Guns Don't Kill People, Kids Who Play Video Games Kill People...
description: April 18, 2007 I apologize in advance for the tone of this piece. I thoroughly appreciate the devastating gravity of the situation, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to those families and friends affected. Blacksburg, Virginia. Less than a week ago, nothing would have sprung to mind. In fact, many would not even have known this small town existed. Now, for obvious reasons, it's on the map. The events of April 16 serve as a reminder - a reminder that society is imperfect; that society is unpredictable; and that society is unprepared. In fairness to those involved, the events at Virgina Tech could not have been predicted with any ease. What happened was not a commonplace, run-of-the-mill, every-day happening. I won't even go so far as to say that what happened could have been prevented - there is no reasonable way of knowing that. What I will do, however, is take a few quick shots at the aftermath. Everyone has their own concocted theory on how to respond to this type of situation. Pat Brown, for example, argues that whoever was the owner of the weapons used in the attack should be held accountable for the deaths of each and every student and professor on Monday. She believes that somehow, this would prevent a psychopath from acquiring the weapons they would choose to employ for such causes. The real world begs to differ, Pat. What we need to take away from the Virginia Tech Massacre is very simple - there are people out there that need help. Guns didn't kill those students; the Asian man didn't kill those professors; what transpired at Virginia Tech is exactly what happened at Columbine, Taber, Montreal, and every other mass shooting. These people were neglected. Do I believe in any way that whatever circumstances the shooter may have been put through justify his actions? No. Reciprocity, particularly when it involves violence, solves nothing. With that said, however, how do we take ownership of Monday's events? Do we pretend that this was an isolated incident - …
creator: keh619 / Tales of a Back Seat Prime Minster (blog)
date: 2007-07-09
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0
language: eng

Wear orange and maroon today for Va. Tech
description: Members of the Vanderbilt community are encouraged to wear orange and maroon today to honor those killed in the tragic events on the Virginia Tech campus. Commemorative ribbons will be distributed on the Sarratt Promenade from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At noon, a moment of silence will be observed across campus as the Kirkland Hall bell toll once for each of the victims of the shooting. Members of the Vanderbilt community are encouraged to sign a bound leather volume with a Vanderbilt University seal, located at the Sarratt desk. It will be sent to the Virginia Tech Student Government. For times when it will be available to be signed, click here. Vanderbilt Student Government is sponsoring the campus-wide orange and maroon day. -- Original Source: Vanderbilt Daily Register - April 19, 2007
creator: Vanderbilt Staff Member
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Joan Brasher <joan.brasher@vanderbilt.edu>
language: eng

Vigil for VT at Vanderbilt
description: Vigil draws mourners for Va. Tech tragedy A memorial and candlelight service for the students and faculty slain or inured during the April 16 shooting at Virginia Tech was held April 18 at Benton Chapel. Pictured (l-r) are Virginia Tech Alumna Kathy Boyer and Vanderbilt's Presbyterian campus minister Jennifer Fouse. The event was sponsored by the Middle Tennessee Chapter of the Virginia Tech Alumni Association. Donations for the families of those affected by the tragedy may be made to the Virginia Tech Foundation, University Development, 902 Prices Fork Road (0336), Blacksburg, VA 24061.
creator: Neil Brake
publisher: Vanderbilt University Daily Register
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Joan Brasher <joan.brasher@vanderbilt.edu>
language: eng

Message Book from Vanderbilt to VT
description: Members of the Vanderbilt community expressed their support for Virginia Tech by signing a leather-bound message book emblazoned with the Vanderbilt seal, a gift for Virginia Tech's student government organization. Photo by Steve Green
creator: Steve Green
publisher: Vanderbilt University Daily Register
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Joan Brasher <joan.brasher@vanderbilt.edu>
language: eng

Virginia Tech tragedy unites VU community
description: by Joan Brasher News of the events of April 16, 2007 - a violent shooting on the Virginia Tech campus in Blacksburg, Va., that resulted in the deaths of 33 students and faculty members - sent chills down the spines of all within earshot of a television, radio or the Internet. University students, faculty and staff across the nation and the world watched the media coverage in stunned silence, as the death toll escalated and the convoluted details slowly became clear. For many students, the first reaction to the shocking event was fear, said Vanderbilt Student Government Association President Cara Bilotta, a junior. "As you watch the tragedy unfold on TV, you cannot help but think, 'Could this happen here?'" Bilotta said. "Your initial reaction is fear of the unknown. The question is, could any university really prevent an incident like Virginia Tech? The good news is that Vanderbilt has always taken a proactive approach to security." University communities nationwide, even those with no direct relationship to the victims, were hard hit, and campus administrators quickly convened not only to reach out to Virginia Tech's faculty, staff and students, but to re-evaluate crisis preparedness on their respective campuses. Chancellor Gordon Gee communicated with the Vanderbilt community via e-mail shortly after the shooting, stating, "Words fail to encompass a calamity of such magnitude. At this raw stage, we can offer our attention, our consideration and our sympathy. We respond with the best part of ourselves." He encouraged students to take advantage of the university's psychological counseling services, seek out religious life groups or turn to resident advisers for support. All Faiths Chapel on the first floor of Vanderbilt Divinity School was made available for reflection, meditation and prayer. Two days after the shooting, a candlelight vigil was held at Benton Chapel. Vanderbilt chaplains, as well as representatives from Tennessee State University, Belmont University…
creator: Joan Brasher
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Joan Brasher <joan.brasher@vanderbilt.edu>
language: eng

Obituary: Former APL Staff Member Among Virginia Tech Shooting Victims
description: Kevin Granata, who began his professional career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, was among those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16. A professor of engineering science and mechanics, he was considered one of the nation's top researchers working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy. He was 45. Granata joined the Lab in 1986 and worked on low-frequency performance issues for long towed arrays in the former Submarine Technology Department (now the National Security Technology Department). His initial work helped to form the justification for the series of Doppler signal suppression experiments that were conducted by APL in 1990 and 1991. He was very interested in biomechanics and left the Lab in 1989 to obtain a PhD in biomechanics from Ohio State. "He was a bright young guy who came here from school, had a lot of energy and was very capable," Joseph S. Lombardo, his APL supervisor and now director of the Lab's Center of Excellence in Public Health and Informatics, told The Baltimore Sun. "Kevin had a very good scientific background and was able to do a substantial level of analysis." Granata, who had received his bachelor's degree in engineering physics and electrical engineering from Ohio State and master's in physics from Purdue, went on to an esteemed career in teaching and research, first at the University of Virginia and then at Virginia Tech. He lectured nationally and internationally and had numerous publications and research grants. A runner and cyclist, he enjoyed participating in biathlons and triathlons. He also loved reading and coaching his sons' lacrosse teams. Survivors include his wife, Linda; two sons, Alex and Eric; a daughter, Ellen; and his parents, Mildred and Joseph Granata. Memorials can be made to the Kevin P. Granata Memorial Trust, 1872 Pratt Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24068. -- Original Source: Johns Hopkins Gazette - April 23, 2007
creator: JHU Gazette Staff Member
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Lois Perschetz <lwp@jhu.edu>
language: eng

Dangerous People?
description: By Ari Rabkin Apr 26 2007 Between the Lines One of the striking facts about the Virginia Tech shootings was how predictable the murderer's identity was. The authorities knew long before his rampage that Cho Seung-Hui was not merely "troubled," but dangerous. A court had ruled two years previously that he posed an "imminent danger to himself as a result of mental illness." As a result, he was civilly committed to an outpatient mental-health clinic. He checked out the next day, however, without being effectively treated. In the wake of the shootings, many commentators have decried the gradual decline in involuntary commitment to mental health facilities. The courts, so the thinking goes, should have been more aggressive, and should have committed Cho to an inpatient facility, and not released him until he was judged to be no longer dangerous. But this sort of confinement poses awkward questions. The mentally ill are confined â€” locked up â€” not because they have done anything wrong, but because they might be dangerous in the future. Sun Podcast: A podcast is available for this column. Click here to listen to or to download it.Sun Podcast: A podcast is available for this column. Click here to listen to or to download it.To lock people up, not because they are criminals, but because they are dangerous, subverts many of our normal notions of due process. To go free, a criminal defendant needs to rebut a factual allegation; he needs to show that he didn't commit a particular act. A prisoner confined for being dangerous, however, is in a much more precarious position. "Danger" cannot be proven beyond a reasonable doubt to a jury of laymen, but can only be assessed by expert judgment. To avoid making such judgments, American civil law does not have a general category of "dangerous persons" other than the mentally ill. Sane individuals can normally be imprisoned only after a criminal conviction, for a crime they have already committed. Civil confinement, as it is called, i…
creator: Ari Rabkin
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

NBC, MySpace and V.T.
description: By Behzad Varamini Apr 25 2007 Gain Through Loss Hours after students cowered behind desks and played dead in hopes that Virginia Tech killer Cho Seung-Hui would spare their lives, minutes after the body count was made public and started to climb, it took only seconds for the gluttonous demons in dark corners of men's souls to perk up and devise a plan on how to best capitalize on a tragic story that even satisfied the devil himself. Atheists and evangelicals, gun-toters and arms opposers, and other talking heads with punches to throw delayed healing by using the backdrop of the tragic killings to guilefully push their own agendas. Amidst these vultures, perhaps the most flagrant exploiter of the catastrophe was NBC News, who decided to air self-taken photographs and a homemade video of Cho multiple times over national airwaves, just two days after the events took place and literally hours after the videos were received. In between the first and second set of murders last Monday, April 16, the killer put the finishing touches on the video and overnighted it, along with a series of photographs, to NBC News headquarters. Soon after the tapes of wrath aired, NBC President Steve Capus made a statement assuring Americans that the network struggled with the decision to release the videos. In the end, however, NBC pinned their collective conscious into submission and granted the psychotic killer a public posthumous forum, completing the final phase of Cho's demonic plan. Just a quick look at the pictures and videos makes Capus' motives clear. Stamped into the top-left corner of the video and every still of Cho is the NBC news logo â€” peacock and all. NBC News anchor Brian Williams admitted in a later interview that airing even part of the video would promise the killer the martyrdom he hoped to achieve. In the name of profit, NBC served as an instrumental accomplice, helping make Cho's plan come to complete fruition and allowing the friends and families of the victims the…
creator: Behzad Varamini
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

CUPD Assesses Campus Safety
description: By Sarah Singer Sun City Editor Apr 18 2007 Cornell responds to recent tragedy at Virginia Tech Yesterday, several university officials hosted a media call-in where they discussed safety and security on the Cornell campus in the aftermath of Monday's shooting at Virginia Polytechnical Institute. The participants were Curt Ostrander, chief of Cornell University Police, Greg Eells, director of counseling and psychological services for Gannett, Tim Marchall, director of mental health initiatives for Gannett and Tommy Bruce, vice president of University communications. Although the tragedy in Virginia did not pose an immediate threat to Cornell's safety, Eells said he had "some concerns" about the safety of all college campuses during this frightening time. "Traumas like this can make students' own problems more clear to them," he said. "We have heightened the police presence around residential areas," said Ostrander, "and we are being especially attentive to all of campus as well." Although the University is in a heightened state of security, according to Ostrander, anticipating the exact measures it would take if faced with a crisis situation similar to Virginia Tech's is difficult, but confidently stated, "we have the plans and procedures in place to deal with situations like this," he said. "We would dispatch a multiple officer response," he continued. Ostrander said that the CUPD "assesses the campus every six months" to ensure its high level of safety for students. He also said that there are "training programs in place for resident hall directors on what to do in dangerous situations. We can track who enters and leaves the dorms, and can implement a lockdown if necessary," he said. This effort to maintain a high level of security on campus extends beyond police efforts. Eells emphasized a number of educational initiatives that involve "working with residence halls directors to identify students and reach out to students if they are struggling," he said. He could …
creator: Sarah Singer
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Idealism v. Cho
description: By Jeremy Siegman Apr 27 2007 Cosmology on the Rocks It always feels weird swallowing real-world events like the Virginia Tech massacre in the hazy cosmopolitanism of Uris Library. Cornell and its libraries, after all, are fleeing from the bustling Manhattans, from the culture of CNN and even the busy humming of our own town. It feels like fleeing from all that is extremist, religious or vulgar. And the Promised Land is the Hill, which, legend has it, is populated by a super-strong Atlas who can not only pick up the planet, but also stop it from warming too, and just foster utopia in general, all at the reasonable rate of only $40,000 a year (tax-free if you use Big Red Bucks!). This detached cosmopolitan Cornell is proud, richly endowed, but can be shaken. When an English major murders 32 people at a university, our university shakes. Finally, something has hit home; but utopianism hits back. Our president responds in the eloquent universalism we know best: "We are one; one community, one people, one planet." This is me responding, stuck in Uris Library because it's raining outside; I'm stuck, too, in this Skortonian universalism, as I consider the murderer, his condition and ours too. "Three Pro-Gun Bills Pending in Nevada Legislature!" exclaims a headline from NRA.org. You should press your senators to pass them, urges this National Rifle Association writer, so people can have the freedom to not register their handguns! Gun activists argue that Cho Seung-Hui should have been lawfully prevented from buying his .22-caliber and 9mm guns because of his mental illness. They also argue that gun-control laws should be toned down! This is utterly strange, this exaltation of the Second Amendment at a time like this. Considered in a vacuum, there's really nothing wrong with the right to bear arms. But when the bald eagle of America is made to hold rifles in its talons (the NRA logo) â€” a powerful symbol is crafted. It speaks loudly for a lot of Americans. The symbolic exa…
creator: Jeremy Siegman
publisher: Cornell Daily Sun
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Big Red Flag
description: By Claire Readhead Apr 30 2007 The paradox of mental health services, generally, hovers around the issue of consent. Most mental health services require voluntary participation from the patient, except in extreme cases. Thus, the question becomes, how can someone suffering from mental illness possess the wherewithal to seek help? Even those who are not clinically ill, but just unstable, may feel that the stigma attached to mental health services is a huge repellent. In light of the Virginia Tech Massacre, all educational institutions should begin to reconsider old notions surrounding mental health and seek to make services more accessible to students. Issues of mental health are sorely misunderstood in this country, and not all medications and treatments are covered under insurance â€” emphasizing the cultural and political neglect of these matters. The fact that Cho Seung-Hui could fall through the cracks of a well-structured institution, such as a university, should be a Big Red Flag to all academic administrators to seriously address issues surrounding counseling services. The reality is that most students suffering from mental health related problems will not turn into Cho; however, they may fall through the cracks without such a "bang," if you will. Counseling services at universities should not be reserved for the deeply troubled, but should be open and generally administered like the flu shot. Clearly, just as with the flu shot, counseling must be voluntary on the part of the students. Students should feel free to visit a counselor without fear of censure from peers. Hmmm ... this isn't so easy. In terms of Gannett specifically, the first item of business should be that of privacy. For instance, I went in for a routine physical, and as I was walking away from the counter, the lady yelled out, "Oh by the way do you want to be tested for HIV today?!?!?!?" Wow, now that everyone in the lobby is staring at me, I really feel comfortable answering that question. I …
creator: Claire Readhead
publisher: Cornell Daily Sun
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Mention of shooter's ethnicity unnecessary
description: Apr 30 2007 Re: "CUPD Assesses Campus Safety," News, April 18 To the Editor: Thank you for the article "CUPD Assesses Campus Safety." In some ways, it made me feel a little bit safer knowing about the heightened security. However, it made me feel uneasy and unsafe at the same time after reading about the last shooting that occurred at Cornell. As a Korean-American, I have felt shame, sadness, pity, anger and fear about sharing the same ethnicity as the shooter at Virginia Tech. In a society where racial inequalities and stereotypes still very much exist, I feared for what this one young Korean-American student may have done for our future race relations here in the U.S. My fear was shared by many others, where Korean parents took their children home from VTech for fear of racial backlash. Thus, I strongly believe that your reference to the last shooting at Cornell was inappropriate and uncalled for. Although you did not specifically say that Kim, the shooter at Cornell, was Korean, it can easily be implied just by his name. I believe that your mention of this one horrific incidence in which the shooter just happened to be Korean only further aggravates the very sensitive issue of race. I believe that you should have referenced the incidence at Cornell without giving names of those involved, to prevent any kind of potentially dangerous stereotypes and consequences that it may have on other Korean-Americans around campus. Rachel Baek '07 -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 30, 2007
creator: Rachel Baek
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Student Mental Health Problems Rise at C.U.
description: By Gallagher Hannan Sun Staff Writer May 3 2007 The tragedy at Virginia Tech has put the entire college community on edge. Although it is clear that this incident was isolated, it has raised important questions about the prevalence of high stress and depression on college campuses. In an interview with Cornell's President David Skorton last week on mental health, he addressed the importance of these issues. "I am very, very concerned about depression, pressure on campus, suicide, homicide, violence; it's an enormous issue," he said.Ample Advice: Pamphlets line the walls of Gannett Health Clinic offering advice to students on a number of topics.Ample Advice: Pamphlets line the walls of Gannett Health Clinic offering advice to students on a number of topics. According to a recent study completed by Kansas State University, mental health issues like those described by Skorton are becoming increasingly prevalent on college campuses. The study indicated that since 1994, there has been a dramatic increase in the number of students seeking help for depression and suicidal thoughts. Greg Eells, director of Cornell Counseling and Psychological services, said that these trends are apparent Cornell as well. "We've seen a doubling of people coming in for counseling over the last ten years," he said, "but we've doubled our staff size as well, so we've tried to keep up." The question then, is whether mental health issues are actually increasing, or if students are just more willing to seek psychological help. "It's hard to know whether the increase in demand is about increased stress, or is about increased knowledge in campus [about mental health services] and [their] de-stigmatization," said Matt Boone, interim assistant director of CAPS. "While there have been claims that mental health problems among college students are on the rise, the data is not consistent," said Tim Marchell, director of Mental Health Initiatives and the Council for Mental Health and Welfare, "[But] we do …
creator: Gallagher Hannan
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Alums Recall 1983 C.U. Murders
description: By Felicia Daniels Sun Staff Writer Apr 19 2007 Brenda Scinto '87 was in her bedroom studying in 1983, when two freshman women, Young Hee Suh '87 and Erin Nieswand '87, were fatally shot in the room above her by 26-year-old Su Yong Kim. Scinto said she does not remember much about that year academically, but 26 years later, she remembers everything about that particular Saturday night. Monday's shootings at Virginia Polytechnical Institute brought back a flood of memories for her. "It was incredibly violent, an event that no one in that dorm that night or in dorms around us will ever forget," Scinto said. Kim, who was not a Cornell student, invaded the North Campus dorm Low Rise 7 on Saturday, Dec. 17, 1983 armed with a rifle. According to Scinto and police reports, Kim arrived at the dorm and confronted Suh and Nieswand in their room after Suh refused to see him. Scinto called Kim an "obsessed admirer and stalker of Suh." "We all heard him come in through the back fire escape stairs. Those doors were supposed to have been locked but everyone kept them propped open, and that's how he got in. He came in through the fire escape stairway and entered the suite above me," she said. Less than 30 minutes later, Scinto heard gunshots as Kim murdered Suh and Nieswand. She then heard footsteps as he fled back down the staircase. Though only two people lost their lives, the incident had potential to be even more traumatic. Kim held five additional students hostage in Suh's room before releasing all but the two roommates. Joel Melby '84 lived on the floor below and remembers how much uglier the situation could have turned. "It was only because the man's primary target, a quiet, shy, freshman girl, persuaded him to let most of the others go. Her bravery saved the lives of all but herself and her roommate. What if she hadn't found the courage to do so?" he asked in a comment on The Sun's website. "What if" is a question many students are asking as they worry that shootings like t…
creator: Felicia Daniels
publisher: Cornell Daily Sun
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Looking Forward
description: By David J. Skorton May 2 2007 I had intended this final column of the academic year to be one mainly of gratitude to my colleagues at The Cornell Daily Sun and to readers of the newspaper for permitting me this space and for the tremendously helpful feedback I received as a result of these "From David" columns. I look forward to another year of useful interchange through this column and in many other fora in 2007-08. I believe we have made progress as a campus this year in confronting important issues, ranging from violence, to mental health, to what it means to be part of an inclusive campus community. Although we have not resolved some issues of importance to this campus, I believe we have learned a great deal together about how to have the sorts of conversations we need to have in order to create change. I am especially heartened by the progress we have made on diversity issues, and I look forward to continuing our progress with the support, leadership and encouragement of the University Diversity Council and through the self-governance processes underway to foster greater community involvement. As Cornellians, all of us can take pride in the achievements of our colleagues and friends this year. Some have won major national and international awards and many more have demonstrated a great willingness to share their skills and talents with the campus and the world â€” in the classroom, laboratory and studio; on the playing field; through public service; and through music, dance, theater and art. Eli Northrup '07 and Joshua Raff '07 have even come up with a rap to update the Alma Mater, which I heard performed last week by Pants Velour. Whether you are moving on to the next stage of your life or continuing on at Cornell, you have helped make this a vibrant and engaged community, and I congratulate you and thank you for your efforts. Unfortunately, the end of the academic year has brought with it the incomprehensible, horrific tragedy at Virginia Tech University. In…
creator: David J. Skorton
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

A Dark Day in April
description: Apr 17 2007 Editorial Yesterday marked one of the darkest days in United States history, as the campus of Virginia Tech collapsed to the tune of gunshots, cries and panic. The morning's horrific aftermath was broadcast on every major news network: students sprinting across campus; SWAT teams taking cover next to their vehicles; an exasperated and exhausted police chief and university president, trying to explain how a bastion for safety and growth â€” a college campus â€” could suddenly become the setting for a nightmare of unimaginable proportions. The event bares a shocking resemblance to the 1999 Columbine massacre and comes eight years to the week of what was once our country's worst school shooting. Facts came in bursts; the banners of CNN.com changed right before our eyes; and the death toll seemed to double without any explanation. No one was able to affirmatively answer basic questions such as, "Who was involved?" "What were the motives behind the shootings?" And if there was one killer, "Why was he able to roam free a second time and inflict even more harm?" The tragedy hits home not only for Cornell students trying to reach their friends at Virginia Tech but also because of its chilling reminder that no university is immune to violence of this magnitude. At Cornell, we picture ourselves as existing in solitude and safety, removed from the harsh realities of aggression and evil that blot the world. Nearly every person that sets foot on the University has grown up in environments where such inhumane acts have never been commonplace. But what if a lone gunman had opened fire at Kennedy Hall at 9:45 a.m. instead of Virginia Tech's Norris Hall? What if two students were dead by breakfast time at a North Campus dorm instead of at West Ambler Johnston Hall? Can the Cornell administration rationally and smoothly handle this seemingly unfathomable situation? Evidence pouring in from Virginia Tech points to some degree of miscommunication and flawed procedure. Why w…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

C.U. Officials Discuss Response to Va. Tech
description: By Ben Eisen Sun Staff Writer Apr 25 2007 "Half of college students report having felt extremely depressed," said Ray Kim, assistant dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, to a crowd of students in Goldwin Smith's Hollis E. Cornell auditorium yesterday afternoon. "60 percent of students report feeling absolutely hopeless at times. 10 percent of students reported seriously considering suicide. How many people knew it was this bad?" No one raised their hands. Kim was one of four speakers on a panel yesterday afternoon to speak about the Virginia Tech tragedy and Cornell's level of preparedness for such emergencies. Hosted by Omega Phi Beta Sorority and Lambda Phi Epsilon, the goal of the discussion was to bring the past week's events home to our campus. Other speakers included George Sutfin, head of crime prevention at Cornell Police, Chief Curtis Ostrander who has worked for CUPD since before the 1983 shooting at Cornell, and Dr. Ya-Shu Liang, who works for Counseling and Psychological Services. "Every time something happens [response and prevention] plans are reevaluated," Sutfin said. "Columbine got everyone reevaluating response," added Ostrander. "New training was developed. I was one of the first officers who received training." Sutfin told the audience that Cornell is now in the process of making a contract with a company that alerts everyone on campus of emergencies by text message. "If something happens at an elementary school, it's easy to shut down, but Cornell is a small city, and it's very hard to shut down the entire campus. Studies show that 90 percent of students have cell phones, so [the new plan will] send texts to everyone in a circumference." Though the officers were unable not comment on their current response plans to the specific type of emergency that happened at Virginia Tech, Sutfin said that CUPD senior staff sat in on meetings to discuss changes to the plans while the panel was going on. He added that a lot of prevention rests in the han…
creator: Ben Eisen
date: 2007-07-10
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
language: eng

Some Analysis of the Killings at Virginia Tech
description: April 17th, 2007 As a part of my Homicide Investigation class at George Washington University, my instructor has asked us to write a brief analysis of the killings that occurred at Virginia Tech on Monday. Even though I am only a student and haven't had the experience, statistically speaking, there are many things that are common when this type of crime occurs. I am in no way stating that any of the following is fact, it is just my interpretation of the events as based on my knowledge gained in my Homicide Investigation course. * * * It appears that the offender's motivation for the first shooting is domestic. There have been much speculation as to the offender's relationship with the female victim. Some feel that they may have been in a relationship or that Cho had feelings for the female victim. It is possible that his motivation to kill her was caused by Cho's apparent hatred for "spoiled, rich kids." Is it possible that Cho had feelings for the female and was rejected? Thus taking his hatred out on her? Based on the fact that Cho walked across campus (at least half a mile) to Norris Hall to commit his crimes shows he had been planning this. The killings at Norris were not spontaneous at all. Cho wanted to destroy what symbolized the high class that he felt such disdain for. Since he associated many, if not all, students at Virginia Tech as being in this class, he felt that everyone encountered could potentially be his victims. This murder seems most likely to be an authority murder. The perceived authority being the higher class. If Cho grew up in a middle or lower income family, then this could explain his problem with the higher class. Northern Virginia can have very large gaps in the income levels among families. Cho probably felt this gap during his time in school in Northern Virginia and this is what probably helped escalate his hatred. But the question remains of who was his primary target? Was it the first two victims? Or was his primary target someone in…
creator: fallenposters / Do Not Cross (Blog)
date: 2007-07-09
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0
language: eng

Beihilfe zum Amoklauf
description: KOMMENTAR VON ADRIENNE WOLTERSDORF Der tÃ¶dliche Amoklauf auf dem Campus der US-Hochschule in Blacksburg, dem mindestens 33 Menschen zum Opfer fielen, ist der schlimmste,der sich bislang in der Geschichte der Vereinigten Staaten ereignet hat. Doch er bildet nur den blutigen HÃ¶hepunkt einer ganzen Serie von schrecklichen Schulmassakern dieser Art. Kaum ist das spontane Entsetzen Ã¼berwunden, drÃ¤ngen sich die nahe liegenden Fragen auf: Wenn die grÃ¶ÃŸten Gefahren, denen US-Amerikaner ausgesetzt sind, zu Hause und um die Ecke in der Schule lauern, warum wird dann nicht das Naheliegendste getan? Warum gibt es keine effektive Waffenkontrolle? In allen FÃ¤llen waren es die allzu leicht zu erlangenden Waffen, die das Desaster erst ermÃ¶glichten: Das ist lÃ¤ngst eine Binsenweisheit. Doch es gehÃ¶rt zum amerikanischen Ritual post mortem, dass das Geschehene zuerst betrauert wird, um im nÃ¤chsten Satz auf das Recht des amerikanischen BÃ¼rgers, seine eigene Knarre zu besitzen, zu pochen. Es sei in der Verfassung so verbrieft, verkÃ¼ndet allen voran die National Rifle Association, die Lobby der Gewehrliebhaber. Was so viel heiÃŸt wie: Es ist in Marmor gehauen. War die Nation nach den Terrorattacken vom 11. September nicht sofort bereit, alles in ihrer Macht Stehende zu unternehmen, zukÃ¼nftige Angriffe mit allen Mitteln zu verhindern? Es mag unfair sein, diese beiden Ereignisse nebeneinanderzustellen. Doch die bÃ¼rgerlichen Freiheiten, die jeden US-BÃ¼rger vor staatlicher Verfolgung und SchnÃ¼ffeleien schÃ¼tzen sollen, stehen in der Verfassung. Bei denen aber war man sich 2001 schnell einig, dass sie zu zugunsten der TerrorbekÃ¤mpfung vorÃ¼bergehend - und vielleicht fÃ¼r immer - ausgesetzt werden mÃ¼ssten. Das Recht auf Waffenbesitz dagegen ist historisch gewachsen und eng verknÃ¼pft mit der Eroberung des Kontinents. Das macht eine rationale Diskussion darÃ¼ber nicht einfach. Der Amoklauf von Blacksburg ist ein erneuter Warnruf an die US-Gesellschaft, sich endlich von Ã¼berko…
creator: Die Tageszeitung
date: 2007-07-04
contributor: Adriana Seagle
rights: Corrina Urbach (lizenzen@taz.de)
language: deu

Der TÃƒÂ¤ter hatte zwei Stunden Zeit fÃƒÂ¼r sein Todeswerk
description: 18.04.2007 Bei dem Massaker an der UniversitÃ¤t in Blacksburg im Bundesstaat Virginia sind noch viele Fragen offen - unter anderem das Motiv des AmoklÃ¤ufers WASHINGTON taz Fast wirkte es gespenstisch, wie routiniert die US-amerikanische Ã–ffentlichkeit mit Amoklauf in Schulen und UniversitÃ¤ten umgeht. Erste Handy-Bilder im Fernsehen. Kurze Zeit spÃ¤ter eine Armada von Ãœ-Wagen und Reportern, schlieÃŸlich die ersten bestÃ¼rzten Augenzeugen, die immer wieder sagen, sie kÃ¶nnten es nicht fassen und alles sei so schrecklich. Auch die US-Politiker wirkten traurig, aber so, als habe Leben in Amerika eben seinen Preis. PrÃ¤sident George W. Bush, Parlamentschefin Nancy Pelosi, alle sprachen sie Ã¼ber das Unfassbare, Tragische. Alles klang, wie schon manches Mal gesagt. Nur Stunden nach dem, was die US-Medien als "Massaker in Blacksburg" bezeichnen, schwÃ¤rmten Trauerbegleiter auf den Campus der kleinen Stadt im US-Bundesstaat Virginia. Psychologen und FBI-Profiler gaben ihr Wissen in Interviews zum Besten, und erste Warnungen vor Nachahmungstaten machten die Runde. Vielleicht ist es auch nur das, was man zu einem so kaltblÃ¼tigen Amoklauf wie dem vom Montagmorgen sagen kann. Die SchÃ¼sse, berichteten Augenzeugen spÃ¤ter, seien so regelmÃ¤ÃŸig erfolgt, dass manche zunÃ¤chst glauben, sie kommen von einer nahe gelegenen Baustelle. So, als treibe ein Kolben ein Stahlrohr in den Grund. Ein Schuss folgte dem anderen, manchmal mit Pausen. Das waren die Momente, in denen der TÃ¤ter sein Magazin nachlud, um dann ebenso ruhig und regelmÃ¤ÃŸig weiter seine Kommilitonen abzuknallen. Die Bluttat sei von einem sÃ¼dkoreanischen Studenten namens Cho Seung Hui verÃ¼bt worden, sagte der Polizeichef der UniversitÃ¤t, Wendell Flinchum. Der 23-JÃ¤hrige habe mit einem AuslÃ¤ndervisum an der Virginia-Tech-UniversitÃ¤t Englisch studiert und in einem Wohnheim auf dem Campus gelebt. Der TÃ¤ter hat 33 Studierende und Professoren erschossen sowie 15 Menschen verletzt. Die Bluttat fand in einer Deuts…
creator: Adrienne Woltersdorf / taz Entwicklungs GmbH & Co. Medien KG
date: 2007-07-01
contributor: Adriana Seagle
rights: Corrina Urbach (lizenzen@taz.de)
language: deu