2
20
30
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Kate Davies
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-14
Description
An account of the resource
<b>BHE takes a look at campus security</b>
By: Kate Davies
Posted: 4/20/07
The Board of Higher Education, during its meeting that was previously called to clarify the fine print on Massachusetts's policy toward allowing undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, said it plans to review universities' security policies in wake of this Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech.
Taking time to reflect on the shootings, in which 32 Virginia Tech members were killed by a gunman who then took his own life, Board officials said although universities already have adequate crisis response plans in place, it is important to review such policies and possibly seek more statewide funding for the schools.
"We have strong plans in place to secure a safe learning and working environment that we can go to everyday," said Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President Mary Grant. "We always have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best."
The BHE announced it will meet in June at the University of Massachusetts with public and private universities and state police to review existing response programs.
In a BHE press release yesterday, Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke said the schools' existing plans are extensive.
"The Department of State Police review of these plans is designed to ensure that the plans continue to reflect best practice standards," he said.
After further work with universities, schools may adopt more high-tech communication methods, including automated voice and text-messaging systems and better counseling services for students, the BHE press release states.
When the Board turned to its original agenda, it released a "fact sheet" detailing the fine print of the in-state tuition system as it applies to undocumented immigrants.
BHE chairman Aaron Spencer said the fact sheet is meant to clarify two bills filed separately by the Senate and House that would each allow undocumented immigrants to attend state institutions at the same price other state residents pay. Similar bills failed in the Legislature last year.
"In an effort to be totally non-partisan and only deal with the facts, we have decided to prepare a questions-and-answers document to provide key information," Spencer said.
Though the Board firmly refused to take a stance on the bills, the fact sheet repeatedly stated the state college system can afford to enroll such students.
According to the fact sheet, under terms of the bills, undocumented immigrants would be eligible for in-state tuition after completing three or more years of high school in Massachusetts and graduating or attaining the equivalent of a high school diploma.
Addressing concerns that the plan would make it more difficult for legal residents to attend college, Spencer said the commonwealth's 29 universities would maintain the same admissions standards. Because undocumented immigrants would still not be eligible for state-funded financial aid, documented residents would not lose state funds.
The BHE fact sheet also states there is sufficient space available in Massachusetts's state colleges for additional students. About 400 to 600 additional students would be eligible for in-state tuition at Massachusetts's colleges under the plan, which would generate about $2.5 million for the state, according to statistics from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation.
The Board's Fiscal Affairs and Administrative Policy Committee also unanimously approved a uniform policy on residency status for state and community colleges that would classify applicants as either residents or nonresidents.
"This motion is merely an effort to have a concerted, evenhanded document that applies to everyone," Spencer said. "One thing I am proud of about this document is that it is one step toward operating as a system, and not separate parts."
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/20/News/Examining.Safety.At.State.Local.Levels-2871445.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
boston university
campus safety
emergency response
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Kyle Cheney
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-14
Description
An account of the resource
By:Kyle Cheney
Posted: 4/19/07
Adan Berkowitz's disdain for the very media that gives him a voice is an alarmingly narrow-minded generalization. ("A campus in grief distracted by media attack," April 18, p. 9). While sensationalism is all too prevalent in certain segments of the press, to ignore examples of remarkable, in-depth coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre is equally egregious.
Tragedies such as this are the rare moments in U.S. history when the country collectively holds its breath, anxiously waiting for the newest fact or detail to emerge. In these cases, we rely on reporters on the ground to ask tough questions and capture the horror and pain that sent shock waves around the world.
It surprises me that amid the supposed "swarm" of reporters marauding like vultures on the Virginia Tech campus, Berkowitz failed to notice the intrepid coverage by the Roanoke Times, a local outlet that has the most comprehensive, to-the-minute coverage and became a virtual bible for out-of-town reporters. The paper currently features a moving tribute to the victims on its main web page.
Berkowitz also curiously missed the fantastic USA Today coverage, and even his hometown Boston Globe made a fine showing.
To be sure, the Talking Heads do have a way of obscuring issues and turning them into partisan talking points, and they certainly make a lot of noise. But they are hardly representative of the media as a whole, which, at least on this story, performed masterfully.
Kyle Cheney
COM '06
Former editor-in-chief of The Daily Free Press
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/19/Opinion/Letter.Good.Coverage.Is.Worthwhile-2853056.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
LETTER: Good coverage is worthwhile
media coverage
news
sensationalism
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lisa Davis
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-09
Description
An account of the resource
<b>President announces plans to improve system</b>
By: Lisa Davis
Posted: 5/18/07
Boston University will be prepared to contact almost all students and staff in emergencies this fall with a mass communications system that uses text messaging, voicemail and email, President Robert Brown announced Wednesday in an email sent to the community.
The "Send Word Now" system -- which uses all three message types -- was introduced to the campus this year to some extent, but it will be developed more over the summer, Brown said in the email.
"In light of the deadly tragedy at Virginia Tech University, we are reviewing Boston University's emergency response plans and communication systems to ensure that they are the best available," Brown said in the email.
The improved system would also notify response teams "within minutes" of an emergency, Brown said. In an email to The Daily Free Press, Brown said he expects the school would be able to contact everyone in less than 10 minutes.
Students are not required to register their cellphone numbers in the school directory, which is one flaw in reaching everyone in an emergency, Brown said in an April 27 interview. However, in his email to the community, Brown said incoming students will be required to register cellphone numbers or alternative contact numbers, and he encouraged current students to do so on the Student Link website.
"We will require the information for all students studying on our Boston campuses," Brown said in the email to the Free Press. "Otherwise, the system would only reach a fraction of our students."
The communications system "has been in place," said BU spokesman Colin Riley. "Texting is just one avenue of reaching people. We're trying to find the most effective system possible," he added.
The method was introduced about a year ago at a university meeting that addressed a possible avian flu outbreak, Riley said.
"This assessment is to ensure and reinforce our view that students' safety is our highest priority," Riley said. "The best that will come out of this is that everyone is aware, and the seriousness of these systems are recognized and appreciated. We're always looking to enhance communications with students."
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/05/18/News/EmergencyResponse.Communications.To.Reach.Phones-2905215.shtml>Daily Free Press - May 18, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
Emergency-Response Communications to Reach Phones
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lisa Davis
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-13
Description
An account of the resource
<b>Emergency notification system a main goal</b>
By: Lisa Davis
Posted: 5/2/07
After Boston University felt the impact of several tragedies that brought into question the level of campus safety, officials say they will continue to review their safety policies and procedures, including ways to better reach the community in case of an emergency.
"These events are starting to highlight, not only on our campus, but on other campuses, this issue of personal safety and risky behavior in a broader context than people have thought about it before," said President Robert Brown in an April 27 interview.
Methods the BU Police Department uses to communicate emergency information to the community are important, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins, who added his department often reviews its procedures when a problem arises.
"How you communicate in different emergencies is different," Brown said. "There is not one size that fits all."
Robbins, who attended a Coffee and Conversation with the dean of students after the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings, said BUPD plans to add safety information for students to its website, similar to how BU launched a fire-safety website after the two deadly fires that killed three students Feb. 24 and March 16.
The day after the Virginia Tech shootings, in which senior Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people before killing himself, BU formed a committee headed by Administration Vice President Peter Fiedler to review emergency and communication policies, Brown said.
"One of the things we put on the table was a blast communication system, which we do not have," he said. "People think that you can send 20,000 emails instantly. The fact is: It takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the technology you're using and how you do it."
In a town hall meeting last week, Robbins said he is considering the use of email and text messaging to contact the community in an emergency.
It is currently impossible to reach every community member at once because the BU registry does not require telephone numbers and email addresses, Brown said, adding the committee is considering a change to his policy changing this policy.
"The reasons you would like an emergency communication system are varied, and I don't think I would couple it just directly with the Virginia Tech shooter incident," he said.
After the two off-campus fires, inspectors visited residence halls and reviewed their fire-alarm procedures.
Brown said although it is important for BUPD to treat BU as a community, police must be trained to "deal with violent or disruptive acts that you'd find in any urban environment."
"I think the most important thing for us, which I've said many times, is that we have a truly professionally trained police force," Brown said.
BUPD trains with the Boston Police Department, and BUPD officers are official Boston police officers, Robbins said.
"One of the things we train on is how to deal with Columbine or Virginia Tech [incidents]," Robbins said. "I'm comfortable of our response we have."
BUPD works toward having its policies and standards match those of police and fire departments across the country through state and national accreditation, said BUPD spokesman Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire.
"We've always had a good relationship [with BU], and nothing has happened to change that," said BFD spokesman Steve MacDonald. "We're responsive when they bring things to our attention."
Boston Emergency Medical Response Chief Richard Serino said EMS has regular exercises in which Boston officials meet to discuss their responses to certain issues and to become familiar with each other. EMS held a meeting last week to address the best ways to respond to shootings, Serino said.
"I think that most colleges in Boston have well-trained, well-equipped public safety staff," Serino said. "We are on a lot of college campuses on a regular basis."
MacDonald said it is easier to deal with fires on campus than in off-campus apartment buildings because BU works closely with BFD.
"Usually, it works smoother from our end, dealing with the colleges and universities, because they have full-time staff who work 24 hours a day," he said.
BUPD, which announced last month it will revamp its methods, for analyzing a revamp in its methods for analyzing "hot spot" crime locations and how the officer force is divided into sections, will respond to any location on the Charles River and Medical campuses in two minutes or less, Robbins said.
"We have authority to stop all traffic, including trains," said Robbins, who served as the Massachusetts State Police superintendent before coming to BU in June 2006.
Although most parents are concerned about their child's safety, it is difficult for BU to hold students' attention about safety resources, Brown said.
"We will have changes in orientation next summer that are not reactionary," he said, "[but] that are trying to change behavior of students as they come into our community, and to make them aware of risks and choices they make."
The Charles River campus, which is situated along the traffic-heavy Commonwealth Avenue, can be a safety hazard to students who are not responsible pedestrians, Brown said.
"We should not have to instruct people on how to cross the street safely at the age of 18," he said.
There are no plans to change academic curricula to incorporate safety information, Brown said.
"The question is: What is the balance between personal responsibility and the university's responsibility?" Brown said.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/05/02/News/Final.Week.Bu.To.Review.Policies.For.Campus.Security-2891718.shtml>The Daily Free Press - May 2, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
Final Week: BU to review policies for campus security
campus response
safety
university policy
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Lisa Davis
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-13
Description
An account of the resource
By: Lisa Davis
Posted: 4/27/07
Increasing communication in case of an emergency within the Boston University community will be a top priority for the BU Police Department for the next few months, officials said last night at a town hall meeting in the Student Village organized in response to the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings.
The BUPD will also be looking into all possible means of communication to stay in close contact with staff and students by using phones, email and text messaging, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins at the meeting, which was attended by one Student Village Resident Assistant in addition to a reporter and photographer for The Daily Free Press.
"In the case of a crisis, there would be various communications," Robbins said. "One way or another, in a crisis, we'll get the word out."
The community must be able to openly discuss public safety, which was the motivation behind holding the meeting, Robbins said along with Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire and Office of Residence Life Director David Zamojski.
The three BU officials stressed the importance of being aware of safety even when there is not a crisis at hand.
"Sometimes it comes down to just being aware of your surroundings," Robbins said, adding that those who ever think they need help off campus should call BUPD.
"In terms of safety, the avenue to bring that up is through a [Resident Assistant]," Robbins said. "It's about communication."
When BU administrators inform students about safety at freshman orientation, parents tend to pay close attention while students "glaze over," Robbins said.
"You should think ahead," Robbins said. "We are in the middle of a city, and that's what makes us great as a university."
Students should program the BUPD phone number into their cell phones, in addition to numbers of taxi companies, to ensure further security, Zamojski said.
The low turnout will not discourage the BUPD from holding more meetings on a regular basis, including one more before the semester ends, Robbins said.
"From the feedback I get from students, everyone feels safe here," Robbins said. "We are a safe campus. We're in a relatively safe part of the city."
Robbins said a town hall meeting format is the best way to discuss important issues with the community.
"If we don't know about it, we can't take action," he said of last night's topic -- "If you see something, say something."
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/27/News/Bupd-To.Increase.Communication.For.Campus.Safety-2885705.shtml> The Daily Free Press - April 27, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
BUPD to increase communication for campus safety
campus safety
campus security
emergency communication
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Matt Holt
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-14
Description
An account of the resource
By:Matt Holt
Posted: 4/19/07
I had time to listen to President Bush's speech Tuesday morning at Virginia Tech. The president did the right thing by going to the campus in an attempt to console the victims of the unspeakable tragedy that claimed so many young lives Monday.
Maybe "unspeakable" is the wrong word to use. Perhaps such tragedies are born from discontent that is never spoken but stoked, unknowingly, by people who are unaware of the realities that lead up to such a desperate and violent act. No matter the reasons now, the end result will not change. The bullet has left the gun, so to speak.
It is ironic this particular tragedy is not of the president's making yet he was able to address the event so well. Communication is the key to awareness when relating to other people or groups of people. Who knows what we might have learned from talking with the perpetrator of this horrific episode. Why would he want to die and see others suffer and die? What is it that instilled such anger and hatred that it completely eclipsed the light, a soul so damaged that it had reached the point of no return?
Desperation on such a scale is reminiscent of the suicide bombers we hear so much about today. Why can't they see the use in their own existence? They have been trained to hate and destroy themselves and everyone around them. To someone who doesn't harbor hate, this type of action is completely unfathomable. None of the victims deserved to meet such an end. The only way to arrive at an answer is to investigate the causes. Is it possible that the gunman was just deranged, and it didn't take any special event to spawn the actions yesterday?
As I listened to Bush, it occurred to me that much of what he said about the tragedy could also be said about his presidency. His legacy will be a lack of communication and alienation of whole nations and religions. When he said "it's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering" or "they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," the same could be said by any Iraqi civilian. His rush to war told the nation that it's not so important who we punish for Sept. 11 2001 terrorist attacks, but that we punish someone quickly.
Understaffing in Afghanistan and unnecessary staffing in Iraq have been the catalysts for many tragedies that have affected the entire world. Thousands of dead Iraqi families could probably identify with the families from Virginia Tech and, if they heard the speech, would have thought Bush was the perpetrator in question.
Unfortunately, the president is of the belief that the U.S. could kill all of its enemies. Just ask anyone who has ever suffered such a loss and it becomes apparent that with each enemy you do kill, a whole family of new enemies springs up to take on the cause. And, heaven forbid, we actually talk with our enemies. We might actually reach an agreement to find a way to live free of conflict.
This mindset of "you're either with us or against us" tells others that if they are not willing to bend to our whims, then violence will be the end result. If two people can live together and have disagreements, two countries can as well. Despite all of the communication from his employers (us, the people) the president has ignored the Baker Commission, the democratically elected Senate and House, the Supreme Court and every ally who has tried to point out the administration's.
From Kyoto to Katrina to Kabul, nothing has gone right in seven years. We have more enemies than ever, and we're creating new ones every day. We spy on our own citizens yet allow countries like Pakistan harbor our real enemies with no repercussions.
The time has come to get rid of this man. Are we not tired of the bad news yet? It's not getting any better.
Bush's reaction to Sept. 11 was misdirected and personally motivated. He has been completely ineffective in response yet very effective in playing politics as a result. Bush's strength is in instilling fear, then sending enforcers to back up his will. He is nothing more than a common thug and Chicken Hawk with misbegotten degrees from Yale. A good leader is one who leads by example, yet we have come to accept "do as I say, not as I do" from the leader of the most powerful country in the world.
How do other world leaders view our president's power and what license does this administration give other governments to follow their own self-serving anti-social policies?
Matt Holt is a resident of Easthan, Massachusetts.
--
Original Source:<a href=ttp://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/19/Opinion/Perspective.Bushs.Speech.At.Virginia.Tech.Clouded.By.Own.Agenda-2853050.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
PERSPECTIVE: Bush's speech at Virginia Tech clouded by own agenda
commencement
george w bush
politics
speech
tragedy
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Natalie Orphanos
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-14
Description
An account of the resource
By: Natalie Orphanos
Posted: 4/20/07
In light of recent events, I am very disappointed in the administration's lack of a response to its students. Boston University prides itself on being a close-knit community despite its large size, a community in which each person is fully supported. However, this is not being expressed.
In the past, after tragedies, such as the fires near South Campus, BU students have been notified through email of the tragedy immediately and how the university is handling it. However, I sit by my computer three days after the Virginia Tech tragedy without an email. The only places I've been able to read about the tragedy on campus are The Daily Free Press and BU Today. My Residence Assistant even sent out an email giving us support and guidance. I need more than a publication to tell me that everything is okay. And while my RA showed that she cares, I need to feel like the university officials care, too, and that they are doing everything to ensure our safety. And I need to hear that directly from them.
This massacre is one that has affected the nation; it is not a remote incident. We have been reminded time and again through similar tragedies that these events can happen anywhere.
The students at Virginia Tech were not notified by the university after the first shooting took place in a dormitory. The shooter was able to send a video and his manifesto to NBC en route to the classroom building where he killed 30 people. Had the university taken more action, had it notified the students and faculty of the situation and had they placed the university on lockdown, the incident may have been prevented.
If that is not compelling enough, perhaps the fact that a BU student threatened to go on a rampage at another college in Boston similar to the one at Virginia Tech is more reason for the university to send an email out to the students. The media knew of this incident before many BU students had even heard about it.
In these times, BU's administration needs to react. The students need a response assuring them that our campus is a safe one. We need assurance from the administration that everything is being done to protect us. We need to be aware of incidents like these so we can decide to what to do and so we can be more aware of our surroundings. It is up to university officials to be responsive and to let us know that they are there and that they care.
Natalie Orphanos
COM '09
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/20/Opinion/Letter.Bu.Must.Be.Responsive-2871464.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
LETTER: BU must be responsive
campus safety
emergency response
notification
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Priyanka Dayal
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-13
Description
An account of the resource
By:Priyanka Dayal
Posted: 4/23/07
I spent three days last week at Virginia Tech University as a reporter covering the heinous murder of 32 innocent people.
I had never felt so many things all at once. I had never been so nervous and so excited and so sad and so scared all at the same time. I had never eaten so much fast food, then slept for three hours then worked for 16.
I've spent this semester at Boston University's Washington Journalism Center, where I write for a newspaper in Massachusetts and intern at USA TODAY's main bureau in McLean, Virginia. Last Monday, I was sitting at my desk doing some mildly interesting research. That's when I heard the first reports that people had been shot at Virginia Tech.
The newsroom started bustling. What was going on in Blacksburg? Which reporters and editors would go? How many should go?
Mindy, a reporter who sits next to me and, for weeks, has been the best mentor an intern could have, started gathering some fresh notebooks and yelled over the wall dividing our desks if I wanted to go.
"Go where?" I asked.
"To Blacksburg!" she said.
That's not what I expected to hear. My heart started beating really fast. I've been a reporter, albeit a student reporter, for four years. I've never had that kind of an adrenaline rush before.
I know I should have jumped on the assignment. But I didn't. I got scared. I didn't know what to do. Did I really want to go straight to a place where a psychopathic killer had just stunned the world?
Yes.
Once we reached Blacksburg, I wasn't nervous anymore. I set about reporting the story like I would report any other story. I talked to people about the situation. But I wasn't always prepared for their answers.
Through tears, a girl my age, named Tina, who was in Norris Hall last Monday morning, told me about hearing gunshots in the classroom below her. She heard pounding. She heard screams. She heard maniacal laughter. Later that night, she heard all those things again in her dreams.
While Tina was telling me this, her mother walked into the room. They hugged and cried and stroked each other's hair. Clutching my pen and notebook, I could only watch. I thought I was going to lose it. How could any reporter not be touched by this? How could any reporter just be expected to say "thanks for your time," then move on to the next interview?
There were a couple other times I almost cried. I guess that makes me a sap. But by the second and third day, I was almost too tired to be sad. I couldn't wait to collapse into my bed in my motel room and fall asleep to the sounds of Sports Center.
It wasn't all horrible. It was thrilling, too. The story was appalling and gruesome and heartbreaking, but it was the biggest story since Katrina.
Every publication and TV station with the means sent people to Blacksburg. The parking lot of the Inn at Virginia Tech, where the press was stationed, was teeming with news trucks and satellites. Inside the building, reporters and photographers and cameramen seized any nook of space they could find to set up their equipment. People were filing stories from cramped hallways and bathroom floors. Everyone had laptops and cell phones or Blackberrys that needed to be plugged in. There was a constant chase for electrical outlets.
On Tuesday afternoon, I roamed the building looking for a place to charge my phone. There was one free outlet. It was right under FOX News cameras. The cameramen said I could plug in my phone, even though they were about to start some live shots. "Just play it cool," they said.
So I planted myself on the floor and took out a sandwich, which had been sitting in my bag for hours. Six inches to my left, Geraldo Rivera and later, Shepard Smith, were fumbling with earpieces and retouching their make-up. In other corners of the same room, Katie Couric, Wolf Blitzer and Tucker Carlson were also getting ready for live shots.
I met reporters from Norway and Australia, and one who lived down the road in Christiansburg, Virginia. Ten other people from USA TODAY were there. We had make-shift news meetings in crowded hallways then dictated our notes to editors in the home office. I was the only intern, but I was part of the team, part of a special group that shared the special privilege of telling this tragic story.
Priyanka Dayal, a senior in the College of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences, is a former Science Tuesday and Associate City Editor for The Daily Free Press.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/23/Opinion/Perspective.Covering.Virginia.Tech.As.A.Student.Journalist.In.Blacksburg-2874620.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 23, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
PERSPECTIVE: Covering Virginia Tech as a student journalist in Blacksburg
journalism
media response
perspectives
boston university
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Ryan MacDonald
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-14
Description
An account of the resource
By:Ryan MacDonald
Posted: 4/18/07
In the days following a great tragedy, we as human beings collectively exhibit a variety of distinct reactions. Some will experience fear. This response is inevitably redoubled by a media which profits on false dependency -- cable news network owners want Americans to believe that without a constant and unfettered flow of semi-useful detail they will lack the needed information to survive the evening. Others sink deeply into depression. A few bleak hours permanently darken the thousands that they have spent on this planet. A state of war looms on all horizons. A third group will clamor for explanations and solutions. Quick fixes will be enticing and will abound. Pundits and politicians will congest the airwaves and television screens calling for every reform from censorship of music to religious revival. Erroneous causal connections will be purported, and the vulnerable masses will be lost in the sea of competing ideologies.
On Monday, tragedy struck. As news poured in from various outlets we learned the shooting at Virginia Tech was the worst in American history. Reporters interrogated school officials about the identity of the shooter and why he was able to carry out two rounds of mass murder without being caught. People will struggle with causes and effects for weeks; they will pour over preventative solutions; news outlets will inject dramatic twists of plot to increase viewership and revenue. Confusion and disillusionment will not be in short supply.
Amid all of this, though, I urge you to reflect deeply on the events of April 16 and the aftermath. What is your immediate response? How will this affect your perception of the world? What would you do to change things? Preempt the onslaught of ideology before it reaches your ears.
Although I run the risk of being labeled a hypocrite by putting forth a moral position, I'd like to share some of my personal reflections. First of all, the most essential fact of the matter is that an individual was able to acquire fire arms and commit a horrendous act. Immediately I was reminded of my time as an intern in a London law firm where I learned that possession of a firearm carries a five-year sentence there. The rest of Europe views guns as an even darker evil. Mass shootings do not occur in Europe. Although violence certainly exists there, the weapon of choice is a knife. A man with a knife will never kill 32 people by himself.
In the United States, politicians court potential voters by leaking a video of their hunting trips. As John Stewart recently pointed out, Americans do not see the apparent contradiction in being a hunter and standing on a pro-life platform. The possession and ownership of firearms is protected by Constitutional amendment. Guns are entrenched in American politics and culture.
However, many fail to realize that the Constitution is not an infallible document. it had once barred blacks and women from voting, allowed for slavery and banned liquor. When the Constitution is wrong, it can and should be amended. Gun enthusiasts will present the opposite information. In fear of losing their gruesome, death-oriented pastime they will lobby politicians to blame this tragedy on gangsta rap or video games. They want to hide the fact that the domestic arms proliferation for which they are responsible is inextricably linked to the massacre of innocents. Guns kill people. Period. Where no guns exist, violence isn't as rampant.
As I remarked earlier, you may brand these remarks as ideology and apply the above criticism of political opportunism to my own words. I accept this and consider it fair. However, I challenge you to reflect deeply and with self honesty. Consider the sanctity which we afford guns in America. Don't allow yourself to fear entering the classroom or walking the streets. If it is possible, let's grasp this occasion to engender change and put forth well thought out, constructive critiques of our lives and our nation.
Ryan MacDonald is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/18/Opinion/Perspective.Personal.Instinct.Only.Defense.Against.Tragic.News-2849548.shtml>The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
PERSPECTIVE: Personal instinct only defense against tragic news
boston university
grief
reflection
response to tragedy
-
Document
A resource containing textual data. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre text.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Sara Hood
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Victoria Demaria
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007-08-13
Description
An account of the resource
By: Victoria Demaria
Posted: 4/26/07
More than a week after the worst shootings in U.S. history happened on the Virginia Tech campus, the Boston City Council decided yesterday to plan a future meeting to discuss emergency procedures at Boston's universities and hospitals.
"It made me realize we have hospitals that have huge campuses, [and] we have so many universities in the city," said Council President Maureen Feeney.
Feeney said the hearing will focus on the concept of unifying a system to contact people in the event of such an emergency, especially on large campuses with many buildings. Last Tuesday, the day after the April 16 shootings, local law enforcement agencies met with 19 area universities to address emergency protocols.
"Things like [the shootings] can happen at any point and at any time," said Councilor-at-Large Stephen Murphy. "It's a perfectly reasonable order for a hearing."
Councilor Michael Ross (Back Bay, Fenway) said the city's University Accountability Act requires colleges to track their off-campus students for such an emergency, which would hopefully avoid the troubles the Virginia Tech administration had contacting commuter students during the shootings.
Councilor Jerry McDermott (Allston, Brighton) suggested Virginia Tech officials may not have publicized news of the first shooting, in which the gunman killed two students in a residence hall nearly two hours before he killed 30 more in an academic building a half-mile away, for fear of marring the school's reputation.
"Put yourself in the place of an admissions officer," McDermott said. "You wouldn't want this information getting out."
McDermott said schools should not keep such information quiet and said the hearing should also investigate whether universities tend to suppress negative news.
"Schools need to let everyone know the good, the bad and the ugly," he said.
In other Council news, Councilor Rob Consalvo (Hyde Park, Roslindale) suggested Boston join the "national movement" of cities tackling the threat plastic shopping bags pose to the environment by holding a hearing in which councilors would consider several measures: either banning them, as San Francisco did, or taxing them, as Ireland did.
"They're extremely environmentally unfriendly, and they don't biodegrade," he said. "They're not recyclable, and they're a major source of trash and litter in Boston."
"People look at you like you have two heads if you ask for brown bags," added Councilor Salvatore LaMattina (East Boston, South End).
Taking a cue from the new Senate Committee on Global Warming and Climate Change's first-ever hearing at the State House on Tuesday, Councilor-at-Large Felix Arroyo said it is time for Boston to join the fight against global warming, proposing a forum for Mayor Thomas Menino to discuss it with local businesses and organizations.
"The [Menino] administration has been out in front of the curve," Murphy said.
Murphy urged his fellow councilors to see former U.S. Vice President Al Gore's documentary about global warming, An Inconvenient Truth, a film he called "unbelievable" because it puts the seriousness of climate change into perspective.
Councilor-at-Large Michael Flaherty suggested City Hall turn out its lights during evenings to set an energy-saving example for the city.
--
Original Source:<a href=http://media.www.dailyfreepress.com/media/storage/paper87/news/2007/04/26/News/Council.Plans.Future.Preparedness.Meeting-2883114.shtml> The Daily Free Press - April 26, 2007</a>
Language
A language of the resource
eng
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
The Daily Free Press
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
Title
A name given to the resource
Council plans future preparedness meeting
campus safety
emergency preparation
emergency response
boston university