'We Are One': C.U. Community Reflects on Va. Tech Tragedy
By Lisa Grossman Sun Staff Writer Apr 20 2007 Students, faculty, staff and members of the Ithaca community gathered in Sage Chapel yesterday afternoon to remember and reflect on the recent tragedy at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. Despite the fact that the service was held at 12:30 p.m., when many students and faculty are in class, the chapel was packed to capacity, with people pressed against the walls and in doorways. The assembly fell silent as Prof. Annette Richards, music, opened the service with a melancholy and discordant organ solo. The mood remained hushed and somber as W. Kent Fuchs, the Joseph Silbert Dean of Engineering and father of Eric Fuchs, a junior at Virginia Tech, began the speaking portion of the service. Fuchs focused on the connections that Cornell shares with Virginia Tech as a major university, saying that Cornell and Virginia Tech are "part of the same family of students and faculty and staff." Words of hope.Words of hope."The tragedy is particularly difficult to comprehend because ... of the contrast to the love and care demonstrated by the students and faculty at that university. The tragedy is also an enormous contrast to the common mission that we have and that we share in: the joy of learning and study," he said. Fuchs spoke with emotion and even a little humor, saying that "from Eric, I've come to appreciate what it means to have a turkey for your mascot, and to call yourself a 'Hokie,' which my son does with enormous pride." President David J. Skorton echoed Fuchs' emphasis on family and unity, repeating, in tones that might be used to recite a poem, "We are one." "We are one — one community, one people, one planet. We are here today to affirm that oneness," he said. "We share the same sorrow and the same need for comfort and reassurance ... We will stay together, we will go forward together, we will never forget our loss. We are one." Provost Biddy Martin was in Virginia, her native state, visiting her mother on Monday morning. She said she was struck by the "dignity of the students who were approached for interviews by the press - their humility, their respect, their unwillingness to offer superficial commentary, their resistance to easy analysis or the assigning of blame. In response to the questions they were asked, they made a plea ... that we not reduce their experience or their university to this horror, this unspeakable tragedy." "In response to their plea, it is not hard, I think, for Cornellians to answer, to identify with Virginia Tech," she said. The service was punctuated by musical performances, including the Cornell University Chorus and Glee Club and a vocal solo by Rev. Heewon Chun, chaplain of the Korean Church at Cornell. Chun said he found the service "very comforting. It will give Cornellians energy to cope with what has happened, and will also give hope for the future ... one for backwards, one for forwards." He also said that the Korean community deeply aches for this tragedy, and noted that some members of the Korean community are concerned about the possibility of race-related backlash. Thomas Riehl '09 said he felt "wary of how much race seems to be playing into it. Why was it even pertinent to have [a Korean religious leader] sing? Why is this even part of the issue? It just seems so wrong and out of it to bring up the kid's race." Sarah Dunlap '06 was also concerned with the potential effect the incident and the media's treatment of it could have on the community of international students. She noted that "on CNN, the commentators kept referring to the shooter as an 'alien' because he was a foreign student. I was disgusted—that's demoralizing. It's offensive to the entire body of foreign students, and on the individual level, that kind of exclusion and alienation is the kind of thing that leads to the desperate misery and rage that makes some people lash out in horrible ways." Dunlap found comfort in the service itself, however, saying that she "liked the focus on community. The response of the Cornell community is different from the response of the national community. It's not sensationalist; it's more nuanced. I think that's because even if we don't have a personal connection to Virginia Tech, we still identify strongly with them because we belong to the same university culture." Some people have questioned why the service was held in the middle of the afternoon, when a large portion of students was in class. Ken Clarke, director of Cornell United Religious Work, said that the time was chosen in order to "catch the greatest cross-section of the Cornell community." He acknowledged that there was no optimal time to hold the service, and while some students had to miss it due to class obligations, much of the staff and faculty would have missed an evening service because of obligations at home. Clarke also noted that holding the service at 12:30 meant that it would be flanked by the chimes. The bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims, and the daily afternoon chimes concert began just as people began filing out of Sage Chapel. You can view a recording of the service at www.cornell.edu. Comments: Outraged With all due respect, you write that the "bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims..." This is a complete moral outrage -- since when is a cold blooded killer a victim? This is akin to reading the 9/11 hijackers' names along with the true 9/11 victims. By Alex Hyman (not verified) at April 20, 2007 - 2:10am ---- Appalled Not only did the bells ring 33 times, but President Skorton was sure to include the killer with the victims. Such a disgrace. What the crap was he thinking? By Tammi (not verified) at April 20, 2007 - 11:20am ---- A little compassion The gunman may not have been a victim of a violent murder, but he was certainly a victim. He was a victim of mental illness, of being trapped in his own psyche where every interaction with the world felt like an attack. He's still another person who could have had a future and didn't. He had a family, too--how must they be feeling now? Including him and remembering him respectfully now is not only appropriate, it's too little too late. Maybe if he had felt less isolated before, we wouldn't need to be discussing it. His situation was tragic, too. By Hannah (not verified) at April 21, 2007 - 4:50pm ---- This moral equivalence is totally disgraceful "The bells of McGraw tower rang 33 times before the service, once for each of the victims" Cho was not a victim; he was a perpetrator who chose to kill 32 students. Forgiveness is good but why are we paying him respect and honor? We don't honor, hold services or ring bells for just anyone who commits suicide. The only reason Cho is included is because he massacred 32 defenseless students in cold blood. I agree with Alex Hymen above that this is totally inappropriate and outrageous. By Coyote (not verified) at April 22, 2007 - 10:04am ---- Hannah, we must reexamine a society that makes everyone out to be a victim. Find me a person who was not made fun of in high school. The fact is everyone was made fun of and 99% don't go out and kill people. While we can feel bad for Cho's family, as we currently know of nothing that they did wrong, he is certainly not a victim and certainly should not be memorialized. And as for your comment about him being a victim of mental illness -- I would agree with you, but that's where him being a victim ends. Since when do we ring bells for victims of mental illness? The fact is he -- like all freely thinking people -- made a choice, but made the wrong choice. By Alex Hyman (not verified) at April 22, 2007 - 6:12pm ---- Disgusting Skorton is an educated, articulate, man. He must have realized what his words meant. For him to say that Cornell is "one" with a murderer is beyond the pale. By G. Man (not verified) at April 23, 2007 - 8:55am ---- People obviously handle grief in different ways I don't think memorializing the shooter was the "right" thing to do, and I personally would not do it myself, but I think some people feel the need to memorialize Cho to help them deal with their grief. Although Cho was the perpetrator in this horrible tragedy, he was also a victim of a horrible mental health system in this country. If he had gotten the help he so desperately needed, then possibly this whole thing could have been avoided. Also think how his family must feel. They are obviously victims also, because they have to live with this horrible tragedy for the rest of their lives, as well as the families of the victims of Cho's madness. By Anne (not verified) at April 28, 2007 - 12:02pm -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 20, 2007
Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
'We are so sorry, we feel helpless and lost'
Killer's family Suzanne Goldenberg in Washington and Ed Pilkington in New York Saturday April 21, 2007 The Guardian The family of Cho Seung-hui, who shot 32 people dead before turning his gun on himself, made their first public comments yesterday about his actions, saying they had "made the world weep". In a statement put out by his sister, Sun-kyung Cho, through a lawyer in North Carolina, the family said they were living a nightmare, and apologised to his victims. "Our family is so very sorry for my brother's unspeakable actions. It is a terrible tragedy for all of us. We pray for their families and loved ones, who are experiencing so much excruciating grief. And we pray for those who were injured, and for those whose lives are changed forever." The statement, released to the Associated Press, came on the day Americans held a collective day of mourning for the victims, with church services and vigils from Capitol Hill to California. Yesterday's solemnities were centred on a moment of silence for the dead across Virginia at noon after the governor, Tim Kaine, declared a day of mourning. Forty other states also held vigils for the dead. "This has touched the globe," Mr Kaine told a memorial service. "The universality that we all suffer, we all grieve, has touched hearts around the world." The sombreness of the day was deepened by the knowledge that it was the anniversary of another school shooting - of 13 students and one teacher at Colorado's Columbine high school in 1999. The Cho family said that it had been "humbled by this darkness". The gunman's sister said: "We feel hopeless, helpless, and lost. This is someone that I grew up with and loved. Now I feel I didn't know this person." She said that, though her brother had been quiet and reserved, "we never could have envisioned he was capable of so much violence". The family, staying in an undisclosed location, said it would cooperate fully with the police investigation. During the day of mourning, church bells tolled on the grassy expanse called the Drill Field at the heart of Virginia Tech campus, just outside Norris Hall, where Cho killed all but two of his victims. Almost all the mourners wore the school colours of orange and maroon, as they drew close to the makeshift memorial on the grass, a semi-circle of stones surrounding large placards with handwritten tributes to the dead, large wreaths, and humble bouquets of flowers. Elsewhere in Virginia, bells chimed for each of Cho's victims at an interfaith memorial at Virginia Commonwealth University. "The thing that matters most today is to remember the friends and families of those who lost loved ones," Virginia's lieutenant governor, Bill Bolling, said. The first of Cho's victims was also buried yesterday in the Israeli town of Raanana, not far from Tel Aviv. Liviu Librescu, 76, was an expert on aerospace engineering who had taught at the university for more than 20 years. As a child in Romania, the professor had survived the Holocaust. On Monday, he was shot while shielding students from the gunman. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2062501,00.html
Staff:Suzanne Goldenberg,Washington and Ed Pilkington
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'You don't think this would happen'
33 dead, at least 15 injured in worst rampage in U.S. history By: Kellie Bramlet and Megan Hupp Posted: 4/17/07 Loren Goble left Randolf Hall at Virginia Tech Monday morning and set out to her next class. But the senior at the Blacksburg, Va. school encountered chaos when she got to Norris Hall. "I saw someone jump out a window. I heard people screaming. I saw students running," she said. Goble turned and ran back to Randolf Hall, where she remained in lockdown for the next six hours. "I was supposed to be in the classroom that the shooting took place in. I usually even get there a little early," Goble said. "My professor was shot in the face. Four students were shot. One was shot three times." Though there is widespread speculation that one gunman had massacred 32 people, cutting down his victims in two attacks two hours apart before the university could grasp what was happening and warn students, the possibility of a second gunman has not yet been eliminated. The bloodbath ended with the gunman allegedly committing suicide, bringing the death toll to 33. Monday's events constituted the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history. Much earlier, Brad Shapiro, a junior, headed to breakfast. On his way he passed eight or nine police cars outside of West Ambler Johnston Hall, but he had no idea what had happened. Neither did freshman Charlotte Savercool when she left Ambler Johnston and walked to her 9 a.m. class. "I thought it was a normal day," she said. The day was anything but. On her way out of class, Savercool was met by the usual herd of students. Rather than worrying about the homework they hadn't done, these students were distressed about something else. They had heard rumors about the morning's events, but knew little information. Trying to avoid the chaos, Savercool returned to her classroom. Professors told the students to sit on the floor and stay away from the windows. They would remain there, in lockdown, for the next three hours. "We were pretty scared," she said. "We couldn't get in contact with anyone." Shapiro found himself in a similar situation. He entered his classroom, where his professor told the students to run to an adjcent building, away from the site of the second shooting. They stayed in that classroom for the next few hours. "My initial reaction was confusion because I didn't know what was going on," he said. "Now I just feel completely sick. This is Blacksburg, not Compton. Things like this aren't supposed to happen here." In another locked-down classroom, Goble comforted people who had seen the shootings. SWAT teams carried in a professor, bleeding from a gunshot wound to his arm. They set him down and hurried away to bring in more hysterical students who had witnessed the rampage. Goble said she spoke to one student who had built a barricade in a classroom using his own body and the teacher's desk to keep out the gunman. Walking down the hall when he heard gunshots, the student found refuge in a classroom. The gunman slammed himself against the door trying to get in. With no success he fired several shots through the door. Goble said the student had pieces of the door stuck to his shirt. The other side of campus was quieter. Kelly Davis, a freshman, returned from her 8 a.m. chemistry lab a little tired. She checked her instant messaging program and saw an away message from a friend who lives in Ambler Johnston. The message said something about a shooting, but Davis disregarded it and went back to bed. Other students found out what had happened in the following moments. Freshman Sarah Burka said she was getting ready for her 10 a.m. class when she received two e-mails from school officials. One, sent at 9:29 a.m., informed the students there had been a shooting. Another, sent about 20 minutes later, told students of a gunman loose on campus and warned students to stay where they were. Burka said the e-mail immediately reminded her of last semester when a prisoner escaped from a nearby jail. She thought Monday's situation would be similar. "I didn't expect it to be this bad, and I'm just in shock basically," she said. Burka said she considered going home to Fairfax, Va., located about four hours away from the university, but decided to stay. She and her friends remained in the dorms for the rest of the day in uncertainty. It was difficult to detect which tear-stained faces had lost a friend or classmate, Burka said. "People are generally more sad," she said. "It's hard to interact." Chris Barrett, a junior, discovered the buses weren't running while on his way to class. He had heard of the shooting, but didn't know its extent. "I thought it was pretty contained. It wasn't till later that I found out how big it was," he said. Another university e-mail sent around 10:30 a.m. canceled class for the rest of Monday and today. "It's weird they didn't cancel class immediately," Barrett said. "That's why there were still people in the (academic) buildings two hours later." Apart from the delay, Barrett said he thought the university handled the tragedy well. Junior Griffin O'Hanlan, who transferred to Virginia Tech after two years at Marquette, also headed back to his apartment after learning the buses weren't running. "We turned on the television and soon realized that the gunman had gone to the other side of campus," O'Hanlan said. O'Hanlan and his friends stayed glued to the television for the next seven hours, fielding calls from loved ones and checking to make sure everyone they knew was safe. At 10:30 a.m., Laura Gill awoke to a phone call from her dad. She had no idea about what had happened. Gill decided she wasn't going to spend the day in uncertainty, so she and her sorority sisters started a phone tree. The students called sorority members to make sure everyone was ok. But first, Gill sent a text message to her roommate Loren Goble - the student locked in a classroom, comforting witnesses. Gill later received a phone call from Christophe Remington, a friend from home and sophomore in Marquette's College of Communication. Remington said he found out about the shooting around 11 a.m. through an IM from a friend. Remington is originally from Arlington, Va. He said about half his graduating high school class went to Virginia Tech. "I know most of my friends are all right, but there were a few that I couldn't get a hold of," he said. As the day went on, the administration released students from the locked-down classrooms. Brad Shapiro left around 12:30 p.m. and was told that one student was dead and 17 were injured. When he returned to his room and turned on the news, Shapiro learned that at least 20 students had died. "There isn't generally widespread hysteria," he said. "People are concerned, sad, very upset." Charlotte Savercool was given permission to leave the lock-downed classroom at 1 p.m. She was told to go back to her dorm - the building where the first shooting occurred - but couldn't bring herself to stay. She said she planned to spend the night in a friend's room. "My room was quiet ... eerie," she said. "I didn't want to go back." Goble, however, was still in lockdown. The FBI and police arrived and questioned witnesses. Goble tried to help keep everyone calm. Finally, at 3 p.m. they were released. But her struggles weren't over. Goble said just getting to her car in the parking lot was a challenge. Lined with more than 40 ambulances, the street was blocked off. She took the interstate to her boyfriend's office. "I felt safe there. It's off campus," she said. Goble said she planned on spending the night at her boyfriend's parent's house, in the countryside outside of Blacksburg. She wanted to be away from the constant sound of sirens she heard at Virginia Tech. "It seems crazy because this is such a quiet town. It's usually so peaceful and happy," she said. "You don't think this would happen here." O'Hanlan, the Marquette transfer, said the 25,000-student school isn't able to have the same level of security as Marquette, such as dorm identification checks and the presence of Public Safety. "Although I complained about it a lot at Marquette, now I can see the importance of that process," O'Hanlan said. "Something like this would be a lot easier to handle at Marquette than at Virginia Tech, because of the difference in size." Back on campus, Virginia Tech students said they huddled in front of the TV, waiting for updates. The university told students the victims' names would be released today. Until then, they were left waiting. After the names are released, the university will hold a 2 p.m. memorial at Cassell Coliseum. Savercool said she doesn't think she knows any of the students killed. "Hopefully that won't change tomorrow," she said. Bridget Thoreson and The Associated Press contributed to this report. -- Original Source: Marquette Tribune - April 17, 2007
"Sheaffer, Amanda" <amanda.sheaffer@marquette.edu>
This is a panoramic picture taken the day of the Community Vigil/Picnic on the Drill Field just after the vendors had setup and food was served. Chief Wendell Flinchum is in the foreground with his back turned and was met enthusiastically by the students and visitors.
About the bird: Cranes are large, long-legged and long-necked birds of the order Gruiformes, and family Gruidae. Unlike the similar-looking but unrelated herons, cranes fly with necks outstretched, not pulled back. Most have elaborate and noisy courting displays or "dances". (from Wikipedia) Cranes are known for their long life spans. Though the average life span cited in various sources to not necessarily agree (probably depends on the sub-species also), numbers tend to be in the 60 to 80 year range. This was much longer than the average life span of humans in ancient times. As a result, the crane, together with the turtle/tortoise, became symbols of longevity, and, consequently, of good fortune in China and the surrounding countries. East Asian Folklore states that cranes live for 1,000 years, and turtles/tortoises for 10,000 years (a bit of an exaggeration). About Origami: The word "Origami" is Japanese for "Folding Paper". It refers to the art, as well as the paper made specifically for the activity. The origin of Origami is not known, but it was most probably invented in China, as most things were, soon after the invention of paper. It propagated both east and west together with the technology of paper making: east toward Japan where it became known as Origami; west through the Islamic Empire all the way to Spain, where it is known today as "Papiroflexia" (Paper Folding) or "folding pajaritas." (The "pajarita" is a fold popular in Spain which represents a sparrow.) About the Tradition of Folding 1000 Cranes: In Japan, tradition states that if you fold 1000 origami cranes, it will bring you good health and good luck. When someone is suffering from a severe sickness or injury, spouses, parents, children and other family members and/or friends, and sometimes the patient him/herself, would fold 1000 cranes to wish for the person's recovery. It is unclear hold old this tradition is, but the term "Semba-Zuru" (1000 Cranes) dates back at least 200 years. About the 1000 Cranes @ VT Project: After the horrific events on April 16, 2007, a group of people in Blacksburg, and the surrounding communities (Christiansburg, Radford, Salem, Roanoke, Pembroke, etc.) got together and decided to fold as many cranes as possible to encourage the students and faculty who were wounded in the attack, and to wish for their speedy and complete recovery. The group included both undergraduate and graduate students, current and emeritus faculty members, and people from the local communities including children as young as preschoolers. Many nationalities were represented including, but not limited to, American, Belgian, Chinese, German, Indian, Iranian, Japanese, Korean, Latvian, Luxembourger, Lebanese, Palestinian, Serbian, Swedish, Taiwanese, Thai, and Vietnamese. The four major faiths were also represented: Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Jewish. The total number of people involved is unclear since friends called on friends to help out, who called on their friends to help out, and so on and so forth. The art supply shop Mish Mish also pitched in by providing a discount to the paper purchased. In the five days from April 18th to 22nd, the group completed over 5000 cranes, each crane representing a sincere prayer of the folder for the wounded. The cranes were then strung together into strands of 50 birds each: 20 strands adding up to 1000 cranes. A 50-bird strand was sent to each of the wounded students, and the remainder (over 4000) is displayed here. More cranes are currently being folded, and they will be added to the display as they become available. If you would also like to express your support and prayer for the wounded, please contribute a crane/cranes. Instructions on how to fold one can easily be found on the internet by searching for "origami crane". They are also usually included in packages of origami sold in stores. The collection point of the complete cranes is in the Squires Student Center 225 Office Suite where they will be picked up by members of our group. A 50-bird strand ready to be hung would be most appreciated. Regards, The 1000 Cranes @ VT Project
(April 18, 2007) Two men kneel in silence in front of the largest memorial site on campus, located on the drillfield directly in front of Burruss Hall and not far from Norris Hall. Photo courtesy of Brent Jesiek. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
Flowers, pictures, letters remembering each of the 32 victims of the Virginia Tech Massacre. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameraslayer/470549711/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Permission: Harold Neal http://www.flickr.com/photos/cameraslayer/470549711/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
Prior to the 2007 Virginia Tech football season opener, 32 balloons are released as part of a ceremony commemorating the victims of the April 16 tragedy. -- Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipherswarm/1484158996/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
32 orange and maroon crosses on display at N. Main St. entrance to Blacksburg Christian Fellowship. Photo taken Monday, April 30.
200 miles away, Duke students hold vigil, admins offer support By: Anna Lieth Posted: 4/17/07 After violent shootings shook students and administrators on Virginia Tech's campus Monday, members of the Duke community gathered last night to mourn and come to terms with the tragic events of the day. Just 200 miles southeast of Virginia Tech's home in Blacksburg, Va., Duke students said the news sent a shock wave through the campus. For some, the shock was followed by fear for friends and loved ones in Virginia, but for others fear was displaced by disbelief and worry that a similar event could take place at the campus they call home. And for one group of students, the natural response to the news was to pray. About 30 students gathered on the steps of the Duke Chapel for an emotional vigil and prayer session for the victims of the shooting, their respective families and the gunman Monday night. "[The vigil is] not just to console people, but also to know that there is a community that is here to support people and that as a community we need to act together," said sophomore Ashley Dunfee, who attended the event. "We have a root that we act from and that ultimately should be the source of what we do and where we're going." President Richard Brodhead, in a statement released to The Chronicle, recognized the magnitude of the events at Virginia Tech and emphasized efforts the University is making to reach out to members of both the Virginia Tech and Duke communities who were affected by the tragedy. "This is the deadliest campus shooting in United States history and a profoundly sad day for everyone directly affected-and the nation as a whole," Brodhead said. "On behalf of the entire Duke community, I express my condolences to those who are grieving at Virginia Tech. They are enduring a time of unspeakable loss this evening." John Burness, senior vice president for government affairs and public relations, said Brodhead also reached out following news of the event to Charles Steger, Virginia Tech's president, to offer his sympathies. Brodhead said the University is working to provide support for students on Duke's campus who have been personally affected. "Student Affairs is in the process of trying to identify every Duke student with Virginia Tech connections and to make personal contact and to offer counseling," he said. "Our Religious Life staff is also available for counseling and the Duke Chapel will be open as always for those who wish to seek a quiet place to reflect." The Duke Chapel and the Duke Religious Life staff have organized an interfaith prayer vigil to be held on the Chapel steps at 2 p.m. today. "This vigil is a small gesture at being in solidarity with those in Blacksburg," Craig Kocher, assistant dean of the Chapel and director of religious life, wrote in an e-mail to the student body last night. Kocher said the vigil will include a time of silence followed by prayer and a bell toll for each person who died yesterday and will conclude with an open session for students to speak about the experience. Virginia Tech will be hosting a similar event on its campus simultaneously, Kocher said. -- Original Source: Duke Chronicle - April 17, 2007
32 Senseless Deaths: A Chance for Empathy, Change of Heart, and Change of Course
Published on Wednesday, April 18, 2007 by CommonDreams.org by Floyd Rudmin The tragedy at Virginia Tech tears at the heart of everyone. Thirty-two innocent students and teachers, in the normal activities of their lives, are suddenly shot dead. Each one of them has a mother, a father, friends, classmates, siblings, and others who held them dear. And all of these have had their hearts torn, or torn out. There is now emptiness and grief where once there was a person. Americans in their sharing of this sadness should consider how others in the world have similar feelings when facing similar loss and tragedy. These 32 senseless deaths are a chance for empathy with other communities who have also lost 32 loved persons to sudden death. A search of Google using the search expression: "Iraq AND ("32 killed" OR "32 died" OR "killing 32")" finds the following news headlines and news text (in brackets): 3 March 2004: Bremer: U.S. to bolster Iraq border security ("killing 32 people") 24 April 2004: At least 32 killed, nearly 60 injured in another day of violence in Iraq 1 June 2004: 3rd of detainees who died were assaulted ("32 died in Iraq over 12 months") 16 July 2004: 32 killed as attacks rock Iraq 17 September 2004: 32 killed as US Forces continued their relentless strikes in Baghdad 15 October 2004: At least 32 killed in Iraq violence 28 December 2004: 32 killed in attacks in Tikrit 23 June 2005: 32 killed in coordinated attacks 14 November 2005: On American attacks in Iraq ("American navy announced killing 32 gunmen") 9 December 2005: Suicide bomber on Iraqi bus kills 32 6 January 2006: Scores killed on Iraq's bloodiest day ("32 killed by a suicide bomber at a Shiite funeral") 2 March 2006: Iraqi parties want Jaafari out of Prime Minister race ("more violence struck Iraq, killing 32 people") 24 March 2006: 32 killed in attacks across Iraq 14 May 2006: 32 killed in violence 27 June 2006: Seven Sunni groups seek truce in Iraq ("32 killed in violence") 28 July 2006: IRAQ: 32 killed in Baghdad blasts 8 December 2006: At least 32 killed in attack on two families in Iraq 10 January 2007: Weather blamed for plane crash near Baghdad ("killing 32") 30 January 2007: At least 32 killed in Iraq holy day violence 15 March 2007: Suicide bomber apparently targeting senior city official devastates busy square in Baghdad ("killing 32 people") 10 April 2007: Bombings kill 32 in Iraq; U.S. raids hit civilians 15 April 2007: Dozens killed in Iraqi holy city ("killing at least 32 people") In each of these tragic events, each one of the 32 people also had a mother, a father, friends, classmates, siblings, and others who held them dear. And all of these also have had their hearts torn, or torn out, to be filled with emptiness and grief. The tragedy at Virginia Tech was caused by lone gunman, probably deranged. It was a one-time event. It is finished. The tragedy in Iraq was caused by the US government, with the over-whelming support of the US Congress, most of the US media, and much of the US population. This war was planned and executed by rational men and women, none of them deranged. The US decided to start the war against Iraq. The US decided to destroy the infrastructure of Iraq. The US decided to destroy the Iraqi government and to disband its police and army. The US decided to send too few soldiers to secure the nation after doing these destructive deeds. And the tragedy of Iraq is not a one-time event. It is not finished. It continues, apparently without end. By many reports, the US is now preparing to start another war, this time against Iran. Americans feeling the shock and grief of the tragedy at Virginia Tech should look into their hearts and realize that they through their government are bringing this same tragedy again, and again, and again, and again, and again, endlessly and needlessly, to other people in the world who also have hearts that can be torn out, who also feel grief and loss when family and friends are suddenly killed when doing ordinary things of life, like going to school. Tragic deaths force us to feel our humanity and to see we are similar to others in the world. The tragic deaths in Virginia might serve to motivate Americans to curb their militarism and to minimize the tragedies of sudden death that they have been bringing to other families in the world. Floyd Rudmin is a professor of psychology at the University of Tromsø¸ in Norway. He is also affiliated with the Centre for Peace Studies and is a member of Science for Peace. -- Original Source: http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/04/18/593/ Essay provided courtesy of Floyd Rudmin.
Floyd Webster Rudmin (frudmin@psyk.uit.no)
As a form of relief to help with the pain of this tragedy this file was created to remember those who were lost.
Did that really happen that April spring day? When 32 lives in an instant were swept away? That terrible day: 32 lives lost, ended too soon; The day Heaven was draped in orange and maroon. Blacksburg's winds that day roared loud and sweeping - That was the tortured sound of God Himself weeping. That tragedy turned all of humanity into pallbearers: A heartbreak so painful, strangers became mourners. A nightmare too horrific for words, just grief; All of us clinging to our precious belief That hope will shield us from our worst fears; But for that day, that time, there were only tears. That day we hugged a loved one a little tighter And sought the hope to make our souls stronger; We learned you will never be alone, whatever you do, As long as there are people who care about you. We grieved together, all united with one noble heart; Whatever we could do, we wanted to do our part. If I could share my soul, my strength with another, I would, we all would, if only because he is my brother. Whoever we were, wherever our loyalties lay, The individual ceased to matter that gruesome day. One phrase brought the world closer together solemnly: "Today we are all Hokies!" we proclaimed proudly. Tragedies may shape us but they cannot define us, As long as we care for each other in times of distress. Some wounds may heal; some scars may last forever - Thirty-two gone but not forgotten: We will always remember. May 7, 2007
4.16.07 4. mourning doves wooed us at dusk. warm weather early this year, our pear trees and dogwoods had blossomed too soon. jonquils bristled in auspicious clusters. even the stateliest branches teased us with touches of color. such delicacy, surely gifted by nature's infinite desires, must likewise bear her surprises. for she is true only to self. in time, a bitter frost stunned nearly all the blooms, left some withered, others gray, a fitting tableau for the cruelest month: flowers slumped, blossoms in wait, and the living in mosaic with its dead. 16. the wind ripped us that day, blasted into the valley with a vengeance, other sound swept away. but not the shots. not the wail and crumble of our native stone Forever. above us, the speechless streaks of orange and sanguine maroon morphed into an unfamiliar haze. and the wind, prevailing, kept its long vigil, blew blossoms in tatters into a fierce spring snow, the glittering of tears untold.
4/16: A product of psychology or gun control?
By:Adam Rizzieri Posted: 4/20/07 It is no mystery that the tragedy of April 16 at Virginia Tech stands out as the deadliest student-perpetrated school shooting in the history of the United States. It goes without saying that an immediate sense of shock spread across the nation as we learned of the tragedy unfolding from networks like CNN and Fox News. Among the 32 innocent lives that perished on a day that will be forever engraved into the memory of our nation was a Holocaust survivor, a few well-established professors and several bright minds who had a beautiful future stolen from them. With this tragedy, the debates about gun control and explicit video games and music are likely to re-emerge, just as they did after the events at Columbine and other instances where schools have fallen victim to this societal plague. Are guns too easy to obtain, and do violent music and video games truly desensitize people to the point where it's easy to take a human life? These are questions that have emerged in the past; however, in this case I feel that they are not what need to be asked. The shooter at Virginia Tech, Cho Seung-Hiu, was a 23-year-old who had a history of violence and irrational behavior. Before his murderous rampage, it should be noted that he was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric hospital, was the subject of two police reports in 2005 for stalking, and was known among the Virginia Tech faculty as "intimidating." In fact, the chairman of the English Department, Dr. Lucinda Roy, took his dark poetry to campus police after his professor, Nikki Giovanni, expressed her intentions to quit if he wasn't removed from her class. Cho wasn't your typical student, and though I'm not a psychiatrist, I think it's safe to say that he didn't kill his peers because of music from Marilyn Manson or "shoot 'em up" video games. This kid was a product of psychology and his interpretation of personal grievances. It is very likely, and almost obvious, that he suffered from some type of antisocial personality disorder. If any of you have seen the video he mailed to NBC in between his first and second round of attacks, his rambling of anger toward rich kids and hedonism serves as a tool for analysis on his psychological state. Phrases like "you decided to spill my blood" and "you forced me into a corner" show that Cho likely felt powerless and believed murder was the solution to his grievances. After a collegiate history of dark poetry and disturbing writings, he likely began to fixate on murder as a solution to regaining control of his problems. Despite the possibility that he felt powerless or whatever else his grievances might have been, this guy is not the victim he thought he was. Metaphorically speaking, Cho was a "cry baby" that threw the worst temper tantrum imaginable. The accessibility to guns and violence that exists in some video games is not what took the lives of the 32 innocent people. It's not guns that kill people; rather, it's people who kill people with guns (and knives, ropes and bats). Cho had no felony convictions, and thus was allowed to legally purchase a 9 mm Glock five weeks before these terrible killings. The reason I say gun control is not an issue in this case is simple. A person who is determined to shoot someone will find a way to obtain a weapon legally or illegally. The law doesn't stop law-breakers from breaking the law; it simply affects those who abide it. That is, a criminal will continue to break the law while a law-abiding citizen will adhere to the constraint of law. Therefore, any change in gun control is irrelevant to criminals both present and future. So when left with this situation, what questions should be asked? Was this the result of a failure in parenting? Perhaps people ignored an obviously disturbed individual who could have been treated by a psychiatric professional. There is no justification for the taking of innocent lives, but perhaps as a community of scholars we should ask ourselves, do we ignore the weird, quiet kid in class? -- Original Source:SMU Daily Campus - April 20, 2007
"Norris, Mark William" <mnorris@mail.smu.edu>
46% of students feel unsafe, audit finds - Administrators rethink security measures in dorms
Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News By Justin Hedani Ka Leo News Editor After what is being called the deadliest shooting in American history, the Virginia Tech shooting has many students questioning their safety - especially at the dorms. "Personally, I don't think there's enough security [at the dorms and] there's a lot of students [to oversee]," said Andrea W., a student at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The first report of killings was at West Ambler Johnston Hall, on Virginia Tech's campus, where a man and a woman were found dead in their dorm rooms. "I don't know, it kind of widens your scope," said Leigh Hokawa, a student residing at Gateway House, "[but] it doesn't affect me directly or scare me." According to the management audit conducted by State Auditor Marion Higa and the Office of the Auditor, "Forty-six percent of the students disagree with this statement: 'I feel safe on campus.'" While in the lower housing district, 43 percent of Noelani residents felt that they were "dissatisfied" with security and the safety of their belongings. "I don't think it's the fault about security," said Elias Allen, a Gateway suite resident. "I always lock my door; I'm not really worried." Allen also said if he saw someone suspicious, he would confront them and ask then what they were doing. Student services are working on ways to improve the safety and security for residents on campus. "We are putting electronic card access on all the doors in [Hale] Aloha, Wainani, Noelani and front doors only of remaining halls," said Laurie Furutani, interim housing director. Currently, security and housing staff are coordinating their efforts and security is providing training for resident staff members to make safety a priority. Neal Sakamoto, chief of security at UHM said that new screen windows will be put into all first floor dormitories so that it will be harder for burglars to get into rooms. "We've been working with the housing staff to improve doors and windows," Sakamoto said. In the same audit, it was said that "we recommend that the University of Hawai'i introduce legislation for Campus Security to be given arrest authority and the authority to carry weapons." "I wouldn't arm the guys I have now," Sakamoto said "[but] we've been looking at adding police officers [to security]. They would be actual police officers, they would have arrest authorities and they will carry guns." The audit also stated that "there are too few security officers on duty to deter and react to crimes." Security has requested eight additional security staff members and currently has seven pending background checks. Sakamoto said that 14 to 15 more will be requested for their force next legislative session. Francisco Hernandez, Vice Chancellor for Students, said that orientations will be held for students to keep them aware of certain dangers. "I don't think we can change the time tables," Hernandez said. As for locks and other upgrades, he said, "The only thing we're going to do now is review our procedures." -- Original Source: The Voice - Ka Leo http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717.shtml http://media.www.kaleo.org/media/storage/paper872/news/2007/04/18/News/46.Of.Students.Feel.Unsafe.Audit.Finds-2848717-page2.shtml
11.15am Media reports portray Cho Seung-hui as a troubled boy with a murderous imagination Michelle Pauli Wednesday April 18, 2007 Guardian Unlimited Just one face stares out of the front pages of the papers today. With the naming of the perpetrator of the Virginia Technical College massacre, all attention is focused on Cho Seung-hui, the South Korean loner who shot dead 32 of his fellow students and professors. The Telegraph and the Mirror both use the killer's own words as their headline: "You made me do this." The line comes from the note left behind by Cho, which also rails against "rich kids", "debauchery" and "deceitful charlatans". The picture that is emerging of Cho is of a troubled loner with a history of mental health problems. Roommates at the dormitory where he lived called him "weird", while fellow students in his creative writing class describe being frightened by his "morbid and grotesque" plays. The Washington Post has an interview with the head of the English department, Lucinda Roy, who had taught Cho in one-to-one sessions after a colleague had been disturbed by his work. According to the Post, Roy said she warned school officials. "'I was determined that people were going to take notice. I felt I'd said to so many people, 'Please, will you look at this young man?' " The question of whether Cho could have been stopped - if not before the first two killings then in the period before the further shootings - continues to be examined. The Guardian says that "angry" students want to know why the campus was not locked down and classes cancelled and why it took more than two hours for them to be sent a warning email. Details from those two and a half hours "remain sketchy" says the paper but it is believed that the police thought that the first two shootings were a domestic murder committed by someone who had then left the campus, leaving them surprised when the second shootings occurred. "The university has blood on their hands," says one student, Billy Baston, in the Guardian. But what about the gun vendors? As attention, in the UK press at least, turns once again to America's gun laws, it was revealed yesterday that the pistols used by Cho had been bought legally on March 13. "It was a very unremarkable sale," says the owner of the shop. And, the assumption is, such sales will continue to be unremarkable in America. The National Rifle Association is too potent a foe for any party to take on, says the Guardian, which flags up the $14m donated by the lobby group to politicians over the last 14 years. "Once again the rest of the world will look on in amazement as America proves itself unable to defend its ordinary citizens from armed maniacs," says the paper. Elsewhere, commentators generally agree that little is likely to change in the area of gun law. And why should it, asks Richard Wolffe from Newsweek, in the Independent. You can't take the guns out of American life and you can never really stop another Virginia Tech, he says. Magnus Linklater in the Times thinks that "probably" tighter gun control would have prevented the Virginia Tech shootings but that banning guns is a salve rather than a solution. "What is needed s a wholesale shift in the national culture - and that will take rather longer than an arms ban," he comments. The Telegraph, meanwhile, has a rather odd comment piece from David Frum, a former speechwriter for George Bush. Headlined "No policy can outwit the Grim Reaper", Frum argues that we must blame the criminal not the gun culture. "Death lies waiting around the corner for us all," he remarks and "no public policy can rescue us from that grim human fact". Along with profiles of the perpetrator and the analysis of how he could have been prevented, the third area of focus in the pages and pages of coverage of the tragedy are, of course, the victims. And, among the tributes, the papers pay particular attention to Liviu Librescu, a 79-year-old professor of engineering who had survived Nazi death camps but died saving the lives of several of his students by blocking his classroom's doorway as Cho approached. Professor Librescu has emerged a hero, says the Telegraph, which describes how he barricaded the door of his classroom and told his students to jump from the second floor window. Many leapt to safety. He was shot dead. "It is worth reflecting on the significance of Professor Librescu's life of quiet heroism, which encompassed the Holocaust, a career of internationally admired teaching and research, and a final act of sacrifice that saved at least nine other lives," says the Times in its leader. The Guardian describes how friends of the victims are gathering online to remember the students through videos, blogs and message boards. An instant memorial to Emily Hilscher, the first victim, has been created on the social networking site Facebook. The page asks "everybody that joins to post one or more things that made Emily cooler than you". The paper reports that within a day of the shootings, more than 120,000 people have joined a discussion group to pay tribute to the victims. On Guardian Unlimited Full coverage of the Virginia Tech shootings Gun violence in the US Gun violence in Britain Full US coverage Related articles Virginia massacre gunman named Unofficial list of shooting victims emerges Massacre on campus Q&A: US gun laws World news guide North American Media Media CNN New York Times Washington Post Government Virginia state government portal US government portal White House Senate House of Representatives Copyright Guardian News & Media Ltd 2007. -- Original Source:http://www.guardian.co.uk/usguns/Story/0,,2059933,00.html
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By Anonymous The shooting at Virginia Tech serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of a strong campus community, one in which people know and look out for each other. In the wake of this event, it is important that we make sure that all students feel comfortable in our campus community. This opportunity should be seized to reflect on how to foster a greater sense of community, especially in upperclass dorms. There seems to be a presumption that, once out of their residential colleges, upperclassmen are sufficiently acclimatized to college life. While colleges provide students with RCAs who organize study breaks and generally foster a sense of commnity within dorms, upperclassmen are left to their own devices. Though eating clubs provide some measure of support for upperclassmen, nothing exists to promote socialization in upperclass dorms or among the many students who do not choose to join clubs or remain in the residential colleges. Independent work, which puts increased pressure on upperclassmen and often requires them to spend significant time alone, means that community feeling outside of eating clubs often suffers. Some students go through an entire year without meeting all their neighbors. Though social dynamics among students is, in the end, the result of our own behavior, there is room for the administration to provide a helping hand. While the University provides mental health services for those in need, having intermediaries step, similar to RCAs, would greatly stimulate social interactions in upperclass dorms and encourage students with psychological issues not to isolate themselves. This could easily be achieved by expanding the mission — and budget — of dormitory assistants, whose current responsibilities are focused on questions of maintenance and living conditions. These measures are not intended to prevent tragic instances such as those at Virginia Tech. They would, however, encourage interaction in upperclass dorms and foster a greater sense of community. It would encourage people to meet and take an interest in their neighbors, reducing the risk that students who are depressed, or feel particularly lonely, slip through the cracks unnoticed. We share the pain of the Virginia Tech community and hope that from this tragedy, we can all realize the vital role of looking out for the wellbeing of our classmates. -- Original Source: Daily Princetonian - April 20, 2007
Photo taken at Blacksburg Baptist Church 9.18.2007 Photo by Min Jae Lee
This letter was part of one of the 32 memorials. The tragedy affected people of all ages.