WILMINGTON -- Over 350 miles away from Blacksburg, Va. some alumni of Virginia Tech here in Wilmington are speaking out about the tragedy. There are about 900 Hokie alumni between New Bern North Carolina and Florence South Carolina, many of whom are bonding together during this time of tragedy. Christene Pyne and Channing King are joining thousands of Virginia Tech students by wearing school colors to show support for the university. The alumni say the shooting is not changing their image of the school. They say right now, they are just trying to reach out to other Hokies or members of the community who are grieving. Pyne said, "We're a Hokie nation. Hokies unite. We show strength to those all around who are hurting. I think I'll make the effort to get in my car and make the drive up there and show my spirit." King said, "I think together we'll all get through this. And hopefully we'll be better people for it." Pyne and King also responded to speculation over school officials taking two hours to notify students. They say it would have been impossible to inform everyone because the campus is so large and because of the amount of students who live off campus. The ladies have helped organize a memorial gathering tonight at the St. Paul's Lutheran Church on the corner of Sixth and Market Streets in downtown Wilmington. The gathering will start at 6:30.