I just wanted to share some fellow dancers’ remembrances of Reema. - Jennifer

As you all know, we here at SalsaTech are truly a diverse community and
we are composed of hundreds of students, faculty, and staff. It is with great sadness that we report to you the tragic loss of one of the brightest and most charismatic members of our community, Reema Samaha.

She had many close friends at Virginia Tech, and a beautiful message
has been written in her honor from those very close to her (message appears at bottom of this email). Please take the time to read about a young woman whose impact on a community is only revealed through the direst and most unfortunate of circumstances.

Through talking and coping with some friends these past few days, it
was seldom difficult to come to a consensus about Reema; she came to nearly every Wednesday Night Salsa Massive, and was the embodiment of what we as Hokies strive to be. Each time I and many others would have to chase her around the club for the opportunity to dance with her, and regardless of fatigue, unfamiliarity, or time she would always say “yes” to a request.

This was a testament to her character. And aside from being a beautiful and diverse dancer, what I will forever remember most is her feverish smile and soul-touching laughter spanning the entirety of each dance; never has a post-dance “thank you sooo much” been as sincere as the one given each time to Reema, which was a ripple effect of the warmth and genuine enjoyment that seemed to so readily diffuse from her. She truly had the ability to light up a room.

And Reema Samaha was but one of a number of innocent lives taken from
the Virginia Tech community. Please keep every single life lost in your hearts and minds, and offer comfort to their families should you be given the opportunity.

From all of the members of SalsaTech, past and present, we wish to
extend not only our condolences, but more importantly our support for those affected by this tragedy, for we must not let this sadness or anger define the path we choose to follow in the process of mending such deep and seemingly endless wounds.

With eternal love and salsolidarity,
The SalsaTech family
Brian T. Murphy, The Postmaster
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Message from the Contemporary Dance Ensemble:

The Contemporary Dance Ensemble has spent the recent days together
mourning the loss of our close friend and fellow dancer, Reema Samaha. We also spent this time remembering the year that we got to spend together. The first thing we all remembered was the day she auditioned for the group. After just a few minutes we were so taken by her dancing that we knew that she would fit perfectly into our group. She was a beautiful girl with big almond eyes and an irresistible smile. Her dancing was not just moves put together, but she lived dance. Her
whole body felt the dance and she was completely captivating to watch.

Two days before the tragic events at Virginia Tech, the Contemporary
Dance Ensemble had its semi-annual show. This was Reema’s first year in the group and she had choreographed a belly dancing piece for the event. Although her fellow CDE members had no experience in belly dance, Reema explained everything in such a way that the experience was not only a success but everyone looked forward to going to her rehearsals every week. In addition to her own dance, Reema participated in 6 other dances choreographed by other members and shined in each dance she was in. Audience members noticed her outstanding
talent in each piece. Reema embraced every style of dance, and that energy radiated to the audience.

After the show, Reema’s parents talked to a few of our members. They
told one member about how well Reema was doing at her first year at Tech and how proud they were of her. They said that she had really blossomed here and they were very happy for her. This was definitely a truthful statement. If you walked around campus with her, every minute or so she would stop to talk to another friend she saw walking by. She was immediate friends with everyone she met and she had a certain presence about her that made people instantly drawn to her. She was excited about all events on campus and was involved in many groups.
Everything she did, she did it with drive and pure enthusiasm.

Reema has left a mark on the Contemporary Dance Ensemble and the group
will forever be changed by her contributions over the past year. We all
mourn the loss of such a beautiful dancer and human being and our hearts feel for her family. We wish that her family will find comfort in knowing that Reema’s life has touched many people and that she will be loved forever.



news.blogs.nytimes.com/2007/0...samaha/