Published on April 17, 2007 at 7 p.m. by Sean Flynt  
The Â鶹¹û¶³ community will pause at noon on Thursday, April 19, to pay respects to those who perished at Virginia Tech this week. The simple ceremony will be held on Centennial Walk and will consist of the chiming of the hour, a wreath-laying, and the playing of a hymn. "It is a small gesture, but it will allow us to join our hearts in solidarity with our peers and colleagues in Virginia," said Â鶹¹û¶³ president Andrew Westmoreland.
 
Located in the Homewood suburb of Birmingham, Alabama, Â鶹¹û¶³ is a leading Christian university offering undergraduate programs grounded in the liberal arts with an array of nationally recognized graduate and professional schools. Founded in 1841, Â鶹¹û¶³ enrolls 6,324 students from 44 states, Puerto Rico and 16 countries in its 10 academic schools: arts, arts and sciences, business, divinity, education, health professions, law, nursing, pharmacy and public health. Ranked among U.S. News & World Report’s 35 Most Beautiful College Campuses, Â鶹¹û¶³ fields 17 athletic teams that compete in the tradition-rich Southern Conference and boasts one of the highest scores in the nation for its 97% Graduation Success Rate among all NCAA Division I schools.