State troopers stood outside Burruss Hall around 9 a.m. ET, staring at a wide expanse of grass in the center of Virginia Tech that is typically buzzing with students and professors rushing to class. But the university was quiet Wednesday.
Many students have left. Some others, determined not to let a madman change their life, remained.
Paul Travers, a 21-year-old senior, took his dog Spin out for a walk around campus. He paused to read four 5-feet wide sandwich boards that have been painted white and covered with students' messages to their "fallen Hokies."
"God has a plan & he gladly accepted his Hokie Angels into Heaven," one read.
Another: "This will be remembered as the darkest day of my life. Ryan, Reema, Emily, and the other 29 victims, you will be in my heart forever."
"It's eerie here now," said Travers. "You look at Norris and think about what happened there. It's still uncomprehensible."
-- By Ashley Fantz, CNN.com Producer/Writer
