-inspiring actions and keep their moral courage close to my heart.

As time goes on, the moral courage that lived in Bunel and Librescu will continue to live on as others, inspired by them, choose to follow their moral compass. They are succeeded in the hearts of the survivors. They have been an inspiration, a symbol to never flee in the formidable 4 face of danger. And I will strive to pursue the principles displayed in the remarkable acts of both men. They refused to let the limitations generated by fear cloud their judgment when it mattered most.

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Works Cited

"Lucien Bunel." Lucien Bunel - Righteous Among the Nations. Yad Vashem The Holocaust

Martyrs' and Heroes' Remembrance Authority, 17 Jan. 1985. Web. 25 Feb. 2016.

http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/righteous/stories/bunel.asp

Moxley, Tonia. "Virginia Tech Shootings Fast Facts." CNN. Cable News Network, 13 Apr.

2015. Web. 26 Feb. 2016. http://www.cnn.com/2013/10/31/us/virginia-tech-shootings-fast-

facts/

Virginia Tech. "Liviu Librescu." We Remember. Virginia Tech, 2007. Web. 26 Feb. 2016.

https://www.weremember.vt.edu/biographies/librescu.html