Features: Students journal about Boston Marathon experience A&E: Editor critiques Lily Allen's album "Alright, Still" Opinions: TU counselor reflects on his HE CHO process of grief TAPRIL 20, 2007 ET AYLOR U NIVERSI T Y SINCE 1915 - VOLUME 94, NO. 24 Kerr to emphasize Va. Tech heartbreak: holistic Christianity BY LAUREN FREE in the ways he used the men A Taylor alumna CONTRIBUTOR and women who impacted me at Taylor. I was loved well there, even though I was recounts her story Excerpts from an inter- a slave to sin. view with Youth Confer- ence speaker J.R. Kerr. Can you tell me a little bit about your family? Can you describe your cur- I’m married to a Taylor rent ministry? girl, although she did trans- fer out. Her name is Rachel, I am the senior leader at and we have two beautiful North Way Christian Com- little girls: Madeline, who is munity, which is a church of 4, and Claire, who is almost 4,000 to 5,000 people. It’s an 2. We love being a family. We awesome church! We have love serving Jesus because two campuses: one in the we think that the church ac- suburbs of Pittsburgh and tually starts in the home. the other in the city. I am re- My wife and I have been sponsible for actually lead- married for eight years. ing the church. She is the clearest picture of I came to North Way two God’s love that I have ever years ago to be the teaching seen. She recently came pastor, but within a year, the through cancer, so it’s been a elders asked that I consider tough year. Yet the cancer has entering into the senior lead- served to show us that num- er position. ber one, even in the midst of My role is to preach 50 to the most difficult time in our 60 percent of the time. I com- lives, we believe that Jesus municate the gospel – and I Christ is real. And number love it – to the local body of two, we see how much we Christ. I also develop teams, need each other and love love on the staff, cast a vision each other. for the church. It comes down to two sim- What do you plan to speak ple things. One, I am made to about at YC? lead in the local church and Photo courtesy of Manas Tungare (flickr.com) figure out how to live life Waking God. Well, the On Tuesday evening mourners from the university and nearby communities gather in the Drillfield at Virginia Tech to honor those who together in the local church whole idea is that we tend to died in Monday's shooting. so that others might know live as though God is asleep. BY MEGAN BAIRD Jesus. Two, our vision is to I feel as though we tend to EDITOR-IN-CHIEF was killed to find out said. “The legal system needs any city. Twenty-six thou- set people free to follow Je- treat him as though he is where and when she can to interface better with the sand students are here, with sus. And because of this, we only a part of our lives when “When I came to work on claim the body. She was in mental health support struc- 10,000 staff and students. It are highly involved in justice we invite him to be a part of Monday, it was an ordinary tears. The sadness is be- tures to more effectively get is a city.” issues, addiction issues and our lives. day,” Lynn Davis, public af- yond grasping.” persons help who may harm Nelson Rediger, associ- just life issues. I’ll start by preaching from fairs director for Virginia Davis, who handles media themselves or others.” ate executive director of the the beginning of the Bible. Tech’s College of Natural Re- relations for the College of Virginia Tech did have an William Taylor Foundation, As a Taylor grad, what are My goal is to reveal that God sources, said. “Now none of Natural Resources, has been emergency plan in place be- knew Davis when she at- a few of your thoughts re- has been involved from the us will ever be the same.” working with worldwide fore the shootings and had tended Taylor and has stayed garding the university? beginning and that his goal Monday’s Virginia Tech media since the tragedy. in contact with her. is to love us all deeply. massacre – the deadliest On Wednesday, she met "The minute it was “The minute it was hap- Taylor changed my life. We’ll start by talking about U.S. shooting ever by a sin- with an Israeli journalist who happening I was pening, I was praying for When I came to Taylor, I a personal relationship with gle gunman – left at least 32 was reporting on the heroic praying for God's God’s grace and the many, was just a chump. I was a him, focusing on the indi- dead and 15 wounded af- actions of Professor Liviu Li- grace and the many, many families out there,” he cocky, college-freshman soc- vidual life, and end by talk- ter student Cho Seung-Hu bresc, a holocaust survivor many families out said. “[Davis] is right there, cer player. ing about waking God in opened fire in a dorm and in who was shot while blocking there." and she’s a very, very sensi- You see, I was the worst the world. I want to empha- the university’s Norris Hall. the door to a classroom. tive, very caring, very ser- kind of freshman. I came size that a relationship with Davis, a Taylor student She also attended Virginia -Nelson Rediger- vant-oriented gal.” from a really dysfunctional God is not bound to chapel, from 1963 to 1965, was in the Tech’s convocation, where Davis credits God with background. Most of my church or the ministry. building in front of the dorm President Bush and Virginia begun improving its cam- helping her and others make family doesn’t know Jesus. We’ll talk about how God 45 minutes after the first of Governor Tim Kaine ad- pus-wide alert systems, ms- it through this week. When I came to Taylor, I wants to be a part of our two shootings took place. dressed the tragedy. nbc.com said. “The strength of the com- knew that I wanted to make community, because I feel She said the killer probably Davis said the media’s “There will be some munity caring comes from a difference for Jesus, but at as though this generation passed her office to return response has been “fair- changes made [to university the prayers uplifting us all,” that point, I mostly wanted wants to be a part of some- to his dorm, where he made ly good.” security],” Davis said. “But she said. “... By God’s grace people to notice me. But the thing bigger, but at the same “In crises and tragedy, it is basically you cannot prevent we will get through this.” people at Taylor, like [Tay- time, wants to be intima- "The strength of human nature to want to find all evil from taking place in lor President Emeritus] Jay tely known. the community car- someone or something to Kesler, [Biblical Studies Pro- We’ll talk about the church, ing comes from the blame, so it was easy for the fessor] Bill Heth and the list because I also think we’re prayers uplifting us media to say Virginia Tech goes on and on, changed me. raising a generation that does all ... By God's grace should have done this or Taylor saved my life. It be- not love the church, but actu- we will get through that,” Davis said. “The real came my home. ally despises it. this." story here is that the killer You see, when you leave And then we’ll wrap up by was a very angry man with a dysfunctional home like talking about the influence -Lynn Davis- many emotional and social mine was, you’re in need of that God wants us to have in problems.” a real home. I’ll never for- the world. a video manifesto he sent to According to Davis, peo- get when I drove away from NBC before heading to Nor- ple had tried to get psycho- Taylor my senior year. I un- Any other thoughts? ris Hall. logical and emotional help derstood that God had used “My English graduate stu- for Cho. that place to change my life Any time I go to do a dent assistant passed Norris In 2005, according to CNN. and that I now had a respon- speaking engagement, my Hall while the … other kill- com, Virginia Tech police sibility to bring people to that prayer is that I will get out of ings were taking place and talked with Cho after two community we love so much the way. I want to be used in heard the shots,” Davis said. female students reported he at Taylor. a way that will provide God “When she got to my office, was stalking them and again When we graduate from with all of the glory and hon- she was completely devas- when they were told Cho Taylor, we are given the gift or. I don’t really get nervous tated and crying.” might commit suicide. of Christian community. I a lot, but it’s an honor to go At around 9:15 a.m., Da- Cho then received an eval- mean, I’m 31 and the leader back to Taylor, and I take this vis received an email from uation in a mental health fa- of a megachurch.