Tragedy sparks memories and change

By Jeff Gilbride/Daily News staff
Daily News Tribune
Posted Apr 15, 2008 @ 12:43 AM

WALTHAM —

A year ago Wednesday, Kalynn Cook's childhood friend was killed when Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus.

To mark the first anniversary and to remember her friend, Erin Peterson, the Brandeis freshman from Sterling, Va., planned a candlelight vigil for tomorrow night.

"I'm from northern Virginia and I came up here for school. When it got to be April I knew that the one-year anniversary would be coming up. I looked at the Brandeis calendar of events and I noticed there wasn't anything scheduled," she said. "I decided to talk to some of my friends who happen to be involved in student activism. They suggested I host an event myself."

Cook said she contacted the student organization Democracy for America, which helped organize the event.

Starting at 7 p.m. tomorrow, students will read a biography of each person killed in the massacre, hold a prayer service and conduct an open forum to discuss the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history.

Cho cut down his victims in two attacks two hours apart before the university could grasp what was happening and warn students. The bloodbath ended with the gunman committing suicide.

Thirty-two individual flames will be lit, one for each of the victims.

"(Democracy for America) handles activism. I went to one of their meetings and they decided to sponsor me. I got some materials from them and I got some advice," she said. "I spoke to Father Walter Cuenin (a Brandeis chaplain) and he's going to be speaking at the vigil ... it doesn't just affect the Virginia Tech community, but college communities all over the nation."

Since the killings, Brandeis University officials adopted a number of precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students.

"Certainly Virginia Tech marked a very significant turning point for us wanting to look for as many measures to help best inform people on campus on what to do in the event of an emergency," said Brandeis spokesman Dennis Nealon "It's all a work in progress to address emergency warning issues."

Nealon said Brandeis officials instituted a number of precautionary communication measures under what is now referred to as the Brandeis Emergency Notification System.

One step was to place towers around campus that serve as warning sirens in case of an emergency.

"The intention of the sirens is to tell people to go indoors and to proceed to get whatever information they need about what the particular emergency is," Nealon said. "Another step was that every land (line) phone on campus was equipped with a small video screen."

Nealon said the video screens can display a written notice or audible message in case of an emergency.

"We'll inform people that an emergency situation has developed and we'll tell them what steps to take," he said. "We also have an 80 percent voluntary response from students to our initiative to gather as many cell phone numbers as we could. The university now can send text messages directly to people's cell phones."

Bentley College in Waltham also uses a similar campus alert system, through a program called "Connect-Ed." Bentley spokeswoman Michelle Walsh said the school collected cell phone numbers from almost the entire college community to send out a text message or voice mail message in case of an emergency.

Walsh said Bentley College had taken most of these precautionary measures before the Virginia Tech massacre. He said the incident caused campus officials to review existing communications and security.

Bentley College has a crisis planning team comprised of staff and students that meets twice a month. The team holds "tabletop drills," in which they map out scenarios of potential emergencies and discuss how to deal with them.

"The crisis planning team meets twice a month and has been well before the Virginia Tech tragedy. Following the tragedy was a review of what would happen if we had an equivalent situation," Walsh said. "I think the most important thing is our crisis planning team works closely with the campus police ... you learn from every school (tragedy). If a school meets regularly, the better prepared they are, no matter what the situation."

Unlike their counterparts at Bentley, Brandeis University Police officers are unarmed, a practice that is expected to change this summer. Last year, Brandeis President Jehuda Reinharz announced he accepted a recommendation of an eight-member university firearms panel to equip Brandeis Police with guns.

"An advisory committee (was) formed initially of faculty and students to look at the issue in light of the Virginia Tech tragedy," Nealon said. "That committee gave a yes-vote to the president (that the police should be armed)."

Nealon said the tragedy reignited the topic of arming Brandeis Police, which was discussed randomly in previous years.

"The Virginia Tech tragedy did spur that discussion again," Nealon said. "About 20 officers have been undergoing field and psychological training. ... They are all being certified at the state police academy in Massachusetts."

Jeff Gilbride can be reached at 781-398-8005 or at jgilbrid@cnc.com


Licensed under Creative Commons
<a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic</a>

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Original Source:
<a href="http://www.dailynewstribune.com/homepage/x818433112">http://www.dailynewstribune.com/homepage/x818433112</a>

Jeff Gilbride

2008-04-19

Kacey Beddoes

eng

46% of students feel unsafe, audit finds - Administrators rethink security measures in dorms

Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News
By Justin Hedani
Ka Leo News Editor

After what is being called the deadliest shooting in American history, the Virginia Tech shooting has many students questioning their safety - especially at the dorms.

"Personally, I don&#39;t think there&#39;s enough security [at the dorms and] there&#39;s a lot of students [to oversee]," said Andrea W., a student at the University of Hawai&#39;i at Manoa.

The first report of killings was at West Ambler Johnston Hall, on Virginia Tech&#39;s campus, where a man and a woman were found dead in their dorm rooms.

"I don&#39;t know, it kind of widens your scope," said Leigh Hokawa, a student residing at Gateway House, "[but] it doesn&#39;t affect me directly or scare me."

According to the management audit conducted by State Auditor Marion Higa and the Office of the Auditor, "Forty-six percent of the students disagree with this statement: &#39;I feel safe on campus.&#39;" While in the lower housing district, 43 percent of Noelani residents felt that they were "dissatisfied" with security and the safety of their belongings.

"I don&#39;t think it&#39;s the fault about security," said Elias Allen, a Gateway suite resident. "I always lock my door; I&#39;m not really worried."

Allen also said if he saw someone suspicious, he would confront them and ask then what they were doing.

Student services are working on ways to improve the safety and security for residents on campus.

"We are putting electronic card access on all the doors in [Hale] Aloha, Wainani, Noelani and front doors only of remaining halls," said Laurie Furutani, interim housing director.

Currently, security and housing staff are coordinating their efforts and security is providing training for resident staff members to make safety a priority.

Neal Sakamoto, chief of security at UHM said that new screen windows will be put into all first floor dormitories so that it will be harder for burglars to get into rooms.

"We&#39;ve been working with the housing staff to improve doors and windows," Sakamoto said.

In the same audit, it was said that "we recommend that the University of Hawai&#39;i introduce legislation for Campus Security to be given arrest authority and the authority to carry weapons."

"I wouldn&#39;t arm the guys I have now," Sakamoto said "[but] we&#39;ve been looking at adding police officers [to security]. They would be actual police officers, they would have arrest authorities and they will carry guns."

The audit also stated that "there are too few security officers on duty to deter and react to crimes."

Security has requested eight additional security staff members and currently has seven pending background checks. Sakamoto said that 14 to 15 more will be requested for their force next legislative session.

Francisco Hernandez, Vice Chancellor for Students, said that orientations will be held for students to keep them aware of certain dangers.

"I don&#39;t think we can change the time tables," Hernandez said. As for locks and other upgrades, he said, "The only thing we&#39;re going to do now is review our procedures."

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Original Source: The Voice - Ka Leo
<a href="http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717.shtml">http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717.shtml</a>
<a href="http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717-page2.shtml">http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717-page2.shtml</a>

Justin Hedani

2008-03-12

Kacey Beddoes

Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>

eng

Vigil pays respect to Virginia Tech victims and families

By: Laura Fong | Freelance reporter |
Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: News

In honor of the 33 lives lost during the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, University students and community members held a candlelight vigil in the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater on Monday night.

Tea lights dotted the photographs of the 33 victims that lined the bottom step of the amphitheater. Attendees quietly lit candles and wrote their thoughts to the victims&#39; friends and families on white pieces of paper that would later be sent to Virginia Tech.

University junior and family and human services major Jory Card organized the event through a Facebook group commemorating the victims of last week&#39;s shooting.

"These people are just like us - they could be your friends, your family," Card said to the crowd of about 60 attendees. "This is a time to be quiet with your friends and honor those who were lost."


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<a href="http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/04/24/Video/Video.Campus.Mourns.Virginia.Tech-2876566.shtml">Watch video from the vigil</a>

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University senior and journalism major Meghan Hilliard heard out about the event from Card, who is her roommate. Hilliard said she had a "reality check" when Card brought home the stack of 33 photographs of the victims later used for the vigil.

"The fact that the pictures take up the whole first row of our EMU amphitheater, I think is astounding," Hilliard said. "It&#39;s a real eye-opening visual because we hear of the 33 victims, but to see them is really impacting."

Lane Community College freshman Elizabeth Ashworth said she came to the vigil to pay respect to the Virginia Tech students and faculty.

"I realize how short life is and that it can be taken away, just like these people here," Ashworth said.

Ashworth heard about the vigil from her friend Megan Funke, a University freshman and psychology major, who also emphasized the importance of paying her respects to those affected by the shooting.

"If my friends were gone like this tomorrow, I don&#39;t know what I would do; it&#39;s such a huge tragedy." Funke said. "There are a lot of people whose lives (the victims) did affect, and I don&#39;t think that should be forgotten just because we&#39;re far away. "

Hilliard agreed that the far distance from Virginia Tech is unimportant, and that unfortunate events like the Virginia Tech shooting unite students across the country.

"In situations like this, campuses unite as one; campus lines are blurred since we&#39;re all going to school," Hilliard said. "This happened about 3,000 miles away, but it&#39;s still pertinent here and everywhere else."

Card said he wanted to bring students together one week after the shooting to remind them that they have "the ultimate say in our campus&#39; safety."

"I want to honor the victims and spark a change on campus to bring us together," Card said. "I&#39;d like to re-evaluate the true meaning of having a safe campus."

Card said that "safety" should extend further than "physical safety." People should also be respectful of those who have different opinions and backgrounds.

He asked the attendees: "How many times have you seen someone on 13th Avenue that you recognize and just ignore? I&#39;m guilty of it too. My challenge to you is to find a way to bring us together as a campus."

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Photo by:Amber Mees

Original Source: Daily Emerald
<a href="http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/04/25/News/Vigil.Pays.Respect.To.Virginia.Tech.Victims.And.Families-2879322.shtml">http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/04/25/News/Vigil.Pays.Respect.To.Virginia.Tech.Victims.And.Families-2879322.shtml</a>
<a href="http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/04/25/News/Vigil.Pays.Respect.To.Virginia.Tech.Victims.And.Families-2879322-page2.shtml">http://media.www.dailyemerald.com/media/storage/paper859/news/2007/04/25/News/Vigil.Pays.Respect.To.Virginia.Tech.Victims.And.Families-2879322-page2.shtml</a>

Laura Fong (Author)/Amber Mees (Photo)

2008-02-19

Kacey Beddoes

Judy Riedl <jriedl@uoregon.edu>

eng

Public Safety Takes Over as Card-Swipers

PUBLISHED APRIL 17, 2007

Beginning today and lasting at least through the end of the semester, students will no longer work as card-swipers at the front desks of on-campus residences and Lerner Hall.

The change, announced yesterday, came in response to Monday&#39;s shootings at Virginia Tech University and is aimed at increasing security. According to Rosemary Keane, assistant vice president for communications in the Division of Student Services, students currently working at those desks will be reassigned and will not become unemployed. Columbia University public safety officers will take their card-swiping jobs.

"In response to Virginia Tech, our goal was to make sure that we have uniformed officers in each residence hall and in Lerner for the rest of the semester for added security precautions," Lisa Hogarty, executive vice president for Student and Administrative Services, said last night.

One student, who was working at the front desk of Lerner Hall last night and declined to be named for fear of losing her job, said that she felt the move would have little impact on security. "I don&#39;t like the idea of turnstiles, anyways," she said, noting that two of the three turnstiles were broken and that anybody can walk through without swiping. "If people really want to get into the building, they&#39;ll find a way."

In an e-mail sent to Columbia students last night, Hogarty announced that there will be a candlelight vigil at the sundial tonight at 9 p.m. in remembrance of the 33 students who died during the shooting. University Chaplain Jewelnel Davis is scheduled to speak. The University has also extended today&#39;s office hours for Counseling and Psychological Services until 11 p.m. today.

"The entire Columbia University community mourns the loss of these individuals and we send our prayers and condolences to their friends and families and to all the students, staff and faculty at Virginia Tech," Hogarty wrote in the e-mail.

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Original Source: Columbia Spectator
<a href="http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/24884">http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/24884</a>

Editorial Staff

2008-02-17

Kacey Beddoes

Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)

eng

Task Force to better secure OSU campus

By: Alaina Busch
Posted: 4/30/07
Representatives from Ohio&#39;s colleges and universities will meet today as part of a statewide effort to address campus security issues and concerns.

Today&#39;s meeting is the first for the Campus Security Task Force, formed at the request of Gov. Ted Strickland after the Virginia Tech shootings.

"The effort is to ensure the communication and response efforts are better than adequate,"said Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey.

The Ohio Board of Regents organized the discussion-based group composed of more than 70 representatives from Ohio&#39;s public and private colleges and universities. The representatives will meet by videoconference at eight sites throughout the state, including the Ohio Supercomputer Center in Columbus.

The Board of Regents is a nine-member panel that coordinates higher education policy in Ohio and makes recommendations to the governor and General Assembly. Chancellor of Higher Education Eric Fingerhut said each university&#39;s president and board of trustees are legally responsible for their campus safety. He said the task force will first identify the best practices available and then decide what the state can do to be more helpful.

"There is value in sharing plans," Fingerhut said. The task force will compare safety practices and recommend future actions to the governor based on their findings. Depending on how the group&#39;s ideas evolve, the outcome could include a statewide coordination of safety practices or a legislation proposal, said Fingerhut.

Rick Amweg, assistant chief of University Police, and Todd Stewart, director of OSU&#39;s program for International and Homeland Security, represent OSU along with students Sean McKinniss and Jamie Levine.

"Students are on the front line in the efforts to prevent," Fingerhut said. "Students bring a very important perspective to this."

Levine, a first-year MBA student, said it is important to compare resources and share ideas.

"The causes are bigger than one university," she said, citing gun control policies and mental health issues as areas of consideration.

Levine worked in downtown Washington D.C. during the Sept. 11 attacks as an undergraduate student at American University. She said she experienced first-hand campus safety issues when her campus was evacuated because of bomb threats.

"In reality, there&#39;s no way to prevent this," she said. "You can do things to mitigate them, but you can&#39;t live in fear."

Alaina Busch can be reached at busch.61@osu.edu.

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/04/30/Campus/Task-Force.To.Better.Secure.Osu.Campus-2888077.shtml>The Lantern - April 30, 2007</a>

Alaina Busch

The Lantern

2007-08-16

Sara Hood

GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>

eng

Shooting proves need for gun control laws

By: Joe Bialek
Posted: 5/2/07

The shooting crisis at Virginia Tech has once again sparked the debate about gun control. The second amendment of the United States Constitution states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded.

The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a handgun, shotgun or shoulder rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes. There is absolutely no need for any U.S. civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than these. Accordingly, all handguns, shotguns and shoulder rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key. Furthermore, if we had prohibited the purchase of more sophisticated weapons, several innocent victims would not have died at the hands of Cho Seung-Hui.

Joe Bialek
Cleveland, Ohio

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/05/02/Letters/Shooting.Proves.Need.For.Gun.Control.Laws-2891670.shtml>The Lantern - May 2, 2007</a>

Joe Bialek

2007-08-16

Sara Hood

GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>

eng

Gun licenses safe choice

By: Karl Spaulding
Posted: 5/7/07
When Florida liberalized its restrictive and disjointed system of concealed carry laws in 1987, many states followed suit. In each case, naysayers predicted everything from "blood in the streets" to "parking lot shootouts." Just as regularly, after each state changed the law to allow more law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns, the results were peacefully anticlimactic. Within a year or so after a law changed, a law enforcement or political figure would be quoted in an article admitting they were surprised that there had been no major problems.

Now after the Virginia Tech shootings, there are those wanting concealed carry to be allowed on college campuses. I&#39;ve wanted this for ages, not as an "answer" to mass shootings (there is no single answer), but because it would further improve the safety of individuals who are legal to carry elsewhere in Ohio.

Predictably, the naysayers are still at work. They claim the same tragic consequences as they always have, aggravated by our youthful population and the abuse of alcohol. One of the arguments that keeps popping up is that "everyone will have a gun." They expect us to believe that the most irresponsible students will start carrying guns while drunk, wreaking havoc in our residence halls and classrooms. What they don&#39;t mention is that in Ohio the minimum age for a concealed handgun license is 21. Plus, applicants have to take a 12-hour training course. At most, only around 4 to 5 percent of state populations obtain gun carry permits. Plus, schools could still be allowed to ban guns from their residence halls. I could state that these predictions are balderdash, but there is a better way to show this: real life results. "Campus carry" already exists.

Utah is the only state that specifically allows licensed gun carriers on college campuses. Until just recently, the administration of the University of Utah banned legally concealed guns, but a decision from the Utah Supreme Court forced them to comply. Other colleges in Utah, including the College of Eastern Utah, have had legal concealed carry since at least 2003. If there were serious problems with these schools, wouldn&#39;t we have heard of them by now? Opponents of campus carry don&#39;t like to talk about what happens in the real world; only what happens in their pessimistic, sociologically illiterate minds.

The best reason for allowing CHLs on campus is that those of us who want to go armed need to carry as much as possible to make it a habit. The safest place for a defensive handgun is on one&#39;s person, not locked in a car (currently allowed by Ohio law on campus) or at home. No one can predict when they might be attacked, so one needs to carry a defensive weapon as much as possible. Do you only wear your seatbelt when you think you will be in a crash?

Proper weapons training (another thing most administrators don&#39;t have) dictates that weapons should be carried in the same place as much as possible. When faced with danger, the mind will be occupied by other things, and one&#39;s weapon presentation should be automatic. This is true for any weapon or tool that will be used under stress. Unfortunately, our society ignores the real purpose of defensive weaponry, and stigmatizes handguns as suitable only for killing people instead of admitting their real purpose: saving innocent human life from an unexpected attack. A 1995 study, which showed firearms are used more than 2 million times per year in self-defense, described how prosocial uses for weapons at the very least cancelled out the negatives. Another criminologist, the late Marvin Wolfgang, followed that article with his own, expressing surprise as well as admiration because he had long been against firearms ownership, but could find nothing wrong with their methodology.

CHL holders do not become violent, "Wild West" savages when they come onto campus. Those of us who carry simply want to be able to protect ourselves to the best of our abilities at all times. Yes, campus is relatively safe, but the neighborhoods surrounding OSU and the places where visitors come from may not be.

Society is not made any safer by restricting individuals&#39; right and means to self-defense.

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Original source:<a href=http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/05/07/Opinion/Gun-Licenses.Safe.Choice-2896369.shtml>The Lantern - May 7, 2007</a>

Karl Spaulding

The Lantern

2007-08-16

Sara Hood

GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>

eng

Summit reviews campus safety

By: Benjamin Lammers
Posted: 8/7/07

More than 350 representatives from Ohio&#39;s universities met at Ohio State&#39;s Fawcett Center last week to discuss school safety and the state of security and disaster response.

Following the shootings at Virginia Tech last spring, Gov. Ted Strickland created a task force to look at the disaster preparedness of Ohio&#39;s universities. The task force, composed of representatives from Ohio&#39;s schools, has been meeting regularly to review campus safety and advise the governor on campus security.

The Ohio College Campus Safety and Security Summit was a result of the task force&#39;s recommendations.

Security experts from a number of schools spoke at the summit, including Col. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police.

Strickland said in a press release campus security in Ohio is the primary responsibility of the state&#39;s schools. He asked how the state of Ohio can assist college campuses to improve security and safety in both public and private universities.

Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut said universal participation, including professors and students, is needed to maintain public safety.

"We have learned that there is no simple cookie-cutter solution that fits all, and that we shouldn&#39;t expect that there are any simple, one-size-fits-all, quick fixes when it comes to this issue," he said in a press release.

Ohio&#39;s colleges and universities were directed to complete the "Ohio Campus Security Checklist" for the Board of Regents by Aug. 24, which will outline actions each university needs to take during the long haul to improve security. Questions in the checklist include coordination, communication, support mobilization to disasters and protocols for identifying and addressing dangerous behavior by students, faculty and staff.

Todd Stewart, director of the OSU Program for International and Homeland Security, said the purpose of the summit was not to focus only on shooting scenarios and acts of violence, but to include response to natural disasters.

Fingerhut did not limit the discussion to human-caused disasters like the one at Virginia Tech.

"This task force may have been instituted as a reaction to the shootings at Virginia Tech, but this summer we are talking about making sure that Ohio college campuses are ready for all kinds of critical incidents," Fingerhut said.

Rick Amweg, assistant chief of University Police at OSU, said the summit was a great chance to learn from other institutions by discussing common goals for campus security.

Amweg said OSU&#39;s security response plan is in good shape.

"We were very prepared before Virginia Tech and continue to be prepared," he said.

However, Amweg said the tragedy at Virginia Tech highlighted the need for new emergency communication procedures. He said the information from the meeting will be used by the Board of Regents to identify the best practices Ohio universities can use to prepare themselves.

Stewart said OSU has made a considerable effort in preparedness.

"Ohio State is in better shape than most schools in the state because we have more resources available," he said.

Benjamin Lammers can be reached at lammers.62@osu.edu.

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.thelantern.com/media/storage/paper333/news/2007/08/07/Campus/Summit.Reviews.Campus.Safety-2929697.shtml>The Lantern - August 7, 2007</a>

Benjamin Lammers

The Lantern

2007-08-14

Sara Hood

GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>

eng

Sympathy resounds in wake of VT tragedy

By:Editorial Board
Posted: 4/17/07

On Monday April 16, 32 Virginia Tech students were killed in a tragic shooting incident. The Miami Student editorial board is shocked and deeply saddened by this abhorrent act, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family members of those affected. While law enforcement and rescue personnel responded quickly to the scene, the random, senseless nature of this act can leave students with a sense of helplessness. Nonetheless, while it is virtually impossible to prevent all random acts of violence, universities must continue to work with local police departments in order to ensure that contingency plans are in place and that there are effective lines of communication between the administration and students during times of emergency.

Universities face a difficult challenge between maintaining safety and fostering a relaxed and open academic environment for students. This tension between security and freedom will likely be reevaluated in the months ahead as schools consider ways they can prevent catastrophes like this from happening in the future. It is important that Miami University&#39;s campus remains one that feels open, even as any potential security updates are made.

Based upon preliminary reports, there have been criticisms, warranted or not, leveled at the Virginia Tech administration for failing to adequately communicate with students as events were unfolding. On a campus the size of Miami&#39;s, such communication is a difficult task, but a rapid e-mail response and the use of a special warning siren or PA system might be feasible options for signaling a campus-wide lockdown. Even so, while contingency plans can and should be implemented, no amount of preparedness can avert all disasters. Local law enforcement must be familiar with their operating procedures and able to coordinate their efforts with surrounding forces. Moreover, they must be adequately equipped to stabilize a situation until larger, more specialized law enforcement units arrive.

The events at Virginia Tech were especially painful because of the vulnerability of the victims and the similarities between their lives and the lives of Miami students. A measure of trust in life&#39;s daily routine was lost Monday, and this tragedy should serve to remind each of us to consciously embrace and cherish the time we have and too often overlook.

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.miamistudent.net/media/storage/paper776/news/2007/04/17/Editorials/Sympathy.Resounds.In.Wake.Of.Vt.Tragedy-2845773.shtml> The Miami Student - April 17, 2007</a>

Editorial Boards

The Miami Student

2007-08-14

Sara Hood

"Skotzko, Stacey Nicole" <skotzksn@muohio.edu>

eng

Grieving nation copes with tragedy

<b>University reps. meet with BPD to discuss prevention</b>

By: Andrew FitzGerald
Posted: 4/18/07

The day after a Virginia Tech senior shot and killed 32 people on campus and himself, representatives from 19 Boston-area colleges who met at Boston Police Department headquarters said they must improve communication in the future to prevent similar campus attacks.

University administrators joined state and local police forces to discuss "protocol, procedure and planning" that goes into preventing campus attacks during a meeting requested by Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, said BPD spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.

Representatives at the meeting said they wanted to ensure the BPD and campus security forces are able to communicate through radio, according to Driscoll, who cited the existing Boston Area Emergency Radio Network -- a link between local campus and police departments -- that received boosted support after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Virginia Tech and college campuses around the country have reacted to Monday&#39;s shootings, in which 32 people were killed by Virginia Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui. The 23-year-old English major from South Korea killed two people in a residence hall shortly after 7 a.m., and he killed 30 in a classroom building two hours later a half-mile across campus.

Local university administrators also compared methods they use to communicate with students in pressing situations, Driscoll said.

Virginia Tech officials have received widespread criticism for not immediately contacting university members after the first shooting. Officials first sent an email to the university about the residence hall shooting at 9:26 a.m., while the gunman was carrying out his second attack.

Driscoll said another topic discussed was the importance of "recognizing the tendency of someone who may act in violence." Classmates and professors have described the shooter as someone who was not very sociable, and some professors had referred him for counseling, according to The New York Times.

Representatives at yesterday&#39;s meeting will form subcommittees to develop campus-specific security plans, which will vary based on school size and relative security, Driscoll said.

"The distinction would be that some universities have patrol forces and some do not," she said. "If the security force is unarmed, then what are the steps they should take in an unarmed situation? If the force is armed, then the response should be different."

Attending university administrators said they could not provide details on the tools security personnel use to protect their campuses because the information could aid potential attackers.

Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, who attended the meeting, declined to elaborate on specifics, only repeating Driscoll&#39;s summary that they discussed "protocols, training amongst different agencies [and] how students can access information."

Harvard University spokesman Joe Wrinn said universities and law enforcement agencies meet regularly to share information. For example, university representatives and police held a similar meeting in October 2004 to plan for potential riots after World Series games, prompted by the accidental shooting death of an Emerson College student celebrating in the streets after the Boston Red Sox won the American League Championship Series.

"We occasionally get together with other campuses and campus police," Wrinn said. "We run tabletop exercises and drills."

Driscoll said the police forces and university representatives will meet again to further develop prevention techniques, but she did not provide a date.

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Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/18/News/Grieving.Nation.Copes.With.Tragedy-2849523.shtml> The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007</a>

Andrew FitzGerald

The Daily Free Press

2007-08-14

Sara Hood

Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>

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