VTech - You are in Our Hearts
description: Today, I had the opportunity to attend the Penn State Blue & White football game. What an experience to be blessed with after this terrible week's happenings. It was truly inspiring to see the support for Virginia Tech. Everywhere I looked, students and alumni, friends and family were wearing Hokie orange and maroon. It's so hard to describe the pride I felt seeing this rival school sending their love, prayers and respect to VTech. It is amazing how we as a society can come together and love and pray for those who are hurting - now wouldn't it be more amazing if we could do the same every day, good or bad? The students formed the VTech logo before the start of the game. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/46278893@N00/467580047/in/set-72157600158069499/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
creator: Lisa
date: 2007-05-24
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Rights Permission Contact: Lisa (http://www.flickr.com/photos/46278893@N00/467580047/in/set-72157600158069499/) Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.0
language: eng

Emergency-Response Communications to Reach Phones
description: President announces plans to improve system By: Lisa Davis Posted: 5/18/07 Boston University will be prepared to contact almost all students and staff in emergencies this fall with a mass communications system that uses text messaging, voicemail and email, President Robert Brown announced Wednesday in an email sent to the community. The "Send Word Now" system -- which uses all three message types -- was introduced to the campus this year to some extent, but it will be developed more over the summer, Brown said in the email. "In light of the deadly tragedy at Virginia Tech University, we are reviewing Boston University's emergency response plans and communication systems to ensure that they are the best available," Brown said in the email. The improved system would also notify response teams "within minutes" of an emergency, Brown said. In an email to The Daily Free Press, Brown said he expects the school would be able to contact everyone in less than 10 minutes. Students are not required to register their cellphone numbers in the school directory, which is one flaw in reaching everyone in an emergency, Brown said in an April 27 interview. However, in his email to the community, Brown said incoming students will be required to register cellphone numbers or alternative contact numbers, and he encouraged current students to do so on the Student Link website. "We will require the information for all students studying on our Boston campuses," Brown said in the email to the Free Press. "Otherwise, the system would only reach a fraction of our students." The communications system "has been in place," said BU spokesman Colin Riley. "Texting is just one avenue of reaching people. We're trying to find the most effective system possible," he added. The method was introduced about a year ago at a university meeting that addressed a possible avian flu outbreak, Riley said. "This assessment is to ensure and reinforce our view that students' safety is our highest priority," Riley …
creator: Lisa Davis
publisher: Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-09
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Final Week: BU to review policies for campus security
description: Emergency notification system a main goal By: Lisa Davis Posted: 5/2/07 After Boston University felt the impact of several tragedies that brought into question the level of campus safety, officials say they will continue to review their safety policies and procedures, including ways to better reach the community in case of an emergency. "These events are starting to highlight, not only on our campus, but on other campuses, this issue of personal safety and risky behavior in a broader context than people have thought about it before," said President Robert Brown in an April 27 interview. Methods the BU Police Department uses to communicate emergency information to the community are important, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins, who added his department often reviews its procedures when a problem arises. "How you communicate in different emergencies is different," Brown said. "There is not one size that fits all." Robbins, who attended a Coffee and Conversation with the dean of students after the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings, said BUPD plans to add safety information for students to its website, similar to how BU launched a fire-safety website after the two deadly fires that killed three students Feb. 24 and March 16. The day after the Virginia Tech shootings, in which senior Cho Seung-Hui killed 32 people before killing himself, BU formed a committee headed by Administration Vice President Peter Fiedler to review emergency and communication policies, Brown said. "One of the things we put on the table was a blast communication system, which we do not have," he said. "People think that you can send 20,000 emails instantly. The fact is: It takes about 30 minutes to an hour, depending on the technology you're using and how you do it." In a town hall meeting last week, Robbins said he is considering the use of email and text messaging to contact the community in an emergency. It is currently impossible to reach every community member at once because the BU registry does n…
creator: Lisa Davis
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

BUPD to increase communication for campus safety
description: By: Lisa Davis Posted: 4/27/07 Increasing communication in case of an emergency within the Boston University community will be a top priority for the BU Police Department for the next few months, officials said last night at a town hall meeting in the Student Village organized in response to the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings. The BUPD will also be looking into all possible means of communication to stay in close contact with staff and students by using phones, email and text messaging, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins at the meeting, which was attended by one Student Village Resident Assistant in addition to a reporter and photographer for The Daily Free Press. "In the case of a crisis, there would be various communications," Robbins said. "One way or another, in a crisis, we'll get the word out." The community must be able to openly discuss public safety, which was the motivation behind holding the meeting, Robbins said along with Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire and Office of Residence Life Director David Zamojski. The three BU officials stressed the importance of being aware of safety even when there is not a crisis at hand. "Sometimes it comes down to just being aware of your surroundings," Robbins said, adding that those who ever think they need help off campus should call BUPD. "In terms of safety, the avenue to bring that up is through a [Resident Assistant]," Robbins said. "It's about communication." When BU administrators inform students about safety at freshman orientation, parents tend to pay close attention while students "glaze over," Robbins said. "You should think ahead," Robbins said. "We are in the middle of a city, and that's what makes us great as a university." Students should program the BUPD phone number into their cell phones, in addition to numbers of taxi companies, to ensure further security, Zamojski said. The low turnout will not discourage the BUPD from holding more meetings on a regular basis, including one more before the semester ends, Robbins …
creator: Lisa Davis
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Salem State rallies behind Virginia Tech
description: By Lisa Guerriero/salem@cnc.com GateHouse Media Fri Apr 20, 2007, 04:30 PM EDT SALEM - The flags at Salem State College flew at half-mast for three days this week in a show of solidarity for the 32 victims of the tragic shooting at Virginia Technical University on Monday. The gesture was perhaps the subtlest undertaken on a campus that was deeply affected by the shootings in Blacksburg, Va., the deadliest campus massacre in the nation's history. "It's sad and kind of shocking, because you don't know if it could happen here," said SSC sophomore Jenn Runyan. Police have identified the shooter as Cho Seung-Hui, a South Korea native and VT senior who went on a brutal shooting rampage and then turned the gun on himself, bringing the death toll to 33. The tragedy hit home for Salem State's faculty and students, as it did at other colleges, and even more so because one of the victims was a Saugus resident, 20-year-old Ross Alameddine, a graduate of Austin Preparatory High School in Reading. A number of SSC students have friends at Virginia Tech, and one professor taught there before coming to Salem State, said Bruce Perry, the director of the SSC campus center. "So there's ties and connections," he said. The president of the Student Government Association, Michael Mitchell, helped coordinate several events and tributes in response to the tragedy and received some 50 e-mails from students offering to help organize a memorial. "We had a meeting (of the Student Government Association) and it came up that we, as students, can't sit by and let this go unnoticed," said Mitchell. Salem State was on break for Patriots Day when the shooting happened on Monday, and when students returned Tuesday, campus was buzzing as students exchanged information and pieced together what had happened in Blacksburg. By Wednesday, the effort to support Virginia Tech was already under way. Perry received an e-mail from Julie Walters-Steele, the director of university unions at VT, asking colleges and…
creator: Lisa Guerriero / GateHouse Media
date: 2007-05-30
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
language: eng

Country mourns and questions campus killings
description: By Lisa Kunkel Statesman Staff Reporter Horrific school shootings such as the Virginia Tech massacre leave people wondering what can possibly drive an individual to such extreme measures. Seung-Hui Cho took the lives of 33 people including himself at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va. Initially, "investigators offered no motive for the attack," read the article on Yahoo! News the day of the shooting, titled "Gunman kills 32 in Virginia Tech rampage." Witnesses said Cho shamelessly opened fire as if he had no victims in mind, leaving the event to appear to be a random act of violence. "It's hard to say what was random and what wasn't," said professor Emily Gaarder, of UMD's Department of Sociology/Anthropology. Monday's shooting reminds us of another tragic event that occurred eight years ago in Littleton, Col., where two students, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, killed 12 classmates and a teacher before taking their own lives at Columbine High School. Prior to Virginia Tech, the deadliest campus shooting in U.S. history took place in 1966 in Austin at the University of Texas, where Charles Whitman climbed to the 28th floor observation deck killing 16 people before he was gunned down by police, according to MSNBC. These tragic events, along with many others, leave many boggled with one main question: What brings young people like Cho, Harris, Klebold and Whitman to commit such horrendous acts of violence? Cho chose to tell the world his motive in a shocking yet disturbing videotape mailed to NBC news network the day of the shooting. "You had a 100 billion chances and ways to have avoided today," Cho said in the footage. "But you decided to spill my blood. You forced me into a corner and gave me only one option. The decision was yours. Now you have blood on your hands that will never wash off." Though there is no motive that could ever make such a horrendous act acceptable, Cho's disturbing message does help to clarify what was going through his mind. In the c…
creator: Lisa Kunkel
publisher: The Statesman
date: 2007-08-24
contributor: Sara AA Hood
rights: Statesman Editor-in-Chief Desk - Suraj Rambhia <eic@sbstatesman.org>
language: eng

We March On
description: My thoughts and prayers are with the families and friends of those lost in this tragedy. Words are not enough to heal wounds or to make up for the great losses of these beautiful lives. As I watched this story unfold on the news, I couldn't get all of yall in Blacksburg off of my mind and heart. I believe God gave me this song to bring a message of hope to all the Hokies at Virginia Tech and to encourage everyone to march on as one. The power of the human spirit is truly amazing. I hope that there is a Hokie among yall who will discover a melody to go with these words so that a beautiful tribute will arise. We March On So many deaths In such a short time The grief and the heartache Is burning inside Beautiful life Has been taken away We stand here in shock In utter dismay We march on as Hokies We march on as one Though this great tragedy Won't soon be undone We cling to each other United we stand Hokies move forward Hand in hand The sun has gone down On many young lives And ended the stories That were filled with good times Their memories we honor For their families we pray And march on as Hokies To brave a new day We march on as Hokies We march on as one Though this great tragedy Won't soon be undone We cling to each other United we stand Hokies move forward Hand in hand We cling to each other United we stand Hokies move forward Hand in hand In memory of all those lost on April 16, 2007 Lisa Merryman Texas A&M Class of 2005
creator: Lisa Merryman
date: 2007-04-25
contributor: Lisa Merryman
language: eng

Op-Ed: An open letter to President Hennessy
description: May 14, 2007 By Lisette Rimer Dear Dr. Hennessy, Thank you for your op-ed piece May 4th on preventing future tragedies such as Virginia Tech. It was forwarded to me byone of your students who suffered the loss of a friend, my son Patrick Wood. Patrick graduated from Stanford in 2005 with distinction in math. He loved the school, had many friends there, and was even treated for depression there. In January before he graduated, he was hospitalized for, as he explained to me, "having thoughts of suicide." He was committed to the Stanford hospital for five days, but proclaimed that he was OK, mostly bored, and didn't belong there. The psychiatrist in charge at the hospital agreed that Pat was OK and should be permitted to return to school as long as he continued therapy. He saw a therapist and a psychiatrist on campus and renewed his medication. His mood was up and down, but he continued an active social life and good communication with us. He was excited about an internship at Siemens in Berlin, Germany, which he began after graduation. He had applied for the internship through the Stanford Center in Berlin. He suspended his therapy for the summer with plans to return in September for the computer science co-term program, but he loved Berlin too much to leave just yet. Another friend from Stanford was arriving to work in the American Embassy there, and so Patrick obtained a leave of absence and continued to work at Siemens through the fall. All the while, he made many friends, spoke and wrote fluent German, went to concerts with colleagues at Siemens, and maintained close contact with the Stanford Center. He could often be heard playing the piano there just as he had done at Haus Mitt. He wrote about a "mini-depression" before he came home to Connecticut for Christmas vacation. We thought a medication refill would be the answer. His twin sister and older brother were home, along with cousins, aunts, and uncles. It was the usual busy but fun time. Pat later told friends…
creator: Lisette Rimer
publisher: Stanford Daily
date: 2007-06-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Permissions granted by James Hohmann Editor-in-Chief The Stanford Daily <jhohmann@stanford.edu>
language: eng

SONG: 'That Way' by lithiumfailed
description: I woke up today This mirror doesn't reflect me No one that I know of Has time passed so quickly? Did you give the final shove? Save us from evil Save us from evil Is this what I've become? A heart left untouched My wounds have come undone I hold your lives in a clutch ((Save us from evil)) And all I have to say ((Save us from evil)) Is that I never walked that way ((Save us from evil)) Can the night save the day? ((Save us from evil)) I woke up today Is this the end of me? And all I'd hoped to be? I can only save myself Through the blood of someone else ((Save us from evil) I cannot walk this way ((Save us from evil)) I will not live to say ((Save us from evil)) That I walked that way ((Save us from evil)) I can't wake up today And all this pain I see Reflects right back at me I've been where you were before But I ignored that door ((Save us from evil)) I'm proud to say ((Save us from evil)) I never walked that way ((Save us from evil)) I've finally found my day ((Save us from evil)) My eyes are open today Save us from evil I woke up today -- Author's Comments Inspired by the events at Virginia Tech. Rest in peace :heart: MayB -- Original submitted to deviantart.com on April 18, 2007: http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/53516419/ Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.
creator: lithiumfailed / MayB
date: 2007-05-24
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License
language: eng

G-AHS students reach out to survivors of the the massacre at Virginia Tech
description: By Liz Vargo The Record Herald Published: Monday, May 21, 2007 10:08 AM CDT GREENCASTLE - When Greencastle-Antrim High School sophomore Kristin Reihart saw the massacre unfold at Virginia Tech in April, a chilling realization hit her - it could happen anywhere. "Virginia Tech was one of the colleges I considered going to," Kristin said. "If it happened two to three years in the future, I could be one of the students affected." So Kristin and three of her sophomore friends, Samantha Benson, Ashley Alleman and Tyler Sheeley, took it upon themselves to help. The four developed a plan for donations and presented it to high school administrators. During lunch periods last Friday, today and on Tuesday, the group will collect donations and sell T-shirts to raise money for the victims and relatives affected by the Virginia Tech massacre. "I can't imagine what they're going through," said Samantha. Making donations Any donations will go toward the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund. Donations will fund grief counseling and communication with victims of the shootings and their families. Those who donate a minimum of $1 will receive a white, orange and maroon ribbon in memory of the lives lost at Virginia Tech. The students plan to make all the ribbons. The group also designed the T-shirts, which can be purchased for $10 apiece. The maroon shirt has orange lettering with the date of the shooting, April 16, 2007, and "Remember Virginia Tech" on the back. Shirts come in small through extra large. Kristin said it will take about a week to get the shirts made. Those who ordered T-shirts and received ribbons will wear them on the same day to honor Virginia Tech students and show support. Creating awareness Several local schools dealt with serious threats following the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16. Kristin and Samantha said it's scary to think about what could happen at home. "We're trying to bring awareness. We share in the pain of that community," Kristin said. "It's scary (when th…
creator: Liz Vargo / The Record Herald
date: 2007-05-21
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Threats to Civil Liberties arising from the fallout of the Virginia Tech Forcible-disarmament Frenzy
description: May 1, 2007 4:51 pm An article from a new contributor: Loren Bliss THERE ARE TWO EXCEPTIONALLY grave dangers to American liberty arising from the present, post-Virginia-Tech forcible-disarmament frenzy. These are: (1)-The criminalization of even the mildest forms of mental illness, as proposed by Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY), in HR 297. (2)-The criminalization of political protest and dissent, as proposed by Sen. Frank Lautenberg, (D-NJ), in S 1237. Each of these measures is enthusiastically supported by the Bush Regime. The Lautenberg bill was written at White House/Justice Department request — a leading Democratic senator serving as the mouthpiece for a despised Republican administration — an unprecedented act of collaboration with the most corrupt regime in U.S. history. Once again, opposition to the Second Amendment is being used as a diversion behind which to conceal an all-out, bipartisan attack on the entire Bill of Rights- including, via S 1237, repeal of the presumption of innocence that is the cornerstone of all English-language jurisprudence. Meanwhile, welcome to the New American Reich, where (if McCarthy, Lautenberg and Bush have their way), anybody deemed a mental case, an effective labor activist or a disruptive political nonconformist will soon be forcibly disarmed, denied all rational means of self defense and thereby condemned to perpetual victimhood. ********* Modern efforts to criminalize mental dysfunction have a long history dating back to Adolf Hitler and Nazi Germany and are typically part of a broader right-wing agenda of oppression and euthanasia. But in the United States, the primary advocates of criminalization are the forcible disarmament cult and the Communitarian movement, members of which universally (and often vehemently) claim to be leftists and/or "progressives." The Communitarians have argued for at least two decades that diagnosis of mental illness should instantly terminate not only all one's civil rights but also strip one …
creator: Loren Bliss
date: 2007-08-09
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5
language: eng

Cho Seung-Hui: lecciones para la educación
description: Creado por Luis Guerrero Ortiz Lima, 22 de Abril de 2007 3:00 PM Los hechos son por todos conocidos. Cho Seung-Hui, un estudiante sudcoreano de 23 años, entró el lunes 16 de abril en los dormitorios de la Universidad Virginia Tech, en Estados Unidos, y mató a 32 personas antes de suicidarse. En el Perú, los escolares y aún los jóvenes que continúan estudios no tienen el fácil acceso a armas de fuego que sí poseen sus pares en Norteamérica. Ese acceso libre y legalizado es considerado hoy como una de las causas principales de la masacre. ¿Lo es en verdad? En una reciente encuesta, casi la mitad de los estadounidenses cree que las leyes sobre armas deberían ser más estrictas y el 87% afirma que la violencia asociada a su uso es un problema muy serio para su país. Un tercio de ellos admite tener una en casa. También se culpa a las autoridades por no haber hecho lo necesario para detectar y reprimir a tiempo a quien consideran un desquiciado, un anormal, un loco, más aún cuando ha salido a luz su paso por un hospital psiquiátrico y su probable consumo de antidepresivos. Por eso las soluciones que hoy se promueven pasan por la restricción legal a la venta de armas, el fortalecimiento de los servicios psicológicos en los centros de estudios y, probablemente, por una mayor severidad en la selección de los postulantes, lo que podría significar barreras especiales para el ingreso de inmigrantes, como Cho. Es posible que Cho Seung-Hui, en el extremo de sus perturbaciones, haya difuminado los límites de la realidad, derribando las mínimas inhibiciones que suelen impedir a cualquier mortal pasar del odio o el rechazo -por muy justificado que fuese su origen- al acto criminal. Pero Cho era, ante todo, un inmigrante pobre. Se sabe que llegó con su familia de Corea del Sur en 1992, procedente de una zona muy pobre de Seúl, para habitar en los suburbios de Washington. Hasta entonces, no parece haber mostrado señales de locura. «Nunca podría haberme imag…
creator: Luis Guerrero Ortiz
date: 2007-07-18
contributor: Elva Orozco
rights: Creative Commons Reconocimiento-NoComercial-CompartirIgual 2.5 Perú
language: spa

LUV CNU - "Children of April"
description: LUV CNU was formed in April of this year especially to record the song "Children of April", which is a tribute to the victims lost at Virginia Tech on 4/16/07. Based at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, where three of the vocalists go, LUV CNU offers this song as a gift to the VT community. A "no vocals" version has been added in case anyone wants to use the song to pay their own tribute. It is our hope that this song will bring some comfort to those who need it, and honor all of the victims who so richly deserve it. LUV CNU is: Emily Bettendorf, freshman, CNU - vocals. Joe Fitzpatrick, freshman, CNU - vocals and bass guitar. Frank Jordan, songwriter - vocals and guitar. Jason Kronstain, senior, Denbigh High - drums. Geyo Maganis, senior, Bruton High - keyboards. Will Smith, freshman, CNU - vocals. Tommy Fisher recorded and mixed Frank Jordan's tracks. Woody Bradfield of Independent Recording Services (I.R.S.) arranged the strings and recorded the remaining tracks, then mixed and mastered them all. Original Source: http://www.myspace.com/childrenofapril
creator: LUV CNU
date: 2007-05-20
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

https://www.april16archive.org/index.php/items/show/959
description: Outside of Charlotte, NC, a billboard stands with the VT ribbon/logo. Photo Courtesy of Lynita Newswander
creator: Lynita Newswander
date: 2007-08-08
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Lynita Newswander nitanews@vt.edu
language: eng

Stones at Burruss
description: Memorial Stones in front of Burruss during the first week after the tragedy.
creator: Lynn Ann Robertson
date: 2007-05-10
contributor: Lynn Ann Robertson
language: eng

Hokies Thank The World message to be recorded from outer space
description: By Lynn Davis BLACKSBURG, Va., November 14, 2007 -- A "Hokies Thank The World" event will take place Saturday, Nov. 17, from 10:35 to 11:12 a.m. at the Virginia Tech Drillfield in Blacksburg., rain or shine. The event will bring together thousands of students, faculty, staff, and friends to spell out a message of thanks to the world for the global outpouring of support for the Virginia Tech community following the events of April 16. The message of thanks will be recorded by ground, aerial, and satellite imagery and will be shared with the world at Hokies Thank the World website. The community-wide effort to thank the world is open to all who wish to participate. In the event of cloud cover, the satellite imagery may not be collected, but aerial imagery will be collected as scheduled. Participants are asked to wear orange or maroon (not required), arrive by 10:35 a.m., and visit the check-in tent on the Virginia Tech Drillfield. The Hokies Thank The World event takes place on the Saturday morning of the Virginia Tech vs. Miami football game in Blacksburg. The Hokies and Hurricanes kick-of at 3:30 p.m., in a game that will be televised by ABC. Aerial imagery from the event will be premiered in Lane Stadium during the football game. "The world came together for the Virginia Tech community and the Hokies Thank The World event provides a way to send out a message of thanks and love to all of the world," said Peter Sforza, VirginiaView coordinator and coordinator of the event and faculty member in the Department of Geography in the College of Natural Resources at Virginia Tech. VirginiaView is a statewide remote sensing consortium that promotes innovative applications of satellite imagery. A diverse and talented team of students, faculty, staff, community members, and non-profit and commercial organizations have volunteered time and resources to assist in the planning and production of the event. The Virginia Tech Student Government Association is sponsoring a media camp…
creator: Lynn Davis
date: 2007-11-18
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Desensitization, Detachment and Virginia Tech
description: Apr 23 2007 Written by Lynn Kindler To all family, friends, and people affected by the horrific and sad shootings at Virginia Tech, please accept my heartfelt sympathy. I know that I am joined by many others who are keeping you in their thoughts and prayers. With that said, I've been putting off writing about how the shootings affected me because I did not want to add to all the hype and gander that is already going on about it and because my initial reaction was NOT what I had expected to feel. Being an extremely intuitive person, I'm used to "getting" insights and a heightened sense of awareness before incidents like the one at VT occurs—often weeks before. This time not only did I not intuit anything but as the events unfolded I had no feelings about it. I'm a very caring person and since my initial non-feeling bubble, have had many insights but the initial non-feeling sensation really caught me off guard. I checked with many of my friends to find out how they reacted and found out that there were many very caring, spiritual people who had the same initial reaction as I did which was the absence of intense emotion. After listening and reading some of the news about VT, what was revealed to me was the seemingly collective response of not wanting to fan the fire of the media. The way that many of the people from Blacksburg handled this event, showed a majority of caring and thinking people who wanted to respect the event and all its complexities without the media circus. I am inspired by the people who have been writing and communicating under the mass media radar through www.facebook.com At first glance, I wondered if what "we" were experiencing en-mass was desensitization towards violence. How many of us wake up to NPR in the morning with the latest recount of a suicide bomber event? But someone very close to me noted that as listened to me she could hear anger under my numbness and upon closer inspection I realized that I was angry about our ignorance of menta…
creator: Lynn Kindler
date: 2007-06-17
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5
language: eng

Virginia Tech Memorial on InfoIsland
description: Second Life Memorial to the slain at Virginia Tech. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mack46/491590859/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike 2.0
creator: Mack Lundy
date: 2007-05-29
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Mack Lundy http://www.flickr.com/photos/mack46/491590859/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-ShareAlike 2.0
language: eng

Dartmouth Responds
description: A participant in Monday night's vigil ceremony, sporting a Virginia Tech hat, signs a giant card in Collis Cafe. It will be sent to the university Wednesday. Photo: Maggie Goldstein/The Dartmouth Staff Reprinted with the permission of The Dartmouth
creator: Maggie Goldstein
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Edward D. Kalletta III" <publisher@thedartmouth.com>
language: eng

Reflections of Virginia Tech
description: 06/08/07 Manny Frishberg • JTNews Correspondent On the morning of April 16, Dr. Liviu Librescu, a 76-year-old Holocaust survivor and aeronautical engineering professor, blocked the door of his classroom in Norris Hall at Virginia Tech so that his students could escape through the windows. One month later, on the shloshim of his death, the University of Washington Chabad brought Rabbi Shlomo Yaffe to the UW campus for a memorial lecture in Librescu's honor that looked at, among other things, how his actions should be viewed through a Jewish lens. Shlomo Yaffe serves as rabbi at Congregation Agudas Achim in West Hartford, Conn. and the founding director of the Institute for Jewish Literacy and the founder of the Connecticut Symposium on Contemporary Legal Issues and Jewish Law in Hartford. He is well known for his ability to make Jewish mysticism accessible to people to make use of it in daily life. After studying rocket science and WWII history, Yaffe turned to Talmudic law and Hassidic philosophy. He has written and lectured on the Judaic perspective of contemporary, legal, scientific and social issues. Rabbi Yaffe is also an expert on secular law and legal ethics who serves as a legal consultant and lecturer for the New York Legal Assistance Group. Rabbi Yaffe began his talk with the question: "From the standpoint of Jewish ethics and law, did [Prof. Librescu] do the right thing? He put himself against the door, which someone could, and did ultimately, shoot through and kill him. Was he really supposed to give his life for others? "This is not such a simple question," Yaffe explained, "because if someone's life is no less valuable than your own, then it's certainly no more valuable than your own." He promised to answer that question, but first took an hour-long digression that began with the question of how German society, with its long traditions of scientific and philosophical leadership, could emerge in the 1930s as the author of the Holocaust, one of the most…
creator: Manny Frishberg
date: 2007-07-02
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Joel Magalnick - JTNews (editor@jtnews.net)
language: eng