By Daniel Johnson-Kim, Sports Editor

The Virginia Tech tragedy is the deadliest shooting in American history, and I’m ashamed to say my first reaction was disinterest.

“Just another school shooting,” I thought when I first heard of the massacre. “Time for Bible class.”

Some may think, “What a selfish jerk.”

And its true, I am. I let my daily routine overshadow a tragedy that affects all college students across the nation, even us here at ACU.

Although my only connection to Virginia is a sister living in Lynchburg, this tragedy is directly relevant to my life and all of our lives.

The Virginia Tech tragedy is an example of something that could happen on any college campus across the nation.

What if you heard gunshots while walking to English class in the Administration building or while waiting in line for a cup of coffee at the Starbucks in the Learning Commons?

What would you do? How would you react?

Those are the questions that ran through my mind as the story unfolded on TV. I couldn’t help but wonder the horror and fearful exposure the students at VT felt after 33 of their classmates were confirmed dead. And before I knew it, the feelings I imagined of all involved became my own. I was overwhelmed with horror, shock, disbelief and most of all fear.

And that’s when I started praying.

I know it sounds corny and like advice your mom would give you when something bad happens in your life, but when I searched my mind for what I can do, prayer seemed to be the best answer.

And that is something hard for me to admit.

I believe little in God and even less in God’s reaction to prayer, but I do believe this tragedy is out of my hands.

I abandoned the declarative hostility I often hold toward God and came to him with one request: to be with the people in Blacksburg, Va.

There is little a person in the small city of Abilene, miles away from the tragedy, can do to personally affect this tragedy, but I believe that shouldn’t encourage apathy and disinterest.

Keep your eyes glued to the television and as the story continues to unfold, don’t react with anger, react with understanding and peacfully greive the students who were murdered.

We all can do something about this no matter how small, and we should not let this tragedy slip under the lie that we don’t have an impact.

I just hope my prayer was heard.