Value of a life
description: Letter to the Editor Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Viewpoint This past Monday, people across the country were glued to their television screens, witnessing the chaos that ensued as the result of the violence carried out on the Virginia Tech campus. Deservedly, this event received a great deal of publicity - it was on the front page of The Observer and also had multi-page layouts and analysis in the Chicago Tribune and New York Times. What didn't receive due media attention were the 37 Iraqi civilians who died the same day of the very same unwarranted and selfish violence, as well as others in Darfur, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and other war-torn regions who perish daily. These stories were overshadowed by the story which undoubtedly hit much closer to home for many on the Notre Dame campus. But we must remember that regardless of the locality of violence, it is still violence. The Virginia Tech students who died are no more or no less human than the countless people who die every day. This is neither a pro- nor anti-war debate. This is a life debate. The murders at Virginia Tech are indeed a tragedy, but please be aware that in many countries violence of this nature is part of their bleak, everyday reality. The frequency of this sort of violence should not discount its impact on our conscience. We must be thankful that we don't suffer from the fear of bombs and bloodshed on a daily basis but also be more mindful about the tragedies and suffering that are experienced by those stretched across the world. Sean Mallin sophomore Keough Hall April 18 -- Original Source: http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2007/04/20/Viewpoint/Value.Of.A.Life-2870832.shtml
creator: Sean Mallin
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

Well wishes for the Clas of '007
description: Gary Caruso Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Viewpoint Rarely does a year's numerical arrangement offer a cute correlation to an icon like the parallel this year between the Class of '007 with the fictional international spy James Bond. But this week is not a cute one with the massacre at Virginia Tech. Neither is this a charming year with the carnage that defies understanding of both young Americans and Iraqis in the Middle East. The feel of our time is reminiscent of my second semester of freshman year when four students were murdered at Kent State. It may seem whimsically befitting that at this time of international strife and uncertainty, this year's seniors can be branded with the James Bond code name of "007." Yet it is evident that for the near future, the years ahead will be filled with learning experiences in hope of healing an unsettled world. Life at times is cruel, shocking and unforgiving. Ask the families of sons and daughters lost on the Virginia Tech campus. Ask the maimed servicemen and servicewomen who return from Iraq each day with the scars and nightmares of war. Within a month, the Notre Dame senior class will march onward to many personal and individual victories. Graduates will disperse in every direction like the high-flying seeds of a mature dandelion scattering on a windy day. Their choices in life can be motivated by either fear or love. All of us must decide if we are motivated by fear so that we are reactive, or if we are motivated by love so that we reach out to others in a proactive way. Tragically, many of us never know that we have a choice. Notre Dame teaches its graduates to know better, to be better and to act better - not in a self-righteous way, but in service to others. The bonds of love felt at Virginia Tech in light of this week's tragedy are the bonds Notre Dame slowly, subtly instills in its graduates throughout their four-year journey. Many times, though, graduates who believe in absolute certainties diminish their ability for…
creator: Gary Caruso
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

Tragedy prompts campus action
description: Jenkins e-mail explains University security Ken Fowler Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: News Though Notre Dame created a task force in 2006 to review crisis plans, the deaths of 33 people at Virginia Tech Monday "will spur even greater review and preparedness," University President Father John Jenkins said in an e-mail to students Thursday. Though limited in scope, Jenkins' message was the most in-depth explanation of Notre Dame's security measures since Monday's shootings. In the 700-word letter, Jenkins said Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to natural emergencies as well as acts of violence. The University continues to search for the best ways to communicate with students in the event of a campus crisis. Jenkins noted the Office of Information Technology's pilot program to send text messages to all students who provide their cell phone numbers. University spokesman Don Wycliff said Thursday that Jenkins' letter did not go into more detail about specific response procedures as a safety precaution, so that security details of the plan would not be compromised. "There had been a sense all during the week that at some point it would be appropriate to address the issues," Wycliff said. "Today seemed appropriate." Jenkins reaffirmed the University's desire to have the service fully operational by fall and said officials would encourage students to participate in "this important and innovative communications initiative." The question of communication is only heightened by the University's decision in 2006 to de-standardize land telephone lines in dorm rooms. In an interview with The Observer at the beginning of the school year, Director of Integrated Communications Services at OIT Steven Ellis said only 60 students initially paid a $161 fee to have the dorm phones in their room. Every resident assistant, however, does have a landline, provided free. In the e-mail, Jenkins expressed confidence that Notre Dame Security/Police's (NDSP) 28 police officers and 35 add…
creator: Ken Fowler
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

Campus security reacts to shootings
description: ND looks into cell phone text messaging to alert students of emergencies Kaitlynn Riely, Aaron Steiner and Ken Fowler Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News Notre Dame has procedures in place to respond to major incidents and crises, but the University is not commenting on most specifics of those plans, officials said Wednesday. Nationwide, universities have been asked about - and have offered self-evaluations of -emergency protocols in the aftermath of Monday's mass slayings at Virginia Tech University. A lone gunman apparently shot and killed two students in a dorm on the Blacksburg, Va., campus two hours before opening fire and killing 30 more people in one of the school's academic buildings half a mile away. "Suffice it to say, that plans do exist," University spokesman Don Wycliff said. "They are constantly being reviewed in light of the Virginia Tech experience, and we would be [foolish] if we do not attempt to review those plans." Wycliff said he expects Notre Dame to comment on campus security plans in the future, but he couldn't give an exact date. Notre Dame Security/Police (NDSP) Director Phil Johnson declined to comment on NDSP's procedures for crisis management plans and referred all questions to University representatives in the Office of News and Information. Wycliff declined to comment on what offices have the authority to lock down buildings or entire portions of campus in the event of an emergency. He would not say if the University has a campus broadcasting system it could use to transmit emergency messages to faculty, students and staff. But Gordon Wishon, the University's chief information officer, said Notre Dame has been looking into the possibility of compiling a database of cellular phone numbers to send text messages to in the event of a campus emergency. Wishon said the University is preparing to launch a pilot program of the text messaging system, and it will test the service throughout the remainder of this semester and summer. He said the Un…
creator: Kaitlynn Riely, Aaron Steiner and Ken Fowler
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

Still waiting for our victory
description: Observer Viewpoint Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: Viewpoint Anyone old enough to speak coherently at the time still remembers the moment, over forty years ago, when they heard about JFK's assassination. Our grandparents can tell us how they listened to the radio accounts of Pearl Harbor on a December day, more than six decades gone. Every single one of us here at Notre Dame can recall where we were on the day of Sept. 11, 2001 - what we were doing, how the horribly tragic events of that morning unfolded for us and our personal feelings on the matter. Any time someone shares a personal story of That Day, I'm always amazed at the details people recall. I remember listening to Paul Harvey's show on my AM radio while driving to school when he announced the first plane crash. I remember talking about it with my friend before the start of first-hour Biology, and I remember the girl who came in and told us the other tower had been hit. I remember conversations I had that day, things different teachers said and talking with my grandparents in the evening. That was my experience, half a country away, without a personal connection to anyone involved. The mass media of the past century gave rise to a new, shared cultural experience, a common reference point that breaches distance and background: the generation-defining event. When we hear 9/11 described this way, it is absolutely on-target. This week, we have another national tragedy. News of the massacre at Virginia Tech on Monday spread like wildfire throughout both national and international outlets, even reaching most of us studying abroad in Europe within the hour. We learned of the catastrophe over television stations, through quickly formed Facebook groups, on Internet news sites and during instant messaging conversations. Solid facts came slowly, but no report could sanitize away the fear, confusion, anger, torrential grief and host of other emotions that assault us all in such times. This is the great curse of our gener…
creator: James Dechant
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

NIU response helped by Virginia Tech lessons
description: Doug Finke GateHouse News Service Fri Feb 15, 2008, 09:31 PM EST SPRINGFIELD, IL - Northern Illinois University's response to Thursday's shooting rampage may have been helped by what state officials learned from last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University. A Campus Safety Task Force was created to see what could be learned from the Virginia Tech incident and how those lessons could be implemented here. Representatives from state colleges and universities, including NIU, attended task force meetings. One of the most important lessons discussed was getting information to students as quickly as possible. "The response at Northern Illinois, from our standpoint, was extraordinary," said Mike Chamness, chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. Students were notified within 20 minutes that a shooting occurred, to take cover and stay away from some parts of the campus, Chamness said. At Virginia Tech, it took more than two hours to issue an alert. Students at NIU also were relaying text messages to each other. One idea discussed by the task force was that colleges should use multiple means to convey an emergency message to students, including encouraging the use of text messaging. Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, said Western Illinois University in his district just went through a drill to notify students in case of emergency. "They sent text messages to cell phones, voice mail, e-mail," Myers said. "As I understand it, it was a very successful test." What to do after an emergency is only part of the task force's responsibility. It is also examining prevention. A full report is scheduled to be delivered April 1. "A mental health survey is still being completed," Chamness said. "That purpose is to look at ways to identify potential issues and how to deal with those, how to get help to those people." That will probably require the assistance of students themselves. "Be alert. If you see something that looks suspicious, don't be shy or embarrassed about picking up the …
creator: Doug Finke
date: 2008-02-26
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
language: eng

Area colleges updated alert systems after Virginia Tech
description: By CHRIS DETTRO STAFF WRITER Published Friday, February 15, 2008 Springfield-area colleges have systems in place to alert students to campus emergencies, and most procedures have been updated or were instituted originally in the wake of campus shootings at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., last spring. Thursday's shootings at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb brought the importance of those procedures to the forefront again. "It's just awful," said Mike Underwood, spokesman for MacMurray College in Jacksonville. "Something like that really hits home." The University of Illinois at Springfield, Illinois College in Jacksonville and Blackburn College in Carlinville all have some type of emergency notification system where students can receive e-mails, cell phone messages or other electronic notification should there be an emergency on campus. Michelle Green, spokeswoman for UIS, said the school had a call from one parent within an hour of the NIU shooting expressing concern. UIS sent out a campuswide message to faculty, staff and students late Thursday afternoon urging them to sign up for the UIS Emergency Notification System it implemented last month. The university's chancellor or provost, chief of police or someone assigned the task sets the notification system in motion, Green said. Lincoln Land Community College recently updated its emergency procedures in response to the Virginia Tech incident, said spokeswoman Lynn Whalen. In addition to having armed campus police on duty 24 hours a day, LLCC has installed emergency phones in each classroom and has enabled all classroom doors to be locked from the inside. "We also have a good counseling and referral system should anyone need that kind of help," Whalen said. Jim Murphy, Illinois College spokesman, said more than 400 of IC's 1,000 students signed up to receive e-mail or text-message alerts last fall. "It was a response to Virginia Tech and established a way to get information to students, faculty a…
creator: CHRIS DETTRO and Sarah Antonacci
date: 2008-02-26
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
language: eng

Latest news: Investigators, loved ones try to reconcile the 2 sides of NIU gunman
description: Photo: ALAN LEON | RRSTAR.COM Ken Shold, an NIU almunus and father of a current student, sheds tears while praying in front of Cole Hall on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. Story: Feb 16, 2008 @ 09:40 PM RRSTAR.COM, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE AND ESPN.COM DEKALB - A look at those who died in the shootings Visit the NIU February 14 Student Scholarship Fund For more coverage, read our special report Steven Kazmierczak had the look of a boyish graduate student — except for the disturbing tattoos that covered his arms. 9:40 p.m. NIU plans scholarship fund in honor of victims Authorities at NIU said they were creating a scholarship fund in honor of the slain students and also are discussing how to build a permanent on-campus memorial. 8:18 p.m. Virginia Tech plans virgil for NIU shooting victims Virginia Tech plans to have a candlelight vigil on Monday to show support for those affected by the shootings at Northern Illinois University. Hokies United, the student group that formed after the April shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, organized the vigil and has asked the university community to wear NIU's school colors of red and black as a sign of support and solidarity on Monday. Hokies United will also temporarily lay a red and black Hokie Stone near the campus memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the April 16 shootings. Students plan to deliver the stone to Northern Illinois, in DeKalb, Ill., in a week or so. On Thursday, a 27-year-old former NIU student opened fire on a geology class, killing five people before committing suicide. The shooting brought back horrific memories for the Virginia Tech community, still reeling from its own tragedy. Many people on campus donned red and black on Friday in a show of support. The latest shooting also left some families of the Virginia Tech victims feeling anguished. "It just brings it all back. I can't imagine what they're going through, bu…
creator: RRSTAR (story)/ALAN LEON (photo)
date: 2008-02-26
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
language: eng

NIU has several examples to follow for Cole’s future
description: Photo: Photo by ALAN LEON | RRSTAR.COM Six huskies and flowers are set up as a memorial in front of Cole Hall on Feb. 22, 2008, on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Story: Geri Nikolai, Isaac Guerrero and Sadie Gurman GateHouse News Service Mon Feb 25, 2008, 02:36 PM EST As officials at Northern Illinois University prepare for the return of 25,000 students this week, they have announced only one decision about the scene of the shootings. The building where a gunman killed five students and then himself on Feb. 14, Cole Hall, will remain closed this semester. Space has been found in other campus buildings to move all classes from the two large lecture halls in Cole. What happens afterward is the subject of speculation. Some students say they could never go back into the building and could not concentrate on academics if they did. Some suggest Cole be turned into a memorial. Others say that despite the tragedy, NIU cannot afford to raze a classroom building in an era of declining state support. Officials say they haven't discussed the future of Cole. Cherilyn Murer, who chairs the NIU board of trustees, said she doesn't know what will be done after this semester. Murer said the options include resuming classes, transforming it for some other use or closing it permanently. But it's too early to say, Murer said. "It's only been a week," she said. "Right now, the emotions are so raw that it would be premature to make a decision about what we'll do with that building." Another trustee, Barbara Giorgi Vella of Rockford, expects there won't be serious discussion of what to do with Cole until summer. At that point, she said, financial constraints have to be taken into consideration, along with the feelings of students and staff. Busy building Cole Hall, where nearly every undergraduate has at least one class, is one of the largest classroom buildings on campus, with two auditoriums seating what students estimate to be 250 people each. The idea of closing …
creator: Geri Nikolai, Isaac Guerrero and Sadie Gurman
date: 2008-02-26
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported
language: eng

https://www.april16archive.org/index.php/items/show/1772
description: Panoramic from A Concert for Virginia Tech.
creator: Steven Thai
date: 2008-02-23
contributor: Steven Thai
language: eng

Welcome to the April 16th Memorial
description: A sign on the drillfield provides visitors with additional information about the April 16th Memorial, including background details and guidelines for leaving memorial items. Photo taken February 14, 2008. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-02-28
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
language: eng

Hokie Stone and Flowers
description: Hokie stone and flowers for April 16 victim Ross A. Alameddine at the memorial on the drillfield. Photo taken February 14, 2008. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-02-28
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
language: eng

Granata, In Memorium
description: Image of hokie stone and memorial tribute for Virginia Tech ESM professor Kevin P. Granata. Photo taken February 14, 2008 at the memorial on the drillfield. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-02-28
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
language: eng

https://www.april16archive.org/index.php/items/show/1407
description: While holding one of the victim's Hokie Stones, Jerzy Nowak - Virginia Tech Professor and husband to victim Jocelyne Couture-Nowak - embraces another attendee at the April 16th Memorial dedication ceremony. Photo courtesy of Kim Peterson and Virginia Tech University Relations.
creator: Kim Peterson
date: 2007-09-24
contributor: Haeyong Chung
language: eng

Portrait of Dr. Librescu
description: I was a liason to an injured student in Dr. Librescu's class. She was injured from the jump out of the window, not a bullet. The student and her family believe that Dr. Librescu's actions saved her life. Her aunt was the artist. Her aunt also created a portrait of a deceased victim who lived near her. Dr. Librescu's portrait was given to me following the graduation ceremony that this student was able to walk in. I passed it on to the family liason for the Librescu family and it was well recieved by his survivors.
creator: Robyn Hudson
date: 2008-02-28
contributor: Robyn Hudson
language: eng

Hokies United - Hokies for Huskies
description: Promotional flyer for "Hokies for Huskies" candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech, organized by Hokies United. Original Source: http://www.hokiesunited.org.vt.edu/Vigil.jpg
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-03-01
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Hokie Helmet
description: In honor of the Virginia Tech Tragedy, NASCAR Whelen All-American Series driver Corey Agee of Martinsville, VA, shows his newly designed helmet for the 2008 racing season.
creator: Corey Agee
date: 2008-03-01
contributor: Corey Agee
language: eng

Security alerts prompt Faculty Senate meeting
description: Kendra Jones Issue date: 12/5/07 Section: News The University of Hawai'i at MÄnoa Faculty Senate Committee is scheduled to discuss campus security issues today at 3 p.m. in the Architecture Auditorium. The meeting is open to UH students. At a Faculty Senate Committee meeting on Nov. 21, the faculty senate unanimously affirmed that the campus community needs to be alerted to threats in a timelier manner while using better methods. During that meeting, a question arose from the faculty members about the obligation to notify the campus immediately and allow room for people to decide how to react for themselves. There was also concern that an Oct. 25 e-mail alert was too brief, vague and an insufficient way to notify the campus community. A mass e-mail notification was sent Oct. 25 by Campus Security to UH students and staff regarding a man who was overheard talking to himself about planning to shoot 30 UH students. It was not included in the e-mail that the suspect was known to the Honolulu Police Department and had a history of mental illness. Laura Saiki-Chaves, vice president of Associated Students of the University of Hawai'i said, "When it comes to alerting students of the possible dangers on campus, we believe that no measure is too small. Though e-mail alerts were sent to students, it was definitely not enough. There were many students who ... had absolutely no idea about the security alert." "E-mail is useful for those who may be sitting in front of their computer at the time of the incident, but by large is woefully inadequate," said Jerome Comcowich, a committee member from the School of Ocean and Earth Sciences and Technology. Comcowich said he thought a more effective way to notify the campus would be to have security vehicles use their public address system to broadcast a warning throughout the entire campus. Gregg Takayama, UH director of communications, said the response would have been more intensive had HPD considered it a serious threat. Enabling the …
creator: Kendra Jones
date: 2008-03-12
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>
language: eng

Counseling offered in after-effect
description: Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News Matthew K. Ing Ka Leo Editor in Chief Two days ago, the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, to many students, felt like a relatively safe academic environment. But after Monday's massacre at Virginia Polytechnic University, mixed feelings have filled the campus. Delcey Pa, a UHM freshman planning to major in business, first learned about the shooting from friends late Monday morning. "Since I heard about the shooting, in the back of my mind, as I walk around, I know something like that could happen, but I really don't think it would," Pa said. "I'm just glad I wasn't there." Out of 20 students interviewed by Ka Leo, all 20 felt that there was a possibility - though highly unlikely - that an incident similar to the Virginia Tech shooting could occur at UHM. "In Hawai'i, we have more family and more aloha, I guess," Pa said. "In the mainland, it's a whole different perspective and whole separate world. But it could happen." Sophomore Mark Villegas agreed that the chances of a shooting were highly unlikely, but he said that the incident prompted him to reanalyze his campus safety. "It (the shooting) made me curious, what would have happened at UH," Villegas said. "If there were two shootings in the dorms, would security be able to prevent it from happening somewhere else on campus?" On Monday afternoon, UHM interim Chancellor Denise Konan offered her condolences and support to students through various campus resources in a mass e-mail. Among the resources mentioned was the Counseling and Student Development Center, "a University service that provides a variety of counseling and testing services for students and uses a holistic approach to promote wellness and personal success," according to the e-mail. The Counseling Center, located in the Queen Lili'uokalani Student Service Center, Room 302, offers free and confidential services to students. Jeff Brooks-Harris, PhD, a psychologist and counselor with the Counseling Center for 12 years, sai…
creator: Matthew K. Ing
date: 2008-03-12
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>
language: eng

Social networking sites help students cope - 1000-plus online groups created after VA Tech massacre
description: Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News By Alyssa S. Navares Ka Leo Managing Editor More than 1,000 Facebook groups and MySpace pages started in response to Monday's deadly shooting, some supporting victims and others blaming 23-year-old gunman Cho Seung-Hui. Blogs and social network sites have changed ways of communicating and coping with tragedy, as younger generations use the Internet to discuss and to express feelings about the massacre. On many pages, people have removed their profile photos and replaced them with a black ribbon and Virginia Polytechnic University logo. Thousands of miles from Blacksburg, VA, University of Hawai'i at M?noa students recognized the online mourning by adding the UH logo and the phrase, "All One Ohana. Today, we are all Hokies" to the profile photo. UHM alum Gary McRawr and sociology major Milena Kulig created separate Facebook groups, both of which have more than 200 members. "I'm hoping to get UH alums and current students [and] faculty involved," McRawr said, "and possibly even the community colleges across the state to be aware of the situation." McRawr started the group "UH is praying for Virginia Tech" the day 32 people and the gunman were killed, becoming the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. Thirty people joined Kulig's group, "UH Manoa Supports Virginia Tech," within the first five minutes of creating it Monday evening, and by Tuesday it had grown to more than 200 members. Kulig started the group after joining one from another school and realizing that UHM did not have one. "The turnout is way better than I thought it would be," she said. "Honestly, I was just thinking that a few people who were as shocked and saddened by the situation like I was would join." Other people have used these social networks to vent about the shooting and its killer. More than 200 online groups on both Facebook and MySpace started in response to the Virginia Tech senior and immigrant from South Korea. Virginia Tech students described him as a loner…
creator: Alyssa S. Navares
date: 2008-03-12
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>
language: eng