Media's response to VT tragedy warrants criticism
By: Posted: 4/20/07 In the time between the two horrific shootings that took place at Virgina Polytechnic Institute April 16, the killer, Cho Seung-Hui managed to mail disturbing video clips and pictures of himself to NBC News in New York. While NBC News did contact the FBI about the materials, they unveiled the disturbing images to the American people on the nightly news Wednesday. This insensitive move is representative of the mainstream media's disappointing coverage of the tragedy, and The Miami Student editorial board finds the glorification of this mass murderer appalling and offensive. NBC News is effectively giving Cho Seung-Hui exactly what he wanted - a pulpit from which he can speak his insanities. Cho's chilling and senseless photographs only adds to the pain of the victims' friends and families and are not worth playing over and over again. In another sign of sensationalist coverage, other networks, such as CNN, aired a running gunshot tally based off of a cell phone audio clip captured by a Virginia Tech student, almost oblivious to the fact that with each shot another innocent person was being murdered. This theatrical media coverage suggests that the lessons from Columbine have not been taken to heart. In the aftermath of the 1999 Columbine shooting, the media covered the event with a similar circus-like attitude. Contemporary 24-hour coverage has led to poor journalism that thrives on ratings, melodrama and editorialized field reports, all of which takes away from the actual event. Rather than these sad examples of media irresponsibility, The Miami Student editorial board feels the American public deserve staid reporting. Moreover, rather than glorifying Seung-Hui's acts, the press should focus more on the victims of his acts. For example, Liviu Librescu, a 76-year-old engineering professor and Holocaust survivor, saved his students by blocking his classroom's door with his body, sacrificing his life in the process. Stories such as this represent a sign of selfless humanity amidst the horror of the random violence. In the end, the media coverage of the tragedy has been disrespectful toward the families and friends of the innocent victims. Just hours after their deaths, the media swarmed the college town of Blacksburg, Va. with little regard for the students and families who lived through the violent act. In many ways, the networks' theatrical coverage has helped to desensitize the American people to the horrors of the April 16 attack. The media should simply allow the tragedy to speak for itself - its horror is self-evident. -- Original Source:The Miami Student - April 10, 2007
"Skotzko, Stacey Nicole" <skotzksn@muohio.edu>
BERKOWITZ: A campus in grief distracted by media attack
By:Adan Berkowitz Posted: 4/18/07 In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, there's going to be a lot of people asking why this happened, or what could have been done to prevent this or keep it from happening in the future. I think pundits in the media and people on both sides of the gun debate would be wise to refrain from using the shooting to further their agendas. There's going to be a lot of people on both sides frothing at the mouth, saying this could have been prevented if only some of the students had been armed or if guns were made illegal or other such nonsense. Any group who tries to spin this into a crusade against violent media or for gun advocacy or for its own goals should be ripped apart by the press. Unfortunately, the press usually latches onto this kind of sensationalism and frames it as a crusade for some issue, instead of treating it as it really is: a monumental tragedy. As a journalism student and a person who believes in general good taste, I have to say I was nauseated while watching events unfold on the news, not only because of what happened, but because of the way the media seemed to be wringing every drop they could from the story. With 24-hour news coverage, this comes as no surprise. For hours, networks would loop a 10-second clip of blurry cell phone footage, followed by mostly baseless speculation, followed by a parade of talking heads ready to blame the shooting on everything from video games to rap music. Jerks like Geraldo Rivera talk their mouth off even without any new information about the story. The media is relentless when it comes to stirring up a frenzy. We can't even wait until the dead are buried before all sorts of scaremongering like Fox News's brilliant article: "Experts: Colleges Ripe for Attacks." CNN ran some pretty tasteless stuff, too, like "Students Slaughtered." I know that "if it bleeds it leads," but you can almost smell the media sniffing blood like sharks do in the water. At least wait before all the facts are in before people like Anderson Cooper bring on some idiot who says this was caused by Grand Theft Auto. I can only imagine how the kids at Virginia Tech must feel, being swarmed by reporters with cameras and microphones trying to capture a sound byte of their grief. All the facts haven't been released yet, but no matter what anyone says in hindsight, the sad truth is that nothing really could have prevented this. Virginia Tech officials are most likely going to catch enormous amounts of flak and lawsuits and probably lose their jobs, but who knows if there was anything they could have done differently. I have a feeling there's going to be a lot of sensationalist articles about college safety forthcoming in the media, and I sincerely hope that colleges don't turn into locked-down fortresses because of one incident. Safety is important, but realistically there's only so much that can be done to prevent something like this, and we shouldn't believe that by insulating students further we can avert every incident of violence. All the metal detectors and random searches in the world aren't going to stop a determined nutcase. I don't want to turn this into a debate about civil liberties, because this isn't about that. But people and officials are going to be scrambling to try and prepare for every contingency and start locking things up because everyone feels helpless and wants to think there was something they could have done. We want to be able to find reason in this, to view the shooting as part of an overarching trend, a result of our violent culture or our attitudes about gun control or whatever, because the truth -- that there isn't a reason, that there's no definite thing that would have stopped this -- is hard to accept. My condolences go out to everyone at Virginia Tech, and I can't imagine how they are dealing with this. Hopefully the media will cut them some slack and will give them some time to grieve before they swoop in and start throwing blame on everyone except the guy who did it. Those kids whose lives and dreams were cut short are what's important, not your agenda. Adan Berkowitz, a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
By:Anonymous Posted: 4/17/07 On one of the most celebratory Mondays on Boston's calendar -- a day when students forget about classes and hit the streets for a citywide party -- the Virginia Tech campus was in shock and mourning. In the deadliest shooting in U.S. history, a gunman murdered 32 community members and wounded 15 others before taking his own life yesterday. This page can barely begin to express its deepest sympathies to the Virginia Tech community. When Boston University loses any one of its members, the campus has a difficult time recovering. To lose 32 community members in fewer than three hours is unimaginable. The most frightening element of this tragedy is that it was virtually unpreventible. No matter how much money a university pours into its security plan, no matter how often safety procedures are rehearsed, little can prevent a suicidal gunman from going on a rampage. This mass murder is part of the violence this country has been forced to become accustomed to. Many may not consider Monday's shooting an act of terrorism, but that is exactly what it was. Ever since Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris killed 12 of their classmates and a teacher in Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, this sort of terrorism has been part of our reality. But that doesn't remove the distress and pain felt after it happens. Blacksburg, Va. may be more than 700 miles from Boston, but the emotions still hit close to home. College students have a connection to universities across the country. Most students know someone, or have a friend of a friend, or have some other tie to Virginia Tech. Even if students don't have these personal connections, they have the bond of being college students -- going to class, sleeping in late, going out on weekends and being close to friends. And sadly the thought about the possibility of a gunman coming into their classrooms and opening fire is a concern that crosses many students' minds. But no one can possibly fathom what this horrific experience would actually feel, sound or look like. Hopefully, most never will. Virginia Tech will likely never fully recover from what happened yesterday. Coping with the most destructive shooting this country has ever seen will be a slow and seemingly impossible task. Though it may sound insincere or contrived because it will be so difficult, this message isn't meant to be such: We wish the speediest recovery to the Virginia Tech community. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 17, 2007
LETTER: Massacre is 'senseless loss'
By: Clarissa Nemeth Posted: 4/18/07 To me, a college campus is one of the best places to be on earth. A university represents a lot of great things: youth and promise, for starters. A sense of community. A devotion to a life of the mind. Personal improvement. Ambition, dedication, discipline. All kinds of respect -- respect from students who want to learn, respect from professors who are honored to be able to share their knowledge, respect of colleagues and self-respect for a job well done. And above all, a love of knowledge, learning and teaching, with the idea that these things can improve the quality of life for everyone in the world. This is why what happened at Virginia Tech horrifies me so much. Any senseless loss of life, especially in such high numbers, is numbing and saddening. But the idea that this took place on a college campus -- especially with the shooter being a student -- is particularly difficult for me to wrap my mind around. Such a thing is in direct reproach to all the wonderful things that a university, one of the civilized world's oldest and most respected institutions, stands for. This was the worst mass shooting in U.S. history, and it happened in a community devoted to higher learning. How does a university community -- teachers, students and staff alike -- begin to recover from such a horrific turn of events, especially because the betrayal came from within? There is already much criticism of the way the university handled itself during the crucial hours. But how much better could it have done it? How prepared could it have been for something like this? I'm certain that, had it happened here, Boston University would have not have fared much better. University administrators do think about student safety, but they are generally not thinking about their own students going on shooting rampages. And what a horrible precedent this has set. Clearly, now they will have to start thinking about it. I have a friend at Virginia Tech, and thankfully, she and her friends are safe. But I grieve for her, nonetheless, because of what her community will be going through in the days and months to come, particularly when the media coverage subsides and they are left to pick up the pieces on their own. Somebody on CNN said yesterday that because of these circumstances no matter what college we are affiliated with, "Today, we are all Hokies." My heart goes out to the friends and families of those who died, but my prayers belong to everyone affiliated with Virginia Tech. I believe that every university in the country should have its flag at half-mast tomorrow. This tragedy did not just happen to Virginia Tech. It happened to all of us, in this larger community devoted to everything that colleges and universities stand for. Clarissa Nemeth CFA '08 -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
By: Posted: 4/18/07 As expected, even before tears were able to dry, and before the reality of the Virginia Tech tragedy could really set in, officials began discovering details about what happened Monday morning. Yesterday, Americans saw the face of the shooter -- the first step in putting the pieces together in this country's deadliest shooting. And with that name came information about Cho Seung-Hui's troubled past. He was taking medications to treat psychological illnesses, according to an April 18 New York Times article. Pieces that Cho had composed for a creative writing class contained violent material, concerning one professor so much that she had passed the work onto police and other officials. Reports about Cho's criminal tendencies spurred much speculation about why it wasn't addressed before he caused nightmarish destruction. It also inspired security leaders and university administrators across the country to meet and discuss how to improve campus safety. The Boston Police Department met with administrators from surrounding universities to review their own security procedures. One of the biggest things that came out of Tuesday's conversation was the need to find potentially dangerous students and pluck them out before they follow in Cho's footsteps. While officials are correct in holding these meetings because safety is so important and relevant to consider, this sort of psychoanalytical prevention must just be the very start of security discussions. Leaders were merely addressing the most important evidence that had come from the Virginia Tech case at the time. But when more specifics come about what enabled the gunman to strike twice, leaders must try to never repeat whatever mistakes police made Monday. It is unrealistic to think school counselors can identify potential mass murderers within enormous student bodies like those at Virginia Tech, Boston University, Northeastern University and many other colleges. Afterall, not everyone who writes disturbing material about death in an English class is a possible criminal. The reality is that the two murders at West Ambler Johnston Hall were not preventable. However, it is possible that if students had known of the first shooting almost immediately after it happened, fewer might have been shot two hours later at Norris Hall. But until all the details of the shootings surface, it will remain unclear what could have been done. After the first shooting, police began tracking the boyfriend of the female victim, but during their pursuit, the second series of shots were reported at Norris Hall, according to the Times. University officials cannot completely improve security based on unknown errors. Monday's massacre must be put under a microscope. Police need the closest possible look at everything that transpired on the Virginia Tech campus to learn what went wrong, what could have been prevented and what was unfortunately inevitable. Only when all of this is revealed will officials know how to improve university security. -- Original Source: The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
University reps. meet with BPD to discuss prevention By: Andrew FitzGerald Posted: 4/18/07 The day after a Virginia Tech senior shot and killed 32 people on campus and himself, representatives from 19 Boston-area colleges who met at Boston Police Department headquarters said they must improve communication in the future to prevent similar campus attacks. University administrators joined state and local police forces to discuss "protocol, procedure and planning" that goes into preventing campus attacks during a meeting requested by Boston Police Commissioner Edward Davis, said BPD spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll. Representatives at the meeting said they wanted to ensure the BPD and campus security forces are able to communicate through radio, according to Driscoll, who cited the existing Boston Area Emergency Radio Network -- a link between local campus and police departments -- that received boosted support after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Virginia Tech and college campuses around the country have reacted to Monday's shootings, in which 32 people were killed by Virginia Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui. The 23-year-old English major from South Korea killed two people in a residence hall shortly after 7 a.m., and he killed 30 in a classroom building two hours later a half-mile across campus. Local university administrators also compared methods they use to communicate with students in pressing situations, Driscoll said. Virginia Tech officials have received widespread criticism for not immediately contacting university members after the first shooting. Officials first sent an email to the university about the residence hall shooting at 9:26 a.m., while the gunman was carrying out his second attack. Driscoll said another topic discussed was the importance of "recognizing the tendency of someone who may act in violence." Classmates and professors have described the shooter as someone who was not very sociable, and some professors had referred him for counseling, according to The New York Times. Representatives at yesterday's meeting will form subcommittees to develop campus-specific security plans, which will vary based on school size and relative security, Driscoll said. "The distinction would be that some universities have patrol forces and some do not," she said. "If the security force is unarmed, then what are the steps they should take in an unarmed situation? If the force is armed, then the response should be different." Attending university administrators said they could not provide details on the tools security personnel use to protect their campuses because the information could aid potential attackers. Boston University Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore, who attended the meeting, declined to elaborate on specifics, only repeating Driscoll's summary that they discussed "protocols, training amongst different agencies [and] how students can access information." Harvard University spokesman Joe Wrinn said universities and law enforcement agencies meet regularly to share information. For example, university representatives and police held a similar meeting in October 2004 to plan for potential riots after World Series games, prompted by the accidental shooting death of an Emerson College student celebrating in the streets after the Boston Red Sox won the American League Championship Series. "We occasionally get together with other campuses and campus police," Wrinn said. "We run tabletop exercises and drills." Driscoll said the police forces and university representatives will meet again to further develop prevention techniques, but she did not provide a date. -- Original Source: The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
BU assessing safety, mental health concerns By: Barbara Rodriguez Posted: 4/18/07 Boston University officials are still assessing how Monday's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech will prompt any changes in BU's security and mental health services. Officials will be monitoring the campus "climate" during the next few days, speaking with the Office of Residence Life and other departments that work with students, said Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore. More than 100 BU community members gathered on Marsh Plaza yesterday afternoon at a candlelight vigil to remember the victims, many of whom were Virginia Tech students and a few professors. Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old Virginia Tech senior from South Korea, shot and killed 30 people in an academic building around 9:15 a.m., two hours after he killed two students in a residence hall Monday morning on the Blacksburg, Va. campus. Cho injured more than 15 others and shot and killed himself following the second shooting, police say. Marsh Chapel officials have been talking with students in person and through email, said Marsh Chapel dean Robert Hill. Representatives from the Florence & Chafetz Hillel House and the Newman House, which houses the university's Catholic Center, were also available at the vigil. "I was surprised by the number [of people at the vigil]," Hill said. Elmore and BU Police Department Chief Thomas Robbins attended a city safety meeting at the Boston Police Department headquarters yesterday afternoon where representatives from 19 area schools discussed ways to improve safety protocols and communication among city and local agencies, Elmore said. "We will be in a continual assessment," addressing BU's training response, how departments communicate with each other and the various city and state agencies they work with, he said. "We know we've got a network of public safety," Elmore said. "It is still important to assess [BU's] crisis response." BU officials are continuing to offer chaplain and counseling services. Marsh Chapel officials are inviting students to gather at 11 a.m. today at the chapel for another moment of prayer, Hill said. "Our hearts really go out to the people in Virginia," he said. "We know what it means to grieve." Many faculty members, parents, students and staff contacted the Dean of Students Office yesterday with suggestions and concerns about how BU could handle a campus shooting, Elmore said. Elmore, who hosts weekly conversations with students in the Howard Thurman Center, will focus the first portion of Friday's discussion on the shooting, while a behavioral medicine representative will be present for counseling. "There's lots of issues about violence and people's personal safety," Elmore said. The Albert and Jesse Danielson Institute, one of BU's psychological facilities, is also offering students counseling services despite an extensive waiting list to be treated, said Clinical Director Dr. Jorge Stavros. Stavros said if students contact the Institute with an "acute reaction" to the shootings, the office will make an appointment for them immediately. As of last night, no students had contacted the Institute in regard to the shootings. Elmore is encouraging BU community members of the BU community to reach out to others and alert officials if they suspect someone behaving suspiciously. "If it doesn't feel right to us, we have to report it," he said. "I'm always encouraging students to be mindful about their own personal safety." -- Original Source: The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
PERSPECTIVE: Personal instinct only defense against tragic news
By:Ryan MacDonald Posted: 4/18/07 In the days following a great tragedy, we as human beings collectively exhibit a variety of distinct reactions. Some will experience fear. This response is inevitably redoubled by a media which profits on false dependency -- cable news network owners want Americans to believe that without a constant and unfettered flow of semi-useful detail they will lack the needed information to survive the evening. Others sink deeply into depression. A few bleak hours permanently darken the thousands that they have spent on this planet. A state of war looms on all horizons. A third group will clamor for explanations and solutions. Quick fixes will be enticing and will abound. Pundits and politicians will congest the airwaves and television screens calling for every reform from censorship of music to religious revival. Erroneous causal connections will be purported, and the vulnerable masses will be lost in the sea of competing ideologies. On Monday, tragedy struck. As news poured in from various outlets we learned the shooting at Virginia Tech was the worst in American history. Reporters interrogated school officials about the identity of the shooter and why he was able to carry out two rounds of mass murder without being caught. People will struggle with causes and effects for weeks; they will pour over preventative solutions; news outlets will inject dramatic twists of plot to increase viewership and revenue. Confusion and disillusionment will not be in short supply. Amid all of this, though, I urge you to reflect deeply on the events of April 16 and the aftermath. What is your immediate response? How will this affect your perception of the world? What would you do to change things? Preempt the onslaught of ideology before it reaches your ears. Although I run the risk of being labeled a hypocrite by putting forth a moral position, I'd like to share some of my personal reflections. First of all, the most essential fact of the matter is that an individual was able to acquire fire arms and commit a horrendous act. Immediately I was reminded of my time as an intern in a London law firm where I learned that possession of a firearm carries a five-year sentence there. The rest of Europe views guns as an even darker evil. Mass shootings do not occur in Europe. Although violence certainly exists there, the weapon of choice is a knife. A man with a knife will never kill 32 people by himself. In the United States, politicians court potential voters by leaking a video of their hunting trips. As John Stewart recently pointed out, Americans do not see the apparent contradiction in being a hunter and standing on a pro-life platform. The possession and ownership of firearms is protected by Constitutional amendment. Guns are entrenched in American politics and culture. However, many fail to realize that the Constitution is not an infallible document. it had once barred blacks and women from voting, allowed for slavery and banned liquor. When the Constitution is wrong, it can and should be amended. Gun enthusiasts will present the opposite information. In fear of losing their gruesome, death-oriented pastime they will lobby politicians to blame this tragedy on gangsta rap or video games. They want to hide the fact that the domestic arms proliferation for which they are responsible is inextricably linked to the massacre of innocents. Guns kill people. Period. Where no guns exist, violence isn't as rampant. As I remarked earlier, you may brand these remarks as ideology and apply the above criticism of political opportunism to my own words. I accept this and consider it fair. However, I challenge you to reflect deeply and with self honesty. Consider the sanctity which we afford guns in America. Don't allow yourself to fear entering the classroom or walking the streets. If it is possible, let's grasp this occasion to engender change and put forth well thought out, constructive critiques of our lives and our nation. Ryan MacDonald is a senior in the College of Arts and Sciences. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 18, 2007
PERSPECTIVE: Bush's speech at Virginia Tech clouded by own agenda
By:Matt Holt Posted: 4/19/07 I had time to listen to President Bush's speech Tuesday morning at Virginia Tech. The president did the right thing by going to the campus in an attempt to console the victims of the unspeakable tragedy that claimed so many young lives Monday. Maybe "unspeakable" is the wrong word to use. Perhaps such tragedies are born from discontent that is never spoken but stoked, unknowingly, by people who are unaware of the realities that lead up to such a desperate and violent act. No matter the reasons now, the end result will not change. The bullet has left the gun, so to speak. It is ironic this particular tragedy is not of the president's making yet he was able to address the event so well. Communication is the key to awareness when relating to other people or groups of people. Who knows what we might have learned from talking with the perpetrator of this horrific episode. Why would he want to die and see others suffer and die? What is it that instilled such anger and hatred that it completely eclipsed the light, a soul so damaged that it had reached the point of no return? Desperation on such a scale is reminiscent of the suicide bombers we hear so much about today. Why can't they see the use in their own existence? They have been trained to hate and destroy themselves and everyone around them. To someone who doesn't harbor hate, this type of action is completely unfathomable. None of the victims deserved to meet such an end. The only way to arrive at an answer is to investigate the causes. Is it possible that the gunman was just deranged, and it didn't take any special event to spawn the actions yesterday? As I listened to Bush, it occurred to me that much of what he said about the tragedy could also be said about his presidency. His legacy will be a lack of communication and alienation of whole nations and religions. When he said "it's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering" or "they were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," the same could be said by any Iraqi civilian. His rush to war told the nation that it's not so important who we punish for Sept. 11 2001 terrorist attacks, but that we punish someone quickly. Understaffing in Afghanistan and unnecessary staffing in Iraq have been the catalysts for many tragedies that have affected the entire world. Thousands of dead Iraqi families could probably identify with the families from Virginia Tech and, if they heard the speech, would have thought Bush was the perpetrator in question. Unfortunately, the president is of the belief that the U.S. could kill all of its enemies. Just ask anyone who has ever suffered such a loss and it becomes apparent that with each enemy you do kill, a whole family of new enemies springs up to take on the cause. And, heaven forbid, we actually talk with our enemies. We might actually reach an agreement to find a way to live free of conflict. This mindset of "you're either with us or against us" tells others that if they are not willing to bend to our whims, then violence will be the end result. If two people can live together and have disagreements, two countries can as well. Despite all of the communication from his employers (us, the people) the president has ignored the Baker Commission, the democratically elected Senate and House, the Supreme Court and every ally who has tried to point out the administration's. From Kyoto to Katrina to Kabul, nothing has gone right in seven years. We have more enemies than ever, and we're creating new ones every day. We spy on our own citizens yet allow countries like Pakistan harbor our real enemies with no repercussions. The time has come to get rid of this man. Are we not tired of the bad news yet? It's not getting any better. Bush's reaction to Sept. 11 was misdirected and personally motivated. He has been completely ineffective in response yet very effective in playing politics as a result. Bush's strength is in instilling fear, then sending enforcers to back up his will. He is nothing more than a common thug and Chicken Hawk with misbegotten degrees from Yale. A good leader is one who leads by example, yet we have come to accept "do as I say, not as I do" from the leader of the most powerful country in the world. How do other world leaders view our president's power and what license does this administration give other governments to follow their own self-serving anti-social policies? Matt Holt is a resident of Easthan, Massachusetts. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
LYONS: The impact of sports during tragedy
By:Chris Lyons Posted: 4/19/07 Originally, I was planning on writing a column about the debauchery that is Marathon Monday. As one of the biggest days here at our school, it only seemed right to dedicate an entire column taking a look at the day many students compare to Christmas. Everything started out according to plan. As the day began and the race went off with minimal rain. It seemed as though all would turn out OK. It's amazing how things can change in a blink of an eye. Since coming to school here at BU, I've stressed over numerous "problems" that all college students go through when they arrive in a new environment. Making friends, meeting girls (or boys) and rooting for athletic teams that give everyone stress at some point or another. Education, of course, can be thrown into this category as well. None of those seemed to matter when I went to check my computer Monday morning while taking a break in the Marathon action. As I went to ESPN.com as I always do, the breaking news at Virginia Tech put everything into perspective. All the things I constantly worry about as a sports fan were irrelevant once again. Suddenly, the marathon didn't matter. The Red Sox game being played down the street didn't matter. The wins and losses of Boston University athletics that I've worried about for the past three years didn't matter. Feelings reminiscent of those I had when I first heard of the Columbine High School shootings and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks rushed into my head. It seemed as though the death toll continued to rise each time I refreshed the page until the number reached 32 killed by a crazed gunman. Trying to talk about athletics at the time of a tragedy of this magnitude almost seems senseless. No matter how much passion we put into supporting or playing sports, they are just games at the end of the day. But somehow, sports always help play a huge role in the recovery process in situations like these. Columbine's football team's success the season after the 1999 shootings was a feel-good story about a community coming together after tragedy. I still get goose bumps every time I watch New England Patriots lineman Joe Andruzzi - brother of two New York firefighters - run on to the field at Gillette Stadium holding American flags in each hand when the NFL came back after Sept. 11. Sports seem to offer our country an escape from tragedy and a way of coming together as a group with a common bond. They give us something to rally around. At no level is this more evident than in collegiate athletics. A team can bring a school together. Here at BU, hockey is a borderline religion for many. Our campus is stuffed with students from all over the country -- world, even -- who are as diverse as can be. But every Friday or Saturday night in the fall and winter, Agganis Arena fills to root on the common bond that we all share. While watching the images of Virginia Tech students in mourning the past few days, one thing stood out to me. First, the "Let's go Hokies!" chant at the memorial service on Tuesday. Cheers that Virginia Tech students use at sporting events are now being used to bring their campus together during these trying times. And it's spreading beyond their campus, too. Similar to "U.S.A." chants following Sept. 11, "Everyone is a Hokie" is being heard on campuses throughout the nation. Athletic pride is turning into a nation's pride for a campus in Blacksburg, Va. that experienced the worst shooting in U.S. history. So while we always say sports are just games and have little meaning, they clearly offer us comfort in times of tragedy, at least in some sense. On a small scale or large, they have helped our country survive some of our saddest moments. And they will now be part of an effort to move on at Virginia Tech. On Friday, Virginia Tech's baseball team will be the first Hokies squad to step onto the playing field since Monday's shootings, and several other teams will continue their seasons this weekend. I don't think I'll be alone in rooting for all of their athletes in their effort to help the campus move forward. America's Team has found a new home in my mind. Let's Go Hokies. Chris Lyons, a junior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at cjl@bu.edu. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
By:Kyle Cheney Posted: 4/19/07 Adan Berkowitz's disdain for the very media that gives him a voice is an alarmingly narrow-minded generalization. ("A campus in grief distracted by media attack," April 18, p. 9). While sensationalism is all too prevalent in certain segments of the press, to ignore examples of remarkable, in-depth coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre is equally egregious. Tragedies such as this are the rare moments in U.S. history when the country collectively holds its breath, anxiously waiting for the newest fact or detail to emerge. In these cases, we rely on reporters on the ground to ask tough questions and capture the horror and pain that sent shock waves around the world. It surprises me that amid the supposed "swarm" of reporters marauding like vultures on the Virginia Tech campus, Berkowitz failed to notice the intrepid coverage by the Roanoke Times, a local outlet that has the most comprehensive, to-the-minute coverage and became a virtual bible for out-of-town reporters. The paper currently features a moving tribute to the victims on its main web page. Berkowitz also curiously missed the fantastic USA Today coverage, and even his hometown Boston Globe made a fine showing. To be sure, the Talking Heads do have a way of obscuring issues and turning them into partisan talking points, and they certainly make a lot of noise. But they are hardly representative of the media as a whole, which, at least on this story, performed masterfully. Kyle Cheney COM '06 Former editor-in-chief of The Daily Free Press -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
By:Anonymous Posted: 4/19/07 When a chilling multimedia package containing 27 video clips, 43 still pictures, a 23-page document and one audio clip composed by cold-blooded Virginia Tech murderer Cho Seung-Hui arrived on NBC's doorstep at Rockefeller Plaza yesterday morning, the station's editors faced a difficult decision. They held in their hands a firsthand account of Cho detailing his twisted motives. With such information comes tremendous responsibility. NBC had the power to shape public perception about the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. But should it provide viewers the valuable details they deserve while giving the gunman the publicity he clearly wanted? It had to be an incredibly difficult decision to make, but on its "Nightly News" broadcast, NBC aired video clips, pictures and words from Cho's package. And the broadcasting corporation handled its reporting as tastefully and tactfully as it could have. Before even thinking about putting the information on the air, NBC contacted the FBI so investigators could begin looking at the vital material. NBC executives understood that it is more important to contribute to the case than it is to immediately post breaking news. But NBC also understood the public has the right to learn as much as possible about the killer. Most will never understand Cho's motives, but everyone deserved to hear them. If NBC knew details but didn't expose the pertinent ones, it would not have been doing its job. Before releasing any footage or sound bytes, though, Brian Williams made sure to preface the broadcast by saying the station knew it would be "airing the words of a murderer." And NBC had to be careful when doing this. If people who share Cho's beliefs think a violent rampage can warrant mass exposure of a killer's message, airing an overload of footage could inspire copycat actions. Cho's actions themselves mimicked past rampages. In his statements, Cho made reference to Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the 1999 Columbine High School murderers. Cho's motives, lifestyle and tactics in many ways mirrored the two Colorado killers. And yesterday, BU experienced a copycat threat following Cho's massacre. Part-time BU student Andrew Rosenblum told a woman he dated that he wanted to recreate the Virginia Tech shootings at her Wheelock College campus. But sadly, these threats will surface regardless of whether the media provides all the information or not. As a journalistic enterprise, NBC News had the responsibility to tell the story as it developed. And by carefully combing through the material in the package, NBC offered the most current and telling story it could yesterday. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
BU student allegedly threatened shootings
Police plan to arrest part-time MET student today By: Jenna Nierstedt Posted: 4/19/07 A part-time Boston University student allegedly threatened to recreate the Virginia Tech shootings at Wheelock College late Monday, according to police, who took the man to a hospital and plan to arrest him today. Andrew Rosenblum, 20, allegedly sent online messages to a woman he had dated in 2005, threatening to kill her and her friends at Wheelock, a private college of mostly women in Boston, according to the Boston Police Department. The woman received multiple instant messages "with some very threatening words" late Monday night, according to the BPD, the same day a Virginia Tech senior shot and killed 32 people and himself on the campus. Shortly after receiving the messages, the woman placed an emergency call to the BPD. BPD immediately notified the Needham Police Department, whose officers picked up Rosenblum at his parents' house in Needham early Tuesday morning. NPD Lieutenant John Kraemer said the department turned over custody and care of Rosenblum to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Hospital representatives said Rosenblum's name did not appear in their database, but they said it is possible he was placed in the psychiatric ward, where patients are not registered in the hospital's system. "The victim in question did exactly the right thing in saving and printing the threatening messages and notifying police immediately," said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Wark said the BPD received an arrest warrant for Rosenblum, and upon arrest, Rosenblum will be charged with threat to do bodily harm. He will be brought to BPD District B-2 of Roxbury, where he will be arraigned in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department. Police said they hope to arraign Rosenblum today. BU officials confirmed that Rosenblum is a registered part-time student at Metropolitan College and is taking two courses this semester, although he is not seeking a degree. Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore acknowledged Rosenblum's situation but declined to comment. A Wheelock statement mentioned its representatives attended Tuesday's meeting with other universities and law enforcement agencies to discuss campus security measures for Boston schools. "We are continuing to assure our students and faculty and staff that our campus continues to be safe, and that obviously, campus safety continues to be paramount," said Wheelock Public Relations Director Rochelle Rosen. Rosenblum hosts a video-game review show on an MTV website, but he is not directly employed by MTV, said company public relations representative Jennifer DeGuzman. Segments from Rosenblum's show appeared on an MTV.com video-game show June, 30, 2006 and Aug. 25, 2006, DeGuzman said. "I think people are reading into this story and automatically assuming that he's a host on MTV," DeGuzman said. -- Original Source: The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
By: Natalie Orphanos Posted: 4/20/07 In light of recent events, I am very disappointed in the administration's lack of a response to its students. Boston University prides itself on being a close-knit community despite its large size, a community in which each person is fully supported. However, this is not being expressed. In the past, after tragedies, such as the fires near South Campus, BU students have been notified through email of the tragedy immediately and how the university is handling it. However, I sit by my computer three days after the Virginia Tech tragedy without an email. The only places I've been able to read about the tragedy on campus are The Daily Free Press and BU Today. My Residence Assistant even sent out an email giving us support and guidance. I need more than a publication to tell me that everything is okay. And while my RA showed that she cares, I need to feel like the university officials care, too, and that they are doing everything to ensure our safety. And I need to hear that directly from them. This massacre is one that has affected the nation; it is not a remote incident. We have been reminded time and again through similar tragedies that these events can happen anywhere. The students at Virginia Tech were not notified by the university after the first shooting took place in a dormitory. The shooter was able to send a video and his manifesto to NBC en route to the classroom building where he killed 30 people. Had the university taken more action, had it notified the students and faculty of the situation and had they placed the university on lockdown, the incident may have been prevented. If that is not compelling enough, perhaps the fact that a BU student threatened to go on a rampage at another college in Boston similar to the one at Virginia Tech is more reason for the university to send an email out to the students. The media knew of this incident before many BU students had even heard about it. In these times, BU's administration needs to react. The students need a response assuring them that our campus is a safe one. We need assurance from the administration that everything is being done to protect us. We need to be aware of incidents like these so we can decide to what to do and so we can be more aware of our surroundings. It is up to university officials to be responsive and to let us know that they are there and that they care. Natalie Orphanos COM '09 -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007
BHE takes a look at campus security By: Kate Davies Posted: 4/20/07 The Board of Higher Education, during its meeting that was previously called to clarify the fine print on Massachusetts's policy toward allowing undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, said it plans to review universities' security policies in wake of this Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. Taking time to reflect on the shootings, in which 32 Virginia Tech members were killed by a gunman who then took his own life, Board officials said although universities already have adequate crisis response plans in place, it is important to review such policies and possibly seek more statewide funding for the schools. "We have strong plans in place to secure a safe learning and working environment that we can go to everyday," said Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President Mary Grant. "We always have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best." The BHE announced it will meet in June at the University of Massachusetts with public and private universities and state police to review existing response programs. In a BHE press release yesterday, Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke said the schools' existing plans are extensive. "The Department of State Police review of these plans is designed to ensure that the plans continue to reflect best practice standards," he said. After further work with universities, schools may adopt more high-tech communication methods, including automated voice and text-messaging systems and better counseling services for students, the BHE press release states. When the Board turned to its original agenda, it released a "fact sheet" detailing the fine print of the in-state tuition system as it applies to undocumented immigrants. BHE chairman Aaron Spencer said the fact sheet is meant to clarify two bills filed separately by the Senate and House that would each allow undocumented immigrants to attend state institutions at the same price other state residents pay. Similar bills failed in the Legislature last year. "In an effort to be totally non-partisan and only deal with the facts, we have decided to prepare a questions-and-answers document to provide key information," Spencer said. Though the Board firmly refused to take a stance on the bills, the fact sheet repeatedly stated the state college system can afford to enroll such students. According to the fact sheet, under terms of the bills, undocumented immigrants would be eligible for in-state tuition after completing three or more years of high school in Massachusetts and graduating or attaining the equivalent of a high school diploma. Addressing concerns that the plan would make it more difficult for legal residents to attend college, Spencer said the commonwealth's 29 universities would maintain the same admissions standards. Because undocumented immigrants would still not be eligible for state-funded financial aid, documented residents would not lose state funds. The BHE fact sheet also states there is sufficient space available in Massachusetts's state colleges for additional students. About 400 to 600 additional students would be eligible for in-state tuition at Massachusetts's colleges under the plan, which would generate about $2.5 million for the state, according to statistics from the Massachusetts Taxpayers Foundation. The Board's Fiscal Affairs and Administrative Policy Committee also unanimously approved a uniform policy on residency status for state and community colleges that would classify applicants as either residents or nonresidents. "This motion is merely an effort to have a concerted, evenhanded document that applies to everyone," Spencer said. "One thing I am proud of about this document is that it is one step toward operating as a system, and not separate parts." -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007
EMS director outlines city's disaster-response system By: Evelyn Ratigan Posted: 4/20/07 As the efficiency of the emergency response system at Virginia Tech faces scrutiny, with critics saying the school was slow to notify its members of the attacks in which 32 people were killed on campus Monday, Boston's expert on emergency response systems said the city is prepared for a large-scale disaster. Boston Emergency Medical Services Chief Richard Serino, detailing the city's strategy to a group of about 20 yesterday at Harvard University, said the city is focused on improving communication within departments and with the community. "Everybody has to be involved in all the various parts of this," Serino said. "Communication is a huge issue. You don't want to be exchanging business cards at the scene of the disaster." Serino cited Boston's historic landmarks, dense population and subway system as factors that make the city a top terrorist target. He said the city has been aware of this and has spent more than 25 years revising tactics in case of an emergency. "Emergency preparedness is not something new for us," he said. "It's not just something we've been looking at since 9-11." Serino said the key to emergency preparedness is encouraging partnerships among the city's departments and private businesses, as well as the public services involved in the process. This collaboration has become "institutionalized" from years spent building these relationships, he said. The BEMS constantly works with the Boston police and fire departments, the MBTA and other state and local agencies, he said. In addition, hospitals sharing staff members and enhanced radio communication systems linking state and local agencies coordinate first responders who would otherwise remain disconnected, he added. Serino said high-profile events such as the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and the Boston Marathon are used to practice for emergencies, calling them "planned disasters." Monday's marathon, for example, allowed the BEMS to test its hospital tracking system to notify the families of the more than 500 runners hospitalized for exhaustion. "In an emergency, one of the key things is communication with the injured," he said. "I think that we have to communicate whatever it is to the general public as well." BEMS technicians also coordinate drills, including a recently staged evacuation on the MBTA's Red Line and a larger disaster simulation planned for this fall, he said. Addressing the January bomb scare spurred by suspicious packages used in a Turner Broadcasting advertising campaign gone awry, Serino defended the city's reaction, which some called excessive. "It wasn't just [circuit boards] scattered throughout the city," he said. "There were a lot of things that happened that day that a lot of people don't know." Two devices resembling pipe bombs in Boston and an explosion on a bus in Washington, D.C. the same day had put Boston authorities on high alert, Serino said, adding the city and state agencies' quick and unified reaction proved the emergency response system's effectiveness. Maj. Patti Pettis, a weapons of mass destruction specialist from Atlanta, said she approves of Boston's constant scrutiny of its emergency response plans. "The program will help find where the resources are and where the gaps are," she said. Pettis said the public must understand the city's elaborate emergency response plans to be better prepared in the event of a disaster. "It's up to the local community to be prepared," she said. "[At first], they're going to be on their own." Pettis cited the Virginia Tech shootings as an example of failed communication Boston must avoid, and she said it is vital for first responders to inform the public of emergency situations to put them at ease and avoid mass panic. "Communication makes all the difference," she said. "If everyone works together, you'll leave no gaps." -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007
Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Opinion The Daily Free Press's editorial sounded like it was taken straight from the NBC anchor's monologue, complete with the required clichés of "difficult decision" and "responsibility to tell the story," ("Airing murderous motives," April 19, p. 11). It gave NBC every benefit in assuming its goal here is to selflessly provide "the story." "Before even thinking about putting the information on the air, NBC contacted the FBI." This sounds great, and it was very humble of NBC to do that, but was it true? It seems to me the more likely timeline was to first make copies of everything, contact the FBI and finally slap the NBC logo on each frame before starting the round-the-clock replays. A more interesting analysis for the editorial could have been to walk through that journalistic decision making process: Does a mass media outlet weigh the good or bad that might come from their exploitation of a situation? I can easily think of many bad outcomes from this such as additional psychological damage to the victims and their families and the obvious danger of inspiring the next mass murder out there. The editorial said Cho Seung-Hui copied previous killers, so it acknowledges that there is a real danger. Perhaps his words are being written into some other loner kid's notebook right now. The editorial does, however, dismiss this danger: "These threats will surface regardless of whether the media provides all the information or not." This is a weak justification (might as well make drugs legal, people will do them anyway). That excuse is also an attempt to remove the mighty responsibility which comes with the journalism profession. As far as the good from showing the video, I can't think of anything beyond profiting from human misery. Does anyone feel better knowing the final thoughts of a killer, or seeing what must have been the last thing all of those innocent people at Virginia Tech saw before they were killed? Please let me know what benefit we receive from the telling the killer's story that could not have been conveyed in a summary paragraph of what he sent. Think about the difference between reporting on the package (we received a package with a video which show the killer felt alone, picked on, angry at the rich etc.) compared to fulfilling the last wish of that cold-blooded killer and giving out every word of his manifesto. Which has a greater chance of inspiring some other unstable person out that? Who knows which sentence or image will be latched on to? There is such a thing is right and wrong in the world, and in this case, NBC was wrong. David Stifter CAS '01, GSM '06 -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 20, 2007
By:Bethany Morris Posted: 4/20/07 n In reaction to the Virginia Tech shootings, different advocacy groups are focusing on gun control and security as issues that should be addressed after this latest tragedy. While these are valid points, doesn't the problem stem from mental-heath care? It is nearly impossible to get individuals into mental-health facilities after they turn 18 unless they commit themselves or have committed some act of violence against themselves or others. If the professor who had tried to get Cho Seung-Hui help had been able to get him committed to residential treatment (treatment that he had needed for years) this tragedy might have been prevented. Unfortunately, this young man was too far gone to acknowledge his need for treatment, and his behavior went unchecked. Bethany Morris CFA '09
PERSPECTIVE: Covering Virginia Tech as a student journalist in Blacksburg
By:Priyanka Dayal Posted: 4/23/07 I spent three days last week at Virginia Tech University as a reporter covering the heinous murder of 32 innocent people. I had never felt so many things all at once. I had never been so nervous and so excited and so sad and so scared all at the same time. I had never eaten so much fast food, then slept for three hours then worked for 16. I've spent this semester at Boston University's Washington Journalism Center, where I write for a newspaper in Massachusetts and intern at USA TODAY's main bureau in McLean, Virginia. Last Monday, I was sitting at my desk doing some mildly interesting research. That's when I heard the first reports that people had been shot at Virginia Tech. The newsroom started bustling. What was going on in Blacksburg? Which reporters and editors would go? How many should go? Mindy, a reporter who sits next to me and, for weeks, has been the best mentor an intern could have, started gathering some fresh notebooks and yelled over the wall dividing our desks if I wanted to go. "Go where?" I asked. "To Blacksburg!" she said. That's not what I expected to hear. My heart started beating really fast. I've been a reporter, albeit a student reporter, for four years. I've never had that kind of an adrenaline rush before. I know I should have jumped on the assignment. But I didn't. I got scared. I didn't know what to do. Did I really want to go straight to a place where a psychopathic killer had just stunned the world? Yes. Once we reached Blacksburg, I wasn't nervous anymore. I set about reporting the story like I would report any other story. I talked to people about the situation. But I wasn't always prepared for their answers. Through tears, a girl my age, named Tina, who was in Norris Hall last Monday morning, told me about hearing gunshots in the classroom below her. She heard pounding. She heard screams. She heard maniacal laughter. Later that night, she heard all those things again in her dreams. While Tina was telling me this, her mother walked into the room. They hugged and cried and stroked each other's hair. Clutching my pen and notebook, I could only watch. I thought I was going to lose it. How could any reporter not be touched by this? How could any reporter just be expected to say "thanks for your time," then move on to the next interview? There were a couple other times I almost cried. I guess that makes me a sap. But by the second and third day, I was almost too tired to be sad. I couldn't wait to collapse into my bed in my motel room and fall asleep to the sounds of Sports Center. It wasn't all horrible. It was thrilling, too. The story was appalling and gruesome and heartbreaking, but it was the biggest story since Katrina. Every publication and TV station with the means sent people to Blacksburg. The parking lot of the Inn at Virginia Tech, where the press was stationed, was teeming with news trucks and satellites. Inside the building, reporters and photographers and cameramen seized any nook of space they could find to set up their equipment. People were filing stories from cramped hallways and bathroom floors. Everyone had laptops and cell phones or Blackberrys that needed to be plugged in. There was a constant chase for electrical outlets. On Tuesday afternoon, I roamed the building looking for a place to charge my phone. There was one free outlet. It was right under FOX News cameras. The cameramen said I could plug in my phone, even though they were about to start some live shots. "Just play it cool," they said. So I planted myself on the floor and took out a sandwich, which had been sitting in my bag for hours. Six inches to my left, Geraldo Rivera and later, Shepard Smith, were fumbling with earpieces and retouching their make-up. In other corners of the same room, Katie Couric, Wolf Blitzer and Tucker Carlson were also getting ready for live shots. I met reporters from Norway and Australia, and one who lived down the road in Christiansburg, Virginia. Ten other people from USA TODAY were there. We had make-shift news meetings in crowded hallways then dictated our notes to editors in the home office. I was the only intern, but I was part of the team, part of a special group that shared the special privilege of telling this tragic story. Priyanka Dayal, a senior in the College of Communication and the College of Arts and Sciences, is a former Science Tuesday and Associate City Editor for The Daily Free Press. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 23, 2007
Students reach out with support to VT campus By: Clarissa Bottesini and Angela Marie Latona Posted: 4/24/07 After last week's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, many Boston University students have joined efforts to offer their physical and emotional support. The BU community is still in the early stages of organizing how to best aid those directly affected by the shootings, though Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said many students have approached him about how they can reach out to the Virginia Tech community. "It's a tough one, because people are thinking, 'What does the community need?'" he said. "People are trying to figure out how best to be effective and what can be done to reach out." Marsh Chapel and the Office of Residence Life are in the process of sending support letters to Virginia Tech. A candlelight vigil held last night at Marsh Plaza marked the second time the BU community came together to reflect on students affected by the shootings, in which 32 people were killed by a Virginia Tech senior who then shot himself. Elmore said students have also discussed ways to help hospitalized victims and offer assistance to fire department and police officials. In an email sent to students April 20, President Robert Brown expressed his condolences to the Virginia Tech community and announced efforts to improve campus safety and communications procedures. "Our hearts go out to the students, parents, faculty, staff and families impacted by these senseless killings," Brown said in the letter. "Many members of our community are grieving." Response has also reached the Internet, with some BU students changing their Facebook.com profile photos to Virginia Tech tributes that read, "Today, we are all Hokies." Some groups, including Champions, a College of Communication community service organization, are taking small steps to help Virginia Tech by planning to compose support letters at its upcoming meeting Monday. However, members have not decided whom the letters will be addressed, said Champions President Grace Cho, a COM sophomore. On a national scale, students have started online memorial pages and message boards. CircleBracelets.com is selling Virginia Tech bracelets to help the school establish the Hokie Spirit Memorial Fund in honor of the victims, according to the website. School of Management sophomore Von Bryan Suresca said students have shown their support by wearing maroon and orange colors to represent Hokie pride, adding Facebook dedications have demonstrated BU students' condolences in the wake of the shootings. College of Engineering freshman Steven Lee, of Virginia, said last Monday's events teach people not to take anything for granted. "[BU is] doing the vigils, and some student counseling programs [are] going on," Lee said. "I think it's pretty adequate for the situation. "I have a lot of friends who go to Virginia Tech, and I also feel real bad about the situation and really take it to my heart," he added. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 24, 2007
Clarissa Bottesini and Angela Marie Latona