Virginia Tech's English department offered a new course last fall -- Contemporary Horror -- and Seung-Hui Cho enrolled.

The course description for English 3984 warned students that the course was not for the faint of heart and described films they would study and analyze, including "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It described a new genre of horror films in which lead characters could no longer count on surviving "the invasion of zombies, homicidal maniacs and vampires."

In late October, The Roanoke Times wrote a feature story about the Contemporary Horror class and profiled instructor Brent Stevens.

Stevens said then that as the public has become more accustomed to seeing blood and gore in the news, horror films have become increasingly violent. The goal of the class was to get students to think analytically about the books and films they reviewed. Students were encouraged to keep a journal about their personal fears.

Last week, The Roanoke Times phoned Stevens soon after Cho's murderous rampage on Monday. Stevens, then grieving the loss of a favorite student, Ross Alameddine, said he had not known Cho.

Later, he realized Cho had been in the Contemporary Horror class, one of 35 students. He then released a statement that described Cho as "unremarkable, at least, in his dealings with me." Like other faculty members who taught Cho, Stevens said Cho did not participate in class.

In a Saturday interview, during which he apologized for his earlier memory lapse, Stevens said another student helped him remember Cho's behavior on day one.

"On the first day of class, I always do an icebreaker, just getting to know the students," Stevens said.

"I ask them their name, hometown and major and to describe something that makes them unique from anyone else in class."

The exercise moved around the classroom.

"Right before I got to Cho, he got up and walked out of the room," Stevens said.

Several minutes later, Cho returned, and Stevens said he told the student he was "not off the hook" for the icebreaker.

"He sat down, shook his head 'no,' and wouldn't say anything," Stevens recalled.

Stevens would not comment Saturday about Cho's class writings.

But the statement he released addressed the subject.

"While I can appreciate your interest in his writings, given the class topic and the news stories about his other English classes, I am afraid any discussion of what he revealed in his papers for this class will only disappoint you," Stevens wrote.

The statement added, "I regret that I have little to add to your attempt to answer the question, 'Why?' "

Staff writer Greg Esposito contributed to this report.