Convocation Remarks

            Narratives are founded upon something pre-given and pre-known.  Yet in responding to a crisis, Presidents are in the business of providing the basic information necessary to understand the crisis.   At some point, however, a shift in focus to the epideictic side of crisis response sees the pre-given and pre-known aspects come to the fore.

            President Steger was one of several important speakers at the 2:00 p.m., 17 April Convocation.  I feel, though, that his role as President of Virginia Tech lifted the importance of his words above those of President Bush and Virginia Governor Kaine.  The slayings were of Virginia Tech students and faculty.  Although having the support of President Bush and Governor Kaine was exceptional, those present looked for words from their leader, their school president.  In his short speech, President Steger spoke to Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff, and alumni, giving information, but shifting into an epideictic mode, thus moving to address the growing need for healing over timeline information.   His speech is brief, but hit numerous important benchmarks for a successful epideictic speech.  His appearance behind the podium was met with a standing ovation:

            Certainly President Steger acknowledges his own emotions and of the emotions of those to whom he is speaking; he acknowledged the shared experience, the attack on the common community, and the importance of moving on: “In the last day I’ve expressed my horror and shock, but there really are no words that truly express the depth of sadness that we feel. It’s overwhelming, almost paralyzing, yet our hearts and our minds call to us to come together to share our individual attempts to comprehend the incomprehensible, to make sense of the senseless, and to find ways for our community to heal, and to slowly and painfully but inevitably to begin to heal and to again move forward."[53]

            Enjoining community, he stressed, “We are very grateful that we do not have to travel this path alone. . . .  The expressions of sympathy and support that have poured in from all corners of our nation and from around the world . . . have touched us.  They help us cope with the incredible tragedy and have reaffirmed our basic belief in the goodness of people."[54] The first part of the speech is epideictic, whereas the second half of the speech provides necessary information for Virginia Tech.  With this speech, Steger’s role as information provider and defender of the timeline wanes, his epideictic role waxes.