Norris Hall open house hopes to lessen fears

Jerzy Nowak is the founding director at Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention.

He’s also a widower.  His wife, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, was the french instructor who was killed in Norris Hall.

“As a matter of fact, right here in this space,“ said Nowak as we interviewed him in the same classroom where his wife taught and was sadly killed.

Nowak says thoughts of his wife dying in Norris Hall were on his mind for “probably several weeks after we moved here.“

But Nowak says he put his personal feelings aside to concentrate on the center’s mission to promote peace.

“As a professional I see the broader impact of the center of this particular symbolic space than my personal. This is a tribute to my wife and all the victims and not only the victims of this particular violence, but victims of other violence,“ said Nowak.

Unfortunately, the center hasn’t seen as many visitors as it would like because many people still associate Norris Hall as the place where so many innocent lives were taken.

That according to John Welch who is a member of the center’s group, “students for non-violence.“

In an effort to re-generate traffic in the building, the center held an open house Thursday night.

About 25 people showed up.

“It’s important we bring that traffic back in here so people are open and they feel safe,“ said Welch.

“There’s been this black cloud hanging over Blacksburg with all these terrible incidences that have taken place. We don’t necessarily think that Blacksburg and Virginia Tech has become a violent place or a violent city, but I think it just sort of puts people on edge,“ added Welch.

The students and Nowak are trying to bring people in the community together so they can work together to not only prevent violence on campus, but around the country.

“This is a symbolic place and we would like to use the symbol to make a difference,“ said Nowak.

If you’d like to learn more about Virginia Tech’s Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention: http://www.cpsvp.vt.edu/index.html