Tragedy sparks memories and change
description: By Jeff Gilbride/Daily News staff Daily News Tribune Posted Apr 15, 2008 @ 12:43 AM WALTHAM — A year ago Wednesday, Kalynn Cook's childhood friend was killed when Seung-Hui Cho opened fire on the Virginia Tech campus. To mark the first anniversary and to remember her friend, Erin Peterson, the Brandeis freshman from Sterling, Va., planned a candlelight vigil for tomorrow night. "I'm from northern Virginia and I came up here for school. When it got to be April I knew that the one-year anniversary would be coming up. I looked at the Brandeis calendar of events and I noticed there wasn't anything scheduled," she said. "I decided to talk to some of my friends who happen to be involved in student activism. They suggested I host an event myself." Cook said she contacted the student organization Democracy for America, which helped organize the event. Starting at 7 p.m. tomorrow, students will read a biography of each person killed in the massacre, hold a prayer service and conduct an open forum to discuss the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history. Cho cut down his victims in two attacks two hours apart before the university could grasp what was happening and warn students. The bloodbath ended with the gunman committing suicide. Thirty-two individual flames will be lit, one for each of the victims. "(Democracy for America) handles activism. I went to one of their meetings and they decided to sponsor me. I got some materials from them and I got some advice," she said. "I spoke to Father Walter Cuenin (a Brandeis chaplain) and he's going to be speaking at the vigil ... it doesn't just affect the Virginia Tech community, but college communities all over the nation." Since the killings, Brandeis University officials adopted a number of precautionary measures to ensure the safety of students. "Certainly Virginia Tech marked a very significant turning point for us wanting to look for as many measures to help best inform people on campus on what to do in the event of an eme…
creator: Jeff Gilbride
date: 2008-04-19
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
language: eng

46% of students feel unsafe, audit finds - Administrators rethink security measures in dorms
description: Issue date: 4/18/07 Section: News By Justin Hedani Ka Leo News Editor After what is being called the deadliest shooting in American history, the Virginia Tech shooting has many students questioning their safety - especially at the dorms. "Personally, I don't think there's enough security [at the dorms and] there's a lot of students [to oversee]," said Andrea W., a student at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa. The first report of killings was at West Ambler Johnston Hall, on Virginia Tech's campus, where a man and a woman were found dead in their dorm rooms. "I don't know, it kind of widens your scope," said Leigh Hokawa, a student residing at Gateway House, "[but] it doesn't affect me directly or scare me." According to the management audit conducted by State Auditor Marion Higa and the Office of the Auditor, "Forty-six percent of the students disagree with this statement: 'I feel safe on campus.'" While in the lower housing district, 43 percent of Noelani residents felt that they were "dissatisfied" with security and the safety of their belongings. "I don't think it's the fault about security," said Elias Allen, a Gateway suite resident. "I always lock my door; I'm not really worried." Allen also said if he saw someone suspicious, he would confront them and ask then what they were doing. Student services are working on ways to improve the safety and security for residents on campus. "We are putting electronic card access on all the doors in [Hale] Aloha, Wainani, Noelani and front doors only of remaining halls," said Laurie Furutani, interim housing director. Currently, security and housing staff are coordinating their efforts and security is providing training for resident staff members to make safety a priority. Neal Sakamoto, chief of security at UHM said that new screen windows will be put into all first floor dormitories so that it will be harder for burglars to get into rooms. "We've been working with the housing staff to improve doors and windows," Sakamoto…
creator: Justin Hedani
date: 2008-03-12
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Kumari Sherreitt <editor@kaleo.org>
language: eng

Vigil pays respect to Virginia Tech victims and families
description: By: Laura Fong | Freelance reporter | Issue date: 4/25/07 Section: News In honor of the 33 lives lost during the Virginia Tech shooting on April 16, University students and community members held a candlelight vigil in the Erb Memorial Union Amphitheater on Monday night. Tea lights dotted the photographs of the 33 victims that lined the bottom step of the amphitheater. Attendees quietly lit candles and wrote their thoughts to the victims' friends and families on white pieces of paper that would later be sent to Virginia Tech. University junior and family and human services major Jory Card organized the event through a Facebook group commemorating the victims of last week's shooting. "These people are just like us - they could be your friends, your family," Card said to the crowd of about 60 attendees. "This is a time to be quiet with your friends and honor those who were lost." --- Watch video from the vigil --- University senior and journalism major Meghan Hilliard heard out about the event from Card, who is her roommate. Hilliard said she had a "reality check" when Card brought home the stack of 33 photographs of the victims later used for the vigil. "The fact that the pictures take up the whole first row of our EMU amphitheater, I think is astounding," Hilliard said. "It's a real eye-opening visual because we hear of the 33 victims, but to see them is really impacting." Lane Community College freshman Elizabeth Ashworth said she came to the vigil to pay respect to the Virginia Tech students and faculty. "I realize how short life is and that it can be taken away, just like these people here," Ashworth said. Ashworth heard about the vigil from her friend Megan Funke, a University freshman and psychology major, who also emphasized the importance of paying her respects to those affected by the shooting. "If my friends were gone like this tomorrow, I don't know what I would do; it's such a huge tragedy." Funke said. "There are a lot of people whose lives (the victims)…
creator: Laura Fong (Author)/Amber Mees (Photo)
date: 2008-02-19
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Judy Riedl <jriedl@uoregon.edu>
language: eng

Public Safety Takes Over as Card-Swipers
description: PUBLISHED APRIL 17, 2007 Beginning today and lasting at least through the end of the semester, students will no longer work as card-swipers at the front desks of on-campus residences and Lerner Hall. The change, announced yesterday, came in response to Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech University and is aimed at increasing security. According to Rosemary Keane, assistant vice president for communications in the Division of Student Services, students currently working at those desks will be reassigned and will not become unemployed. Columbia University public safety officers will take their card-swiping jobs. "In response to Virginia Tech, our goal was to make sure that we have uniformed officers in each residence hall and in Lerner for the rest of the semester for added security precautions," Lisa Hogarty, executive vice president for Student and Administrative Services, said last night. One student, who was working at the front desk of Lerner Hall last night and declined to be named for fear of losing her job, said that she felt the move would have little impact on security. "I don't like the idea of turnstiles, anyways," she said, noting that two of the three turnstiles were broken and that anybody can walk through without swiping. "If people really want to get into the building, they'll find a way." In an e-mail sent to Columbia students last night, Hogarty announced that there will be a candlelight vigil at the sundial tonight at 9 p.m. in remembrance of the 33 students who died during the shooting. University Chaplain Jewelnel Davis is scheduled to speak. The University has also extended today's office hours for Counseling and Psychological Services until 11 p.m. today. "The entire Columbia University community mourns the loss of these individuals and we send our prayers and condolences to their friends and families and to all the students, staff and faculty at Virginia Tech," Hogarty wrote in the e-mail. -- Original Source: Columbia Spectator http://www.colu…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-17
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)
language: eng

Massacre at V.T. affects colleges across nation
description: As Tulane officials rethink security policies, some Tulane students express personal grief over Monday's events By: Marta Dehmlow Posted: 4/20/07 Students at Virginia Tech and all over the nation will remember April 16 as a day that shattered the security of college campuses everywhere. "How do you have openness and accessibility and make sure the campus is as safe as possible?" Tulane University president Scott Cowen asked in an April 18 interview with the Hullabaloo. "Campuses are sacred ground." This "sacred ground" was desecrated, however, when Cho Seung-Hui, a 22-year-old senior at Virginia Tech, shot and killed 32 students and injured 26 more before turning his gun on himself. The largest school shooting in history has torn apart the Virginia Tech college community in Blacksburg, Va., leaving college students nationwide doubtful about the security of their own institutions. "It can happen anywhere," senior neuroscience major Jen Velarde said. "Crazy people are out there. It can happen so easily; there's such a fine line. As much as you secure a building, if a student is going to do this, it can happen." And it has happened a number of times before, university officials said. "This is not really an isolated incident," Tulane University Police Department director Ken Dupaquier said, citing past shootings on college campuses. "People think that it hasn't happened before or in a long time, but it has." Nationwide, college students empathizing with their Virginia Tech counterparts have demonstrated their solidarity. Jonathan Horner, a senior microbiology major who has several close friends at Virginia Tech, showed support for the affected school by changing his facebook picture to one saying "Today we are all Hokies," referring to Virginia Tech's mascot. He, like many other college students, also joined a facebook group memorializing the victims. "I also called and messaged all my friends," he said. "I told them I'm praying for them and their school." Other student…
creator: Marta Dehmlow
date: 2007-08-08
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Dickson, Drew D." <ddickson@tulane.edu>
language: eng

Task Force to better secure OSU campus
description: By: Alaina Busch Posted: 4/30/07 Representatives from Ohio's colleges and universities will meet today as part of a statewide effort to address campus security issues and concerns. Today's meeting is the first for the Campus Security Task Force, formed at the request of Gov. Ted Strickland after the Virginia Tech shootings. "The effort is to ensure the communication and response efforts are better than adequate,"said Strickland spokesman Keith Dailey. The Ohio Board of Regents organized the discussion-based group composed of more than 70 representatives from Ohio's public and private colleges and universities. The representatives will meet by videoconference at eight sites throughout the state, including the Ohio Supercomputer Center in Columbus. The Board of Regents is a nine-member panel that coordinates higher education policy in Ohio and makes recommendations to the governor and General Assembly. Chancellor of Higher Education Eric Fingerhut said each university's president and board of trustees are legally responsible for their campus safety. He said the task force will first identify the best practices available and then decide what the state can do to be more helpful. "There is value in sharing plans," Fingerhut said. The task force will compare safety practices and recommend future actions to the governor based on their findings. Depending on how the group's ideas evolve, the outcome could include a statewide coordination of safety practices or a legislation proposal, said Fingerhut. Rick Amweg, assistant chief of University Police, and Todd Stewart, director of OSU's program for International and Homeland Security, represent OSU along with students Sean McKinniss and Jamie Levine. "Students are on the front line in the efforts to prevent," Fingerhut said. "Students bring a very important perspective to this." Levine, a first-year MBA student, said it is important to compare resources and share ideas. "The causes are bigger than one university," she said, ci…
creator: Alaina Busch
publisher: The Lantern
date: 2007-08-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>
language: eng

Shooting proves need for gun control laws
description: By: Joe Bialek Posted: 5/2/07 The shooting crisis at Virginia Tech has once again sparked the debate about gun control. The second amendment of the United States Constitution states: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." Obviously the need for a state militia has been replaced by the National Guard and Coast Guard whereby trained military personnel are entrusted with the defense of this country against domestic enemies. Their weapons are tightly controlled and safeguarded. The only two reasons for a citizen to own a firearm are for hunting or defense of the household from intruders. In either case, ownership of a handgun, shotgun or shoulder rifle is more than adequate to satisfy these purposes. There is absolutely no need for any U.S. civilian to own any weapon more powerful or sophisticated than these. Accordingly, all handguns, shotguns and shoulder rifles must be licensed and registered to the degree necessary to match weapon to owner at the click of a computer key. Furthermore, if we had prohibited the purchase of more sophisticated weapons, several innocent victims would not have died at the hands of Cho Seung-Hui. Joe Bialek Cleveland, Ohio -- Original Source:The Lantern - May 2, 2007
creator: Joe Bialek
date: 2007-08-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>
language: eng

Gun licenses safe choice
description: By: Karl Spaulding Posted: 5/7/07 When Florida liberalized its restrictive and disjointed system of concealed carry laws in 1987, many states followed suit. In each case, naysayers predicted everything from "blood in the streets" to "parking lot shootouts." Just as regularly, after each state changed the law to allow more law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns, the results were peacefully anticlimactic. Within a year or so after a law changed, a law enforcement or political figure would be quoted in an article admitting they were surprised that there had been no major problems. Now after the Virginia Tech shootings, there are those wanting concealed carry to be allowed on college campuses. I've wanted this for ages, not as an "answer" to mass shootings (there is no single answer), but because it would further improve the safety of individuals who are legal to carry elsewhere in Ohio. Predictably, the naysayers are still at work. They claim the same tragic consequences as they always have, aggravated by our youthful population and the abuse of alcohol. One of the arguments that keeps popping up is that "everyone will have a gun." They expect us to believe that the most irresponsible students will start carrying guns while drunk, wreaking havoc in our residence halls and classrooms. What they don't mention is that in Ohio the minimum age for a concealed handgun license is 21. Plus, applicants have to take a 12-hour training course. At most, only around 4 to 5 percent of state populations obtain gun carry permits. Plus, schools could still be allowed to ban guns from their residence halls. I could state that these predictions are balderdash, but there is a better way to show this: real life results. "Campus carry" already exists. Utah is the only state that specifically allows licensed gun carriers on college campuses. Until just recently, the administration of the University of Utah banned legally concealed guns, but a decision from the Utah Supreme Court fo…
creator: Karl Spaulding
publisher: The Lantern
date: 2007-08-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>
language: eng

Summit reviews campus safety
description: By: Benjamin Lammers Posted: 8/7/07 More than 350 representatives from Ohio's universities met at Ohio State's Fawcett Center last week to discuss school safety and the state of security and disaster response. Following the shootings at Virginia Tech last spring, Gov. Ted Strickland created a task force to look at the disaster preparedness of Ohio's universities. The task force, composed of representatives from Ohio's schools, has been meeting regularly to review campus safety and advise the governor on campus security. The Ohio College Campus Safety and Security Summit was a result of the task force's recommendations. Security experts from a number of schools spoke at the summit, including Col. Steven Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police. Strickland said in a press release campus security in Ohio is the primary responsibility of the state's schools. He asked how the state of Ohio can assist college campuses to improve security and safety in both public and private universities. Ohio Board of Regents Chancellor Eric Fingerhut said universal participation, including professors and students, is needed to maintain public safety. "We have learned that there is no simple cookie-cutter solution that fits all, and that we shouldn't expect that there are any simple, one-size-fits-all, quick fixes when it comes to this issue," he said in a press release. Ohio's colleges and universities were directed to complete the "Ohio Campus Security Checklist" for the Board of Regents by Aug. 24, which will outline actions each university needs to take during the long haul to improve security. Questions in the checklist include coordination, communication, support mobilization to disasters and protocols for identifying and addressing dangerous behavior by students, faculty and staff. Todd Stewart, director of the OSU Program for International and Homeland Security, said the purpose of the summit was not to focus only on shooting scenarios and acts of violence, but to in…
creator: Benjamin Lammers
publisher: The Lantern
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>
language: eng

Sympathy resounds in wake of VT tragedy
description: By:Editorial Board Posted: 4/17/07 On Monday April 16, 32 Virginia Tech students were killed in a tragic shooting incident. The Miami Student editorial board is shocked and deeply saddened by this abhorrent act, and our thoughts and prayers go out to the friends and family members of those affected. While law enforcement and rescue personnel responded quickly to the scene, the random, senseless nature of this act can leave students with a sense of helplessness. Nonetheless, while it is virtually impossible to prevent all random acts of violence, universities must continue to work with local police departments in order to ensure that contingency plans are in place and that there are effective lines of communication between the administration and students during times of emergency. Universities face a difficult challenge between maintaining safety and fostering a relaxed and open academic environment for students. This tension between security and freedom will likely be reevaluated in the months ahead as schools consider ways they can prevent catastrophes like this from happening in the future. It is important that Miami University's campus remains one that feels open, even as any potential security updates are made. Based upon preliminary reports, there have been criticisms, warranted or not, leveled at the Virginia Tech administration for failing to adequately communicate with students as events were unfolding. On a campus the size of Miami's, such communication is a difficult task, but a rapid e-mail response and the use of a special warning siren or PA system might be feasible options for signaling a campus-wide lockdown. Even so, while contingency plans can and should be implemented, no amount of preparedness can avert all disasters. Local law enforcement must be familiar with their operating procedures and able to coordinate their efforts with surrounding forces. Moreover, they must be adequately equipped to stabilize a situation until larger, more specialized l…
creator: Editorial Boards
publisher: The Miami Student
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Skotzko, Stacey Nicole" <skotzksn@muohio.edu>
language: eng

Grieving nation copes with tragedy
description: 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, accord…
creator: Andrew FitzGerald
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
description: 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.…
creator: Kate Davies
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
description: 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 maratho…
creator: Evelyn Ratigan
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Shooting raises questions of safety
description: Is UM prepared for a similar emergency? By: Karyn Meshbane // Assistant News Editor Posted: 4/20/07 Monday morning's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, the deadliest such incident in American history, has forced colleges and universities around the country, including the University of Miami, to reevaluate on-campus security. Once news broke of Monday's events, UM's Police Department and administrators reacted within hours. President Donna E. Shalala sent out a statement on Monday afternoon to all students concerning the Virginia Tech tragedy and spoke of a crisis plan, while David A. Rivero, director of public safety, increased police presence in order to avert a possible copycat incident. "We immediately communicated with everybody that's on our emergency response plan so that everybody knew what was happening," Rivero said. "We increased our force by doubling the amount of cops, and we hired extra security guards to give students, faculty and UM employees an extra sense of safety." Rivero traveled to Tallahassee on Monday for a meeting with all police chiefs from the ACC schools to discuss security concerns and plans at the other universities. Officers from the Coral Gables Police Department have also been hired to patrol campus. Security Response Three weeks ago, Rivero met with SG President Danny Carvajal and decided to create the University of Miami Police Advisory Board. Rivero said the advisory board would revolve around student participation to offer an alternate perspectives on possible security vulnerabilities. Carvajal appointed Matthew Shpiner, vice president of operations for the 'Canes Emergency Response (a organization comprised of students who assist the university in times of disaster preparation and recovery), as the chair of the University of Miami Police Advisory Board. Shpiner plans to have an official meeting this week to discuss the board's goals and plan a response to the Virginia Tech shootings. Alan Fish, the vice president of Business Serv…
creator: Karyn Meshbane
publisher: The Miami Hurricane
date: 2007-08-09
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Greg Linch <greglinch@gmail.com>
language: eng

What went wrong at Blacksburg?
description: By: Jason Javie Posted: 4/20/07 The Virginia Tech tragedy will continue to resonate for some time to come, and rightly so. Many questions surrounding last Monday's events are yet to be answered, and must be in order for the grieving victims and families to move on from the horror that was April 16th, 2007. To be fair, there has been no official statement concretely outlining the events of that fateful Monday morning, although what has been pieced together speaks to a rather shabbily-handled situation. Why was there a delay in the excess of two hours following the first incident before students were notified? Why had President Charles Stegler not declared a campus-wide emergency and locked the school down? Why were students in the classrooms at Norris Hall at 9:10 a.m. trying to make sense of a vague e-mail informing them of the shooting? The only precautionary measure taken by the campus security apparatus prior to 9 a.m. was to lock down the site of the first incident. Shortly after, an e-mail was sent advising the University community of the incident, recommending caution, and instructing them to contact police with any information. Less than one hour later, the gunman reemerged to massacre 30 people in a nearby classroom. One cannot help but ponder if, had more decisive initiatives been taken, many of the deaths and injuries could have been preventable. Freak tragedy, yes-unmanageable, no. As the president of Virginia Tech, Mr. Stegler is responsible for the safety of students during emergencies. In the words of Dr. Sharon Javie, former professor of Marketing at LaSalle University, "It is unconscionable that [Stegler] did not lock the campus down after the first two students were shot. You either apprehend the suspect, or you shut the campus down." I can't say I disagree. While impossible to predict the first shootings, Mr. Stegler has indicated that he thought the first killings were simply the result of a domestic dispute and that the gunman had fled campus. Ev…
creator: Jason Javie
publisher: The Miami Hurricane
date: 2007-08-09
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Dominick Tao <dtao@alligator.org>
language: eng

Campus security in the wake of Va Tech
description: By: WSN Staff Posted: 4/17/07 The shooting yesterday at Virginia Tech was shocking, particularly because of its enormous death toll - 33 students were killed in the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history. Our condolences go out to Virginia Tech and the friends and families of the victims. While it was an isolated incident that took place far away from NYU, Public Safety is nonetheless beefing up security in response, doubling and tripling up on patrols, with all officers advised to be on "high alert." This in turn prompts us to ask, "How would NYU respond to a similar event?" From the few details that have emerged from Virginia Tech, it appears that the assailant shot and killed two people in a dormitory before moving on to another part of campus, where two hours later he killed 30 others, then himself. It's important to note that the gunman was not a student. So, from that larger question comes two others: Would a shooter still be on the loose two hours later? And would current security policies limit the ability of a nonstudent to commit such a crime? Clearly, having students flash their IDs poses no deterrent for a rampaging gunman - but there's little that can be done about that. Public safety officers at NYU are equipped with a red button on their walkie-talkies that sends an emergency signal to the central station - should central station determine that an emergency is taking place, the New York Police Department would be notified. Direct intervention by campus security officers is frowned upon, and for good reason - without the proper equipment, they too could easily become victims. But the inherent lag time in this emergency system is somewhat disconcerting, given that the packed halls of the Silver Center could produce dozens of victims in just a few moments. That said, given the nature of our Washington Square "campus," it's unlikely a gunman would be able to continue on his way two hours later. Though this sort of event is seemingly random, we'd like …
creator: WSN Staff
publisher: Washington Square News
date: 2007-08-08
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Alvin Chang, WSN" <editor@nyunews.com>
language: eng

Public Safety assures senate of campus' safety
description: By: Sergio Hernandez Posted: 4/20/07 The University Senate adjourned for the academic year yesterday after meeting to address a number of campus-wide issues including a report on NYU's emergency preparedness in the wake of Monday's Virginia Tech University shootings. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT Public Safety vice president Jules Martin and emergency management director Jim Kerr delivered a report on emergency preparation and response at NYU, informing the senate of the measures in place to handle campus emergencies. Martin lauded NYU's Office of Public Safety, calling it "second to none" in terms of campus security and emphasizing the importance of strong partnerships with outside agencies such as Federal Emergency Management Agency or the city's Office of Emergency Management. Kerr's presentation, meanwhile, outlined NYU's "emergency plan," which he said would emphasize the importance of "communication, mobilization and action" when responding to campus emergencies. Following Kerr's presentation, John Lee, a student senator from the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education and Human Development, voiced his concern about NYU's safety priorities. Specifically, Lee used the example of Cho Seung-Hui, the Virginia Tech student who killed at least 33 people - including himself - in a shooting spree at that campus on Monday. Lee, who cited what he called a lack of community at NYU, said he believed a Virginia Tech situation could also arise at NYU and that the university's plans focused too much on response rather than prevention. GREEN ACTION PLAN Lynne Brown and Alison Leary, co-chairs of NYU's Environmental Sustainability Task Force, delivered a report to the senate on the university's Green Action Plan - the series of environmental-responsibility initiatives it announced last fall. Brown said the Task Force would deliver a full report to the university community by the end of the semester, which would include an update on the university's Sustainability Fund. In February, the…
creator: Sergio Hernandez
publisher: Washington Square News
date: 2007-08-08
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: "Alvin Chang, WSN" <editor@nyunews.com>
language: eng

What if it happened here?
description: The violence on the campus at Virginia Tech draws attention to the emergency procedures and prevention tactics at the University Matt Dickey and Catherine Conkle, Cavalier Daily Associate Editors Days after students at Virginia Tech struggled to defend themselves in the face of the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history, students at the University can't help but ask a simple, unanswerable question: what if it happened here? According to University officials, who say they are admittedly shaken by Monday's shootings, procedures are in place to deal with similar situations on Grounds. Yet administrators now take on the difficult task of reevaluating safety measures and finding ways to prevent an event like this from happening at the University. U.Va. responds in the aftermath In addition to helping Virginia Tech by offering security and psychological services to Virginia Tech, the University has also steps taken to ensure security on Grounds. "We have done several things in response to the Tech incident," said Susan Harris, assistant to the executive vice president and chief operating officer. "We yesterday increased the number of police officers patrolling ... Grounds and put police and security on high alert for anything suspicious." Although University administrators did consider canceling classes Monday, the administration decided that security concerns did not call for cancellation. "We did not see any increased security risk at U.Va. that would warrant [cancellation of classes] for security reasons," Harris said. Harris also said administrators felt that classes could provide and outlet for students to deal with emotional reactions to the shootings. "Being in class and discussing this with faculty members was a very effective way of dealing with and processing this kind of incident," she said. University spokesperson Carol Wood echoed this sentiment. "Class offers a safe environment where students could come together to talk if they needed," Wood said, adding t…
creator: Matt Dickey and Catherine Conkle
publisher: The Cavalier Daily
date: 2007-07-31
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Meggie Bonner <meggiebonner@gmail.com>
language: eng

Virginia Tech panel discusses prevention strategies
description: Experts in fields of security, law and mental health comprise panel; victims' families voice reactions Daniel Colbert, Cavalier Daily Senior Writer Thursday, April 19, while the nation was still coming to grips with the tragedy that had unfolded in Blacksburg three days earlier, Gov. Tim Kaine created an eight-member panel of experts in the fields of security, law and mental health to investigate fully what had gone wrong and what could be done to help prevent a similar incident in the future. Last Wednesday, the panel held what was to be its last public meeting -- it has since been announced that another will follow -- at the University. While the panel heard testimony on topics as wide-ranging as community mental health services and gun control laws, much of the discussion centered on the unique challenges faced in servicing and protecting a college population. Beyond "lockdown" As schools consider the most efficient and safe methods for responding to threats such as an active shooter on campus, lockdowns are a common solution. In fact, much of the panel's discussion of security procedures focused on the appropriateness and plausibility of a campus-wide lockdown; however, all of the law enforcement experts who testified at the meeting in Charlottesville suggested that responding to such an event is not so simple. "I think we have this impression that we hit a switch and everything is locked and everything is secure, and that is not the case," said Don Challis, chief of police at the College of William & Mary. Challis testified that a lockdown creates a "target-rich environment" in the academic buildings where students congregate. He instead recommended that colleges advise students to take refuge in their own rooms or other safe places. Challis emphasized that colleges need to make it clear in advance what would be expected of students in a crisis situation. "Hope is not a plan," Challis said. "We can't hope that when something happens these people hang on our wor…
creator: Daniel Colbert
date: 2007-07-31
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Meggie Bonner <meggiebonner@gmail.com>
language: eng

University safety procedures leave students in the dark
description: Forum | Claire Morgenstern The day following the Virginia Tech shootings, a message from President Cohon was sent out via e-mail outlining procedures for seeking psychological counseling and reassuring us that we had security on campus. The university wished to provide reassurance that "it couldn't happen here." Two days later, on April 19, Carnegie Mellon endured its own potential nightmare. A graduate student was apprehended by police with a three-foot-tall, torpedo-shaped metal cylinder in the backseat of his car behind Smith Hall. Police determined that the object was benign — though they would not, or could not, reveal what it was used for. Not exactly a reassuring scenario. The entire incident lasted less than two hours, and most students were blissfully unaware of it. Officials sent out no e-mail warning, issued no official evacuation or lockdown order. Even now, after 10 days, Official Communications has yet to explain the incident or reassure the campus. No press release has been posted on our own university website, though Media Relations spent hours in the wake of the incident talking to local TV and newspaper reporters, presumably to ensure they had the latest information. University Police literally hung up the phone when asked for information. Despite the horrific events at Virginia Tech and all that we had supposedly "learned" there, Carnegie Mellon made precisely the same potential mistake — cutting off communication to the campus community. President Cohon's post-Virginia Tech e-mail was similarly ambiguous. Serving more as a liability waiver than an instructional tool, it put the burden on students to seek help in an effort to return to normalcy. Cohon and the administration should first hold up their end of the deal by ensuring campus saftey through effective communication instead of arbitrarily offering counseling. That e-mail also linked to an obscure university website that — who knew? — outlined campus safety procedures. This site, ehs…
creator: Claire Morgenstern
publisher: The Tartan
date: 2007-07-31
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Shawn Wertz <swertz@andrew.cmu.edu>
language: eng