Campus reacts to Virginia Tech massacre
ND students directly affected by shootings through ties to VT
Aaron Steiner
Issue date: 4/17/07 Section: News
Virginia Tech is more than 500 miles from Notre Dame, but the effects of what reports call the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history have been felt here on campus.
A lone gunman shot and killed more than 30 people and injured dozens more on the Blacksburg, Va., campus before committing suicide Monday, according to Associated Press reports. Officials told AP that the gunman killed two people in a dormitory approximately two hours before staging a separate attack on a classroom building.
Nearly 30 people were estimated to have been injured, according to area hospital officials, CNN reported.
The Notre Dame community is saddened by the tragedy, Assistant Vice President of News and Information Dennis Brown said Monday.
"Our prayers go out to any people affected," Brown said.
Notre Dame will hold a memorial Mass for the victims tonight at 10 at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart.
Brown noted that members of the administration know people at Virginia Tech and said the University sends its support and prayers.
Students reported hearing the news through various sources throughout the day Monday, with some hearing from friends and family directly tied to Virginia Tech.
Graduate student Patrick LaFratta, a 2005 Virginia Tech alumnus who said one of his friends had died in the shootings, said he had been in contact with friends from the school throughout the day by phone and online.
LaFratta said he first heard the news of the shootings from his girlfriend, a Virginia Tech alumna, around 10 a.m. LaFratta confirmed that his girlfriend's sister, a current Virginia Tech student, was safe, as well as the safety of several close friends.
"When I first heard, they were reporting there was only one death," LaFratta said. "I thought, 'It's a really sad event and I want to know what is going on.'"
Soon, the news coverage took a personal tone.
LaFratta said he eventually heard that one acquaintance had been killed in the first incident in the dorm. By Monday night, LaFratta said he had seen pictures on television of his slain friend.
He said he knew the friend from Virginia Tech's marching band, where LaFratta played trumpet.
Other students with friends at the school expressed their concern Monday afternoon.
Sophomore Amelia Gillespie heard the news from her roommate before going to class Monday morning.
"I was in shock. I have a couple of friends that go there, and I'm still waiting to hear back from them," Gillespie said. "I tried to call them, but they haven't called back. I think they're okay, because I've heard from other friends."
Freshman Tracy Jennings also has friends at Virginia Tech.
"One of my friends called me around 2 p.m.," said Jennings, who is from Richmond, Va.
The friend who initially called Jennings was not a student there, but the freshman received calls from Virginia Tech students shortly thereafter.
"As soon as one friend called, another did, and more," Jennings said.
The students couldn't give many details about the incident, she said.
"All [they] said was that there was a shooting ... and at least 20 kids had been killed and at least 20 injured," she said. "As far as I've heard, everyone I know is OK."
Jennings said she couldn't contact some of her friends there Monday afternoon because phone lines were busy.
Monica Tarnawski, a sophomore, said she heard here from a friend who attends Virginia Tech Monday afternoon through the social networking Web site Facebook.
"She actually composed a note that said 'I'm fine,' and we all saw it," Tarnawski said.
Like Tarnawski, Jennings and Gillespie, LaFratta said that initially, all reports about his friends had been positive - until later Monday evening, when he first heard his friend had been killed.
LaFratta was watching television news coverage of the shooting when he learned there were more deaths that initially reported.
"At around 12:15 p.m. or so ... all of a sudden, one of the three [channels] reported that there were at least 20 dead," LaFratta said. "I just really hoped it was a mistake."
LaFratta said he soon realized the situation was much more complex than the initial single death, and he said he then felt a "tremendous amount of sorrow."
LaFratta took classes in the academic building where the majority of the deaths occurred.
"A few years ago, I was there," LaFratta said. "It hits home - these things really do happen."
LaFratta said it was hard to imagine a scare on Virginia Tech's campus last year while a convict was loose in the area. This tragedy, he said, is even harder to picture.
"The magnitude of the event is just so overwhelming," LaFratta said.
LaFratta said he would have never predicted anything like this at a campus he described as "exceptionally peaceful."
Students at Notre Dame said they feel safe on campus but recognize that an event like Monday's could happen at anywhere, Notre Dame included.
"Things like that, especially on television - it seems so far away ... [but] I think it could happen anywhere," said Chris Heckett, a visiting graduate student. "To think otherwise would probably be thoughtless."
Erin Smith, a senior, echoed Heckett's thoughts.
"It makes you realize that it could happen anywhere, on any college campus," she said. "It kind of makes you think about the security here at Notre Dame, or at any college campus."
Brown declined to comment on Notre Dame's policies or crisis management plans for any type of violent tragedy like the one Monday morning.
But Smith said she has never felt anxious about security at Notre Dame.
"I've never felt unsafe at Notre Dame," Smith said.
Senior Paul Mitchell agreed.
"I still feel as safe here as anywhere," Mitchell said, stating, however, that his notions of safety do not make Notre Dame exempt from violence like Monday's tragedy.
Virginia Tech, with an enrollment of more than 25,000, is located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, 160 miles west of Richmond, Va. Jennings said Virginia Tech's location as a college town - not part of a large urban area - makes her think about Notre Dame's similar setting.
"Honestly, Tech ... is in the middle of nowhere - and it seems kind of like South Bend, which is a scary thought, being here. It's a pretty enclosed campus, like here," she said.
Gillespie said the incident "kind of just puts things into perspective."
"It makes me look outside the [Notre Dame] bubble a little bit," she said. "It's a small world."
Sophomore Katie Bergerow said the tragedy caused her and her roommates to consider their safety in the residence halls.
"We were talking about how we leave our door unlocked," Bergerow said. They probably wouldn't change that behavior, she said, but the tragedy "really shows that something like this could happen."
Students are also lucky to have a variety of support resources available, said Gaotam Shewakramani, a Notre Dame alumnus visiting campus. He said such resources could help avert a violent crisis, especially those available to students who are struggling emotionally.
"I think there are a lot of resources for those who are having difficulties," Shewakramani said. "I would be surprised if someone [who is struggling] wouldn't be reached out to."
Still, Tarnawski said, it's important to remember that you can't know what people are feeling.
"You never know what people are going through inside," Tarnawski said. "Someone after my English class was like, 'You know, I just wonder what was going on in that person's life that caused them to snap.'"
That same thought crossed Mitchell's mind as well.
"My first question was why - why would someone do that, just asking questions to the psychology of that and what enables that sort of violence," Mitchell said.
Monday's massacre will go down as the deadliest campus shooting in national history. Previously, the largest was a rampage that took place in 1966 at the University of Texas at Austin, where 16 people were killed before police shot the gunman to death.
As the facts of yesterday's tragedy are investigated, some students say while there is little they can do, they can send their prayers and support.
"Right now, I'm here to offer any type of support I can, get involved, bring any type of awareness," Gillespie said.
LaFratta said he has done "a lot of praying" and will continue to do so.
"My first reaction is to pray a lot - my thoughts go out to all those families," LaFratta said.
LaFratta said he plans to attend tonight's memorial Mass.
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Original Source:
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Aaron Steiner
2008-02-25
Kacey Beddoes
Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
eng
Security 101: Salem State and other campuses step up safety
By Dinah Cardin/salem@cnc.com
GateHouse News Service
Fri Jul 13, 2007, 12:29 PM EDT
Salem -
Paducah. Jonesboro. Columbine. They may sound like destinations toured by a small garage band, but if we reach back in memory, they are actually cities that have suffered at the hands of teenage angst combined with dangerous weapons.
The Virginia Tech massacre this past spring was a wake-up call to institutions of higher education all over the world. High schools may have their metal detectors and movies starring Michelle Pfeiffer about tough street kids and their violent behavior, but colleges have so far been wide open to strangers and incident.
As Shane Rodriguez, deputy director of the Salem State College Police Department, says, when Seung Hui Cho fatally shot 32 students and faculty at Virginia Tech, he created "our 9-11."
Last July, campus police placed an officer on the task of emergency preparedness. But Virginia Tech put the wheels into rapid motion.
"When people send their sons and daughters to college, the last thing they expect is that they will be gunned down in a classroom or residence hall," says Rodriguez.
That's why on June 29, Essex District Attorney Jonathan Blodgett convened the first annual Essex County College Summit, linking campus security departments with the state police and the FBI.
Officers from Salem State, Northern Essex Community, Endicott, Marion Court and Gordon colleges discussed their various security measures and listened to Col. Mark Delaney from the state police outline a training program for dealing specifically with school shooters.
One of the most unique questions posed to Delaney was whether students should be locked in or out during a hostile shooter situation. His answer? Less moving parts means less confusion for law enforcement. Lock the doors, get away from the windows and wait for the "cavalry."
The cavalry could be any number of local, state and federal law enforcement officers. But getting them on campus can take a while. That's why it comes down to campus police to initially act in a situation.
The FBI terrorism division told the officers to develop a plan and then stick with it, practice it and learn from it. Without being too invasive in students' lives.
Part of this, says Rodriguez, involves reaching out to police departments in Swampscott and other surrounding towns, including them in the plan to call in every available law enforcement officer.
Officers from Salem State College will participate in the state police's active shooter program later this month, along with officers from the Salem Police Department. The state-funded program involves donning swat team equipment and simulating locking down a school to reach the ultimate goal of eliminating the violent threat and saving lives. The only cost to police departments is for the paint balls they will be shooting out of their weapons.
<b>Being prepared</b>
Across the North Shore, college officials are working to tighten security in time for the fall semester.
Of them all, Salem State is probably at the highest risk for a violent attack since the city is difficult to get in and out of, the college encompasses four separate campuses and two new residence halls are being built. It's not only the largest in the area and constantly growing, Salem State is a big commuter school and is soon going to university status. Needless to say, there is a lot going on.
All of this poses a big challenge for safety. Arming officers at Salem State is simply a necessity to protect the students and staff, says the chief of campus police. They started carrying patrol pistols a couple of years ago.
"We finally came to the conclusion it was time," says Salem State chief of police Bill Anglin. "We're our own little city now."
Schools are also looking to use technology to keep students away from campus in case of such an emergency. For two years, the state is funding a text messaging system on all state college campuses that will alert students of emergencies as well as snow days.
During registration, the college will be collecting cell phone numbers from students. It's been proven, says Robert Paterson, chief information officer at Salem State, that you only need 65 to 70 percent of student phone numbers for the system to work.
There are enough students hanging out together that the word gets around.
"The big thing that we learned from Virginia Tech is you need to have multiple channels of communication to the community," says Paterson.
The lesson of overloaded communication channels has been learned on 9-11 and during Hurricane Katrina. Even on Thanksgiving, phone lines get jammed. The school is still working out the final cost when the two-year state funded initiative runs out.
Salem State is the only college in Essex County with armed officers. But that could soon change.
"We're moving closer in that direction," says John Soucy, environmental, health and safety officer at Gordon College.
This might come as a surprise for a religious institution.
"We like to think the Lord is protecting us," says Soucy.
Still, he says, public safety is service oriented and having firearms makes you a better servant.
"It's better than standing and watching it happen," he says.
<b>'No warnings'</b>
At last week's summit, Julia Cowley of the FBI's National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime told the assembled that there are three major categories of violent youth — the mentally ill, the antisocial and the "normal."
They have often engaged in behavior that has caused concern for others. In a study of 41 offenders from 37 schools, the findings showed that the violent youth almost always felt bullied.
Kip Kinkel, from Cowley's home state of Oregon, said over and over that he had "no choice" when he killed his parents and then shot students. Beware, said Cowley, of the "injustice collector."
But school shootings can also result from the angry ex-husband of a faculty member, she reminded the group.
In a slide presentation, she showed disturbing drawings done by the offenders. They were often dark and violent, showing the classic violent youth characteristics of narcissism and lack of empathy.
They often tell no one beforehand if they are serious about doing the act and may plan it forever.
"Eric and Dylan planned their attack for nearly a year and there were no warnings," she said of the Columbine shooters, speaking almost intimately about those in her area of expertise.
Matt Gallagher of the FBI's Victim Assistance Program is someone school officials don't want to get to know. His office assisted Virginia Tech after the shootings. Gallagher spoke of the mistakes made there, like when faculty members were counseling one another.
This summer, Salem State is refining their plan, talking about resources and grants. Rodriguez is putting in long hours during a relatively quiet time for a college campus. His enthusiasm for the topic of preparing for a school shooting seemingly has no bounds.
"We don't want to be caught off guard," he says. "We want to be as prepared as possible. Virginia Tech forced us to take a real hard look at it. We're diligent now."
--
Original Source: Boston, MA - Town Online
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Dinah Cardin
2007-07-17
Brent Jesiek
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0
eng
Business as usual at high school after Virginia Tech shootings
By Ryan Bray
GateHouse Media
Thu May 03, 2007, 02:22 PM EDT
Scituate - In the two weeks since the Virginia Tech shootings swept through the college town of Blacksburg, Va., people nationwide are still struggling to grasp and adjust to the tragic events that left 33 students and faculty members at the school dead.
But miles an miles away from all the mourning and controversy, it's business as usual at Scituate High School, as students and faculty members go about their daily routines. Students rush about the halls while seniors, many of whom are in the process of hearing back from colleges and making their plans for the fall, count down the remaining days of their high school careers.
"It hasn't impacted them at all," said Sherri Lewis, director of guidance at the high school, regarding the impact of the shooting on outgoing students. "They all seem very excited."
But while students have carried on with things as they otherwise would, that's not to say that the Virginia Tech shootings haven't had some effect on the school, however slight. Principal Donna Nuzzo-Mueller said the shootings are of greater concern to teachers than to students, whom have come to learn of the tragedies from a distance through television and the news.
"I think our educators dwell on this more than the young people do," Nuzzo-Mueller said. "Developmentally at their age, I think it's difficult to grasp the severity of it all at that stage of their lives."
However, students are reacting in their own ways. Nuzzo-Mueller said several school groups and clubs have rallied to raise money for a fund established for the families of the shooting victims. Others, she said, have likely dealt with the tragedy outside the school with friends and family.
"We certainly have kids who want to reach out and help, and that's natural," she said.
The shootings almost immediately brought attention to the issue of how to better prepare and respond in the event of a similar emergency in the future. Administrators and campus police officials came under fire from parents and the media in the days following the event for what some saw as an inadequate response to the shootings, while locally, Gov. Deval Patrick met with administrators from public colleges and universities across the state to discuss how to best safeguard students in the event of another shooting.
But Nuzzo-Mueller said at the high school, there isn't much the school can likely do to prepare for a similar attack beyond the school's current emergency evacuation plan. She said incidents of the scale and magnitude of Virginia Tech or Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., could never be fully prepared for in spite of the best efforts from faculty and administrators.
"It all just shows that it could happen to anybody," Nuzzo-Mueller said. "It's a problem that just exists. There's always a slice of humanity that struggles with this issue. No matter what plan are put in place, you'd likely have to adapt to the situation should one arise."
Superintendent of Schools Mark Mason said he would meet with security advisers next week to discuss the potential for increased security within the district's six schools. But while student safety is always top priority, Mason said a balance must be struck between what's too much and not enough.
"It's a philosophical question," he said. "We want to keep our schools safe, but do we want to keep the kids in lockdown mode throughout the year?"
Nuzzo-Mueller said she is uncertain if any outgoing seniors will be attending Virginia Tech in the fall. She said that while graduates have gone on to attend the school in the past, it is not common from year to year.
--
Original Source: Scituate Mariner
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Ryan Bray
2007-07-17
Brent Jesiek
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0
eng
Message on Safety and Security
<i>(This message was distributed to all faculty, staff and students April 27, 2007.)</i>
In the days following the Virginia Tech tragedy, our solidarity with and sympathy for the faculty, staff, students and families affected by the loss of lives on April 16, 2007 remains front and centre in our minds.
Openness and access are features that define us as a university, and we cherish those attributes greatly. At the same time we are conscious that these features make us vulnerable to the behaviour of troubled or violent people. Our overall approach to providing a safe environment is therefore guided by the desire to maintain and nurture openness while doing all we can to prepare for, prevent, and respond to crisis situations.
The events of Friday April 20 were a good test of our overall philosophy and systems with respect to both safety and security. Shortly before 5 pm, a report was received of a male with a rifle in the vicinity of the bowl. Saskatoon Police Services (SPS) and Campus Safety responded, conducted a sweep of buildings in the vicinity, and declared the incident over at 7 pm. The next day SPS concluded, based on the report of another eyewitness, that the rifle was actually a bike seat and post and declared the incident a false alarm. This incident demonstrated strengths in our systems, including effective coordination with SPS. It also highlighted some areas for improvement, including our ability to communicate with the entire campus when necessary.
There are many dimensions to our approach to safety. Our department of Campus Safety maintains a 24-hour watch over the campus, with a team of security staff on duty and a video-surveillance system. The U of S works closely and cooperatively with Saskatoon's emergency service organizations, engaging in joint training initiatives. There are a number of additional safety measures in place including safety alert notices, the Safewalk program, campus emergency phones, and counseling and health services for staff and students and their families.
We encourage all members of our campus community to always be alert of potentially unsafe situations, suspicious persons or activities, and report anything unusual without hesitation to 966-5555 immediately, at any time of the day or night.
Shortly after the Virginia tragedy, Vice-President Richard Florizone launched an assessment of the University's safety practices, with recommendations to be developed before the new academic year. The University continually reviews and renews its overall safety measures; however, this specific assessment seeks to ensure that our approach is based on best practices and incorporates the lessons learned in recent events.
The personal safety and security of our campus community is of the greatest importance, and in this regard, we welcome any and all suggestions. Please forward any comments you have to <a href="richard.florizone@usask.ca">richard.florizone@usask.ca</a>.
Peter MacKinnon,
President, University of Saskatchewan
Richard Florizone
VP Finance and Resources, University of Saskatchewan
(Posted on April 27, 2007)
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Original Source: <a href="http://blogs.usask.ca/studentnews/archive/2007/04/message_on_safe.html">http://blogs.usask.ca/studentnews/archive/2007/04/message_on_safe.html</a>
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Peter MacKinnon and Richard Florizone
2007-06-09
Brent Jesiek
Creative Commons Attribution 2.5
eng
Students mourn, talk about safety after Va. Tech shootings
By Dawn Witlin/Chronicle Staff
Cambridge Chronicle
Thu Apr 19, 2007, 01:30 PM EDT
Cambridge -
While some MIT students mourned the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings at a Wednesday prayer service, others reflected upon campus safety.
A gunman, identified as student Cho Seung-Hui, opened fire on classrooms and a dormitory at Virginia Tech Monday, killing as least 30 students and professors.
"I think it's pretty safe here," said MIT student and Virginia native Mariam Candid. "You would never imagine it would happen at any universities. I have friends that go there who lost friends and I am just trying to be there to help out."
<a href="http://blogs.townonline.com/cambridge/?p=4981">Cantabrigia blog: What do you think?</a>
The prayer service was held at the MIT chapel, where the institute's Chaplain Robert Randolph read the names of the dead as mourners lined up to light a single candle in their memory.
"It's very saddening and scary, that seems to be the case for everyone," said MIT freshman Christine Bognet. "We're all just trying to keep our heads up...life has to go on."
Harvard and MIT officials said they're prepared for a disaster similar to what happened at Virginia Tech last week.
Although Joe Wrinn, spokesman for Harvard University, would not comment on security protocol, he said there are many tools at the disposal of Harvard Police.
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etCWbT6bPRM">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etCWbT6bPRM</a>
"For obvious reasons, we do not comment on security details, if security details were known it would compromise security efforts," said Wrinn. "I can tell you that there are many tools that would be used in the case of a major emergency."
Wrinn said Harvard students have access to emergency information through a 24-hour phone number, 617-496-NEWS.
"You have reached four-nine-six news, Harvard's weather emergency and special conditions phone line," said the message left Thursday. "There are no special conditions to report today."
Another tool used by Harvard to notify students of an emergency is blast e-mails and voicemails, sent to all students in case of a major emergency.
"We've done that a couple of times with a campus announcement or a message from the dean," said Wrinn. "The houses have listservs and e-mail networks ... a housemaster at Harvard can communicate directly to students."
Patty Richards, spokesman for MIT, also wouldn't release the details of the campus security methods, but said there are a myriad of tactics for reaching students during an emergency.
"We have very comprehensive emergency plans; we've always had them for any kind of emergency," said Richards. "We have plans for just about every situation, even working on the pandemic flu."
Richards said MIT Police, along with the school's department of environmental health and safety, facilities and staff, all work in tandem during an emergency.
"I've heard discussions among them that people have been looking at those [emergency] plans in light of what happened in Virginia," said Richards. "Kind of like, what can we learn from this?"
A service for the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings was also held at Harvard University's Memorial Church Thursday evening.
<i>- dwitlin@cnc.com</i>
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Original Source: Cambridge Chronicle
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Dawn Witlin / Cambridge Chronicle Staff
2007-06-01
Brent Jesiek
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
eng
Local colleges look at own safety plans
By John Hilliard/Daily News staff
GHS
Wed Apr 18, 2007, 12:07 AM EDT
After Monday's Virginia Tech massacre, several area colleges and police departments expect to take a closer look at their plans to grapple with a future emergency.
"It's safe to say over the next few days every college around the country will be reviewing their current (safety) procedures," said Peter Chisholm, spokesman for Framingham State College. "We will review what we have in place."
Framingham and FSC police coordinate on training, he said.
In an e-mail sent yesterday, FSC President Timothy Flanagan asked faculty, staff and students to report any suspicious activities and review the school's emergency response plan.
During an interview, he said campus police and Framingham Police have a close working relationship, and campus security can call on the town police for support when needed.
Flanagan met with campus leaders and security officials yesterday to discuss emergency plans following the shooting in Virginia.
"We're not isolated, we're not cloistered" as a campus, said Flanagan.
In Waltham, home to Brandeis University and Bentley College, police Detective Sgt. Timothy King expected to discuss emergency plans with both institutions.
"I'm certain we will be talking to administrators for the schools," said King.
He said city police are familiar with both campuses, but would not comment on any training the city and the two schools' campus security departments undertake.
"That incident is on the same level as a terrorist event," for which police have trained, he said. "We do work closely with both (campus police) departments."
Franklin Police Deputy Chief Stephen Semerjian said his department has a good working relationship with Dean College. The two institutions also have plans in place to ensure "communication is good and fluid," he said.
In Weston, Regis College held a prayer vigil yesterday for the victims as a statement of "solidarity and community," said M.J. Doherty, a former professor and special assistant to the college president.
She said the Catholic school is working on ways to address the needs of any isolated students and "bring that person out of isolation before they can get trapped on a tragic path," she said.
According to published reports, the Virginia Tech shooter was student Cho Seung-Hui, who was described as an isolated loner by some law enforcement officials, and committed suicide after killing the 32 victims.
Regis has a close relationship with Weston Police and does not arm its campus officers, said Doherty. Since 9/11, the school maintains its own disaster plans for emergencies.
"Every workplace, every campus, every situation is vulnerable," said Doherty.
(John Hilliard can be reached at 508-626-4449 or jhilliar@cnc.com.)
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Original Source: Framingham, MA - The MetroWest Daily News
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Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5</a>.
John Hilliard / MetroWest Daily News Staff
2007-06-01
Brent Jesiek
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
eng
Officials examine ways to make school safer
By Joe Cressman
Elmhurst Press
Tue Apr 24, 2007, 04:35 PM CDT
ELMHURST, IL - The April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech has Elmhurst College officials looking at ways they can make their own campus more secure.
One of those ways is to teach the community how to respond to danger signs among students, said Tony Leggett, director of campus security.
"We've done a number of things," he said. "We sent out a letter to give students some of the warning signs, how to report if someone on campus they know (is) emotionally distressed."
He also has been in contact with the Elmhurst Police Department. Sometime this summer, police will rehearse practice responses to an on-campus shooter, Leggett said.
Charley Henderson, director of public relations, said the Virginia Tech massacre has everyone thinking about how safety measures can be improved.
"This campus is essentially safe, but you never say never," he said.
Original Source: <a href="http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/elmhurst/news/x1910945457">http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/elmhurst/news/x1910945457</a>
Licensed under <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/2.5/">Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5</a>.
Brent Jesiek
2007-05-19
Brent Jesiek
eng
There are times when the three hour time difference between the East and West coasts is significant in ways one could never imagine. On April 16, this time difference meant that when I arrived at work at 8:00 am the events at Virginia Tech had already occurred, although it would be some hours until a more complete picture about the magnitude of the tragedy became clear. In the days since I have again felt myself to be part of that unique family that is Hokie nation. I have been in contact with roommates, friends, and teachers that I had not spoken with in years. And I have thought a great deal about the meaning and implications of the shootings.
In many ways, this is just part of my normal activities. I work for a research center that examines how forces of global change are transforming security threats that confront states and their citizens. I often spend much of my day thinking about threats and vulnerabilities from terrorism, crime, and infectious disease. But the events of April 16 have presented me with a challenge as I consider the events not only from a security studies perspective, but also as someone who lived in Blacksburg for five years and earned two degrees from Virginia Tech.
A few years ago, the center I work for conducted a project on school safety and emergency preparedness. One of the lessons I came away from the project with was an understanding that school shootings occur in places that seem unlikely, most often suburban and rural areas. In this way, Virginia Tech is like many of the other campuses - California State University at Fullerton, the University of Iowa, San Diego State University, the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville, Virginia Appalachian School of Law, the University of Arizona Nursing College, and West Virginia Shepherd University�that have been victims of shooting incidents. None of these schools are located in areas that spring to mind as particularly dangerous or crime ridden.
Another lesson I came away from our project with is the understanding that school shootings are like many other forms of modern crisis in that they are often over before first responders arrive. In such instances, the real first responders to incidents are whoever happens to be at the location of an incident. The stories that have emerged about April 16 show a remarkable amount of heroism and selflessness. When faced with an unexpected danger, teachers and students responded, often with very little time to consider their situation, to help others and try and reduce the danger they faced.
In the aftermath of the events of April 16, 2007, many people have been trying to make sense of what occurred and asking about the lessons that can be learned from the events. One lesson that seems clear is that geography is no real protection from these sorts of tragedies. As someone who studies security threats, I can see that the events at Virginia Tech make it clearer that on the changing security landscape on which we now find ourselves, people and organizations at all levels of society must ask what they can do to prevent and prepare for events like these. But as someone who spent an important and formative part of my life at Virginia Tech, I am deeply saddened that Virginia Tech will now be among the events we discuss, and that many people's memories of Blacksburg will be of the scenes of tragedy they saw unfold on April 16.
Bryan McDonald
B.A. English (1997)
M.A. Political Science (1999)
Bryan McDonald
2007-05-02
Bryan McDonald
eng
Shock and Horror
On the morning of April 16 I was in my office at George Mason University recording a podcast with two colleagues. When we came out of our recording session, I sat down to check my email and saw on the news feed that there had been a shooting at Virginia Tech and that as many as 16 people were believed dead.
I could hardly believe what I was reading. How could so many students and faculty be killed in one rampage? Little did I know that I knew only half the story, half the tragedy. As each hour passed we learned more by updating our browsers and each time the number of dead and wounded grew. And each time I wondered if the people I knew there in the History Department were safe? Were the children from my neighborhood who attend Tech safe? Not having names to put with the numbers made the waiting so much more excruciating.
Later that day I saw a former student in our main student union building. From the stricken look on her face, I knew something was wrong. When I asked, she told me that her sister's best friend was among the wounded and had been shot in the leg. We hugged one another for a moment and agreed that this young woman, at least, had been a little bit lucky--she would be one of the survivors.
That night, I had to sit down with my two children, ages 10 and 8, and explain what had happened. Why it was that the free access to handguns in our society made it so easy for someone to carry out such vengeance on those he believed were at the root of his own personal darkness, and why now, perhaps, my boys understood why their father hates handguns so much. I told them about the time I was one of the lucky ones--when the man who had shoved a pistol under my nose decided to run away rather than shoot me. I told them that I never, ever want them to own a handgun as long as they live.
Then I had to explain to them why they didn't have to worry that their father, a professor like those who died at our sister institution in Blacksburg, was in no danger at his job at George Mason. Children need such certainty in moments of crisis.
But was it wrong to lie to them? To tell them George Mason is a safe campus when it is no safer than any other campus in America? Over and over I tell my children that telling the truth is the most important thing. But on April 16 I just wanted them to feel that their father was safe.
And, of course, I was lying to myself for exactly the same reason.
Mills Kelly
2007-04-25
Mills Kelly
eng