Support beyond words
description: UNC community feels connected to Va. Tech Hokie maroon and orange dotted the solemn crowd Tuesday night as hundreds from the Carolina community turned out in support of their peers at Virginia Tech. At a candlelight vigil organized by three UNC students from Northern Virginia, students, faculty and residents gathered in the Pit, on its steps and stood 10 deep in places outside it, many sporting ribbons with Va. Tech colors. Speakers and audience members expressed the need for community, both within UNC and also with all college students nationwide. "This is the time when, for all our words, we are speechless, when our fears trump our hopes," said Jan Rivero, campus minister of the Wesley Campus Ministry. "It is times like this when we need each other the most." Counselors from Counseling and Wellness were circulating the crowd in case of a need. Students were invited to write messages on posters that will be sent to Va. Tech. The posters will be in the Pit until the end of this week. Messages ranged from expressions of love for specific individuals to solidarity with the "Hokie nation" to "It could have been us" - an idea that seemed to be on the minds of many. "Virginia Tech is a lot like Carolina," said Margaret Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, citing traits ranging from campus geography to each school's rabid sports fans. These similarities caused many students to wonder if a situation similar to the tragic shooting by a Va. Tech senior characterized as a loner that left 33 dead - including the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui - could happen here. "No campus is immune from what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech," Chancellor James Moeser said in a Tuesday press release addressed to the Carolina community. "Just as we always do in the wake of a security issue on this campus, we also will learn from the Va. Tech tragedy." Stephanie Berman, Skylar Gudas and Alison Linas, the Northern Virginia natives who organized the event, led the gathering in lighting candl…
creator: Allison Nichols
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Resilient Hokies try to pick up pieces
description: Thousands honor fallen, rally hope BLACKSBURG, Va. - Resounding cries of "Lets go Hokies!" echoed off the walls of Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday, capturing the mix of grief and pride that marked Virginia Tech's first full day of coping with the aftermath of Monday's massacre. The basketball stadium was filled with shouting students and community members, clad in the orange and maroon reminiscent of a Hokie Homecoming rally. Only minutes earlier, the room had been silent. The campus and the community gathered at the coliseum for a Convocation to mourn the deaths of the 33 students and faculty members who died Monday. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended the event, along with all of Virginia's congressmen, Gov. Tim Kaine and his wife, members of the university board of visitors, members of the clergy, poet and Va. Tech professor Nikki Giovanni and local officials. "For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were OK," Bush said. "I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you a parent's love is never far from their child's heart." The 10,000-seat arena reached capacity about 20 minutes before the event began at 2 p.m. Several thousand people also camped out in Lane Stadium to watch the ceremony on the JumboTron, filling the football field and parts of the stands. Many students rested their heads on friends' shoulders and cried as speakers took the stage. The Convocation marked the first time the Tech community was brought together after learning that a senior English major, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, was responsible for the shootings. "How can we know if something like this will happen again?" junior Brandon Campion questioned. "That's like everyone here." Later Tuesday night, as students gathered on the campus' sprawling Drillfield for a candlelit vigil, a crowd of thousands stood silent for almost 10 minutes. …
creator: Erin France, Eric Johnson, Jessica Schonberg and Alexandria Shealy
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Professor who died in tragedy worked at UNC
description: Christopher James Bishop, known as Jamie in his five years at UNC, was killed Monday in the tragedy that left 33 dead on the campus of Virginia Tech. He was 35. Bishop worked as an academic technology liaison at UNC from 2000 until 2005 with the Office of Arts & Sciences Information Services. He also taught an intermediate German course in 2004. He left UNC to become an adjunct instructor of German and a technology trainer with the Faculty Development Institute at Va. Tech. He was leading a class in introductory German at about 9:50 a.m. Monday when the gunman aimed at his head and fired, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. "Jamie's thoughtfulness, energy and laughter made him a wonderful peer and friend to many," his former co-workers said in a collective statement. "His legacy continues to shape the education of thousands of students to this day." Bishop first was hired at UNC as a temporary employee in 2000, his former supervisor, Jason Li, said. Bishop later was hired as a full-time employee, working with instructors in language departments and providing one-on-one training in computer applications. "He was such a motivated, dedicated employee," Li said. Charlie Green, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning at Information Technology Services, looked back fondly on his time working with Bishop. "He was a creative thinker," Green said. "He was someone who saw technology as a creative tool." One innovation of Bishop's was a way to record students' language practice through laptops. Previously, students had to tape-record their practice and physically bring the tape to their instructor, Green said. Bishop crafted a software package to record and send the practice digitally - which is of much higher quality and much more efficient. But Bishop's value was more than just in his work. "He cared about people," Green said. "He would spend a lot of time making sure people he worked with had everything they needed." Green said this aspect of his personality i…
creator: Andrew Dunn
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Virginia Tech appreciates support from UNC friends
description: TO THE EDITOR: I am a Hokie. I finished my degree work at Virginia Tech in 1974, and in all these years, I have never regretted my choice to go to Blacksburg. I became the man that I am there. To have this ugly nightmare play out in my emotional home, is a desecration of my special place. The hurt, the disgust, is beyond my ability to express. We are Virginia Tech. I could not be more proud of the current generation of Hokies living and learning at Virginia Tech than I am today. The clarity of thought and action, the selflessness, the love for one another, the support, the unanimity of the University in the face of this "monumental horror," helps me and all VT grads everywhere. I can see where this current generation of Hokies is growing up at Tech. We are the Hokie Nation. When we celebrate, we do it together. When we cry, we cry together. When we need to, we close ranks, hunker down, and face our problems together. And we help each other to keep on going. But as we do just that, we also wonder: Does anyone else even understand what is happening to us? My son is growing to manhood at UNC and has kept me informed of activities there. I have heard of the ribbons being worn, in maroon and orange. I have heard of the message posters being signed by so many of you, expressing support and love. And I have heard of your candlelight service, in memorial to those whose lives were snuffed out before being able to live our motto: "That I May Serve." I have passed news of this to my Hokie colleagues, and the effect on us is profound. You have touched where we live. You understand what is happening to us. We welcome our Carolina cousins into our family, into our nation, with open arms - and great thanks. We are the Hokie Nation. You are the Hokie Nation. For today, we are ALL Hokies. Damon Wilson Virginia Tech Class of 1974
creator: Damon Wilson
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Safety forum turns to Va. Tech shooting
description: The focus of a discussion between public safety officials on area crime issues quickly turned to Virginia Tech at the 2007 Chapel Hill-Carrboro-Orange County Forum sponsored by WCHL. The forum was intended as an opportunity to discuss local issues, but the Monday shootings left leaders reflective. Chapel Hill has experienced similar incidents on a smaller scale, such as when alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove through the Pit in March 2006, injuring nine students, and the 1995 Wendell Williamson shooting, in which a law student opened fire on Franklin Street, killing two and injuring two others, including a Chapel Hill police officer. "This community can associate somewhat with the community of Blacksburg because we've come so close ourselves," said Dan Jones, Chapel Hill fire chief. Interim Chapel Hill police Chief Maj. Brian Curran said he also noted the similarities between the two campuses. "It's something that we're afraid could have happened here." Panelists discussed the town's preparedness to handle such an event if something similar was to happen at UNC. Jones noted how difficult it would be to secure the campus. He said every exit door to every building would need to be guarded, in addition to every intersection, sidewalk and open area. "It's easy to see that in a matter of minutes you'd need over 1,000 officers to close off the campus," Jones said. "That'd be just about every officer in Orange, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties on any given day." Capt. Charles Blackwood, of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said he felt the Va. Tech emergency response was the best it could have been given the magnitude of the tragedy. "I think they did as good a job as they can, and I think we would do the same," Blackwood said. "You try to have a good plan in place, and you hope you can respond in such a situation." Many of the participants noted how failures in addressing mental health issues lead to safety issues, both for the individual and for the town residents…
creator: Sara Gregory
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Universities mull privacy
description: BLACKSBURG, Va. - The revelation that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui had a documented history of psychological problems is likely to intensify an already heated debate about how campuses handle troubled students. A number of high-profile court cases in recent years have centered on the constraints and responsibilities university officials confront in deciding whether to take pre-emptive action on behalf of at-risk students. Christopher Flynn, director of the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, alluded to that difficulty in discussing Cho's history of strange behavior. "There are lots of issues that are present on a college campus," Flynn said during a Wednesday press conference. "The extent to which we can make a judgment about whether someone is a danger is a separate issue." For universities, it is an issue fraught with moral and legal complications. Officials have to balance concern for campus safety with an obligation to protect individual privacy, often with vague guidelines. "Schools walk a real fine line," said Johnne Armentrout, assistant director of counseling services at Wake Forest University. "The tricky thing is that they face lawsuits on both sides, either from not doing enough or from violating their students' privacy rights." Federal law prohibits universities from revealing a student's psychological problems, even to parents, unless they have a signed waiver or believe the student poses an imminent danger to himself or others. Deciding when to break that confidentiality is difficult, but universities typically have erred on the side of protecting student privacy. In recent cases, universities have prevailed in court against parents arguing that they should have been better informed about their children's psychological problems. "When in doubt, my decision is to respect the student's right to privacy," said David McCord, head of the psychology department at Western Carolina University. "The students' right to privacy is mandatory training f…
creator: Erin France and Eric Johnson
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

High schoolers still in shock
description: The shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday hit too close to home for some students and faculty at both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools high schools. Many said they worried that several recent graduates of East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill high schools who now attend Virginia Tech could have been victims, but no alumni are among those reported dead. "There's great sympathy among our students and concern for graduates from our schools who may have been attending Virginia Tech and to get in contact with the person and make sure they're safe," said Stephanie Knott, assistant to the superintendent for community relations for the district. Linda Klemmer, counseling department chairwoman at Chapel Hill High, said students and faculty expressed anxiety about alumni. "There was some concern for students that had siblings and friends at Virginia Tech," she said. "I got a sense of sadness and shock," she added, as she described the students' moods in wake of the incident. Her department is open to students who want to talk to someone about the shootings, she said. Owen McDonnell, a freshman at Virginia Tech and graduate of Chapel Hill High, was one of the people those at home worried about. "A lot of people were saying they tried to call me and couldn't," he said. McDonnell traveled back to Chapel Hill late Tuesday to be with family after Monday's tragedy struck his campus, but he said he's eager to get back to the daily grind of classes. "I think it's important to get back to normal after having a week to grieve," he said. But students at one of the district's high schools already have experienced gun violence on campus. Last April, William Barrett Foster, then a student at East Chapel Hill High, took social studies teacher Lisa Kukla and student Chelsea Slegal hostage after school. Kukla and Slegal eventually were able to talk to Foster, and they convinced him to shoot out a window instead of killing them. Knott said last year's incident helped calm students' and faculty's fe…
creator: Sara Hood
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Campus copes as details come in
description: BLACKSBURG, Va. - A steady stream of breaking news added to the tension on Virginia Tech's campus Wednesday following the Monday deaths of 33 students and faculty. An afternoon press conference revealed that NBC News received a package containing what network officials described as a "multimedia manifesto" from Cho Seung-Hui, the student definitively identified as the gunman in one of two shootings Monday. "Upon reception of this correspondence, NBC News immediately notified authorities," Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty said. "This may be a very new, critical component of this investigation." Authorities still were evaluating the materials Wednesday night, even as NBC began to release images and videos taken by Cho. Students gasped and whispered "Oh my god" as television screens flashed an image of Cho posing menacingly with two handguns raised at eye level. The videos portray the intense anger of an individual whose exact motives still are unclear. Cho assigned blame for the massacre to his victims, claiming that he "died like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of weak and defenseless people." He called his victims "snobs" and suggested the source of his rage was the privilege and materialism that he saw in his classmates. "Your trust funds wasn't enough," he said, sitting in front of a plain cinder-block wall and appearing to read from a script. "Your vodka and cognac wasn't enough. All your debaucheries weren't enough." The release of the video capped an already uneasy day. Even two days after the shootings, and with a dwindling number of students on campus, the community remained on edge. Early in the day, a swarm of police and media descended on Burruss Hall after a Va. Tech operator received a threat on university President Charles Steger's life. The building was secured by police and a report of a suspicious person came in amid the confusion, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "These kinds of reports are not uncommon in the…
creator: Erin France and Eric Johnson
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Students view tragedy from afar
description: SEVILLE, Spain - The news of the 33 deaths in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday spread a sobering cloud over the UNC students studying in this traditional Spanish city. Here, where the streets still shut down for the sacred midday siesta, students have pulled themselves away from the news on their computers and have begun to speak with foreign friends and host families about the Virginia Tech shootings. In places around the world, UNC students are seeing the foreign reaction to the violence at home. Some of the 436 University students abroad have found that the attacks did not surprise their non-American acquaintances as much as they surprised themselves. "This has happened so many times in the U.S.," said Kristin Haug, a student from Oslo, Norway, in reference to the Columbine shooting. "It's just so weird that it's still so easy to get a weapon." Her friends, all Norwegians in Spain for the semester, nodded in agreement outside the school building they share with UNC students. International media have spotlighted the shootings. On Wednesday, two days after 23-year-old senior Cho Seung-Hui opened fire on Va. Tech's campus, the events were still on the front pages of newspapers in Paris, Dublin, London, Israel, Turkey, Dubai and Iran. But the impact has not resounded with most foreigners in the same way it's hit Americans abroad. Norwegian students here called the shootings, with no intentional callousness, "typically American." Michael Turner, a junior from Elizabeth City, first heard of the shootings when he turned on Al Jazeera in Jordan. He stated in an e-mail that local coverage depicted the violence as part of a trend. "I don't expect it comes off that way in American media, and it certainly doesn't in my mind," he stated. UNC sophomore Rosanne Niforos, a former advertising representative for The Daily Tar Heel, was in Puebla, Mexico, when she saw news about the shootings online. Lacking her cell phone, she waited for a friend at Va. Tech to change his Facebook.com s…
creator: Julie Turkewitz
publisher: Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Wake of shooting tragedy is not time to point blame
description: TO THE EDITOR: I attended the vigil for Virginia Tech Tuesday night, and it was extremely touching. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Monday's shooting. It is times like this when we ask ourselves how someone could even be capable of carrying out such an event. However, the one thing that this is not a time for is playing the blame game. The day of the shooting, the media was already pointing fingers at whomever they possibly could. I've overheard some blaming society. I've heard some blame the president of Virginia Tech. And I've heard some blame gun control laws. There is a time and place for everything, and at this time, there is no place for politics or playing the blame game. It's a horrible disrespect to all those who died, who deserve our supporting thoughts and prayers, not our fingers in others' faces. Chris Buchheit Freshman Undecided -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
creator: Chris Buchheit
date: 2007-07-27
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Shawn Wertz <swertz@andrew.cmu.edu>
language: eng

UNC to get phone alerts
description: Text messages can notify police By: Katy Doll, Staff Writer Posted: 4/20/07 UNC officials are implementing a phone system that alerts campus police when students are in danger. Beginning this fall, the University will offer the Rave Guardian program, which uses a Global Positioning System timer to notify police of students' locations when needed. "You can set a timer on your phone that says: 'If I don't reset this timer, I want you to send a signal to campus police,'" said Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education. When the time expires, the phone alerts the student, and if it's not turned off, Rave contacts campus police, who can locate the phone using GPS technology. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, campus security is on everyone's mind, but UNC officials were planning to implement Rave Guardian before Monday's shootings. UNC officials are in negotiations with different providers and do not know the exact costs associated with purchasing the program. Hicks said the housing department plans to offer a reduced price on GPS phones to all on-campus students next year. There will be a push for incoming freshmen to buy the phones, which will be promoted at C-TOPS. The program is part of the Rave Wireless system, an existing service that allows students to receive text messages about Blackboard updates and bus routes. The service also has an emergency broadcasting system. "We could basically send out a broadcast message to all the users of the Rave system," said Brian Payst, director of technology and systems support for the division of student affairs. Students whose phones aren't equipped for the GPS program can use Rave's other features, such as emergency text messaging. Students can sign up at www.unc.edu/rave. Rave was established as a pilot program at UNC last summer with a group of about 20 students and now has 364 students, Payst said. The emergency system never has been used, but officials said they have completed tes…
creator: Katy Doll
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

State looks to review
description: Will examine campus security By: David Reynolds, Staff Writer Posted: 4/20/07 In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, school systems across the country are discussing new security measures to ensure that such a harrowing event never could be duplicated. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday that an independent review panel has been formed to analyze the circumstances surrounding Monday's shooting. Retired Virginia State police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill will be the head of the panel, which also will include Tom Ridge, the former U.S. secretary of homeland security. N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper also has called for a special task force in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigation, the UNC system, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities to look for improvements in campus emergency plans. "We'll be looking at issues such as guidelines for when to declare a campus lockdown, how to better communicate with students and faculty in a crisis and more ways to identify a potential shooter, along with many others," he said in a Wednesday press conference. Hope Williams, president of N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, said school administrators will choose a task force during the next 10 days. She said this task force will release a report within six months containing suggestions for the 2007 fall semester. The task force will not mandate changes, Williams said, because a one-size plan cannot fit different universities' needs. "I think the major question is one of modifying and adjusting existing emergency response plans as institutions feel it is necessary." Jeff Davies, the chief of staff for UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, said discussions already had begun concerning improvements in security before the Va. Tech incident, but the event has added impetus to the debate. "The decisions have been made to ensure that all residence halls will have card access, alarms and cameras," he said.…
creator: David Reynolds
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Students wear support on their sleeves
description: By: Amanda Younger, Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Ardent UNC men's basketball fans stood aghast at a January defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech, cringing at the sight of any reminder of their Virginian foes. But for one day, students traded their Tar Heel blue for Hokie maroon and orange. "Today we're all Hokies," senior Liz Oden said while donning Va. Tech colors Friday as part of National Orange and Maroon Effect Day. Organized by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the day was designed to honor the 32 victims of the April 16 campus shooting and to provide a sense of community for those attempting to return to normalcy after the tragedy. "It's one of the littlest things you can do," said Whitney Pilson, a sophomore communications major. "I was really proud of our community for binding together." Support will continue at noon today as students across the nation plan to commemorate the one-week anniversary of the tragedy with a moment of silence. Student Body President Eve Carson is encouraging UNC students to gather in the Pit for a moment of reflection. Chicago maroon and burnt orange - Va. Tech's school colors for more than a century - have become synonymous with the university. Orange and Maroon Effect Day began as a tradition to support the school's athletic teams, but Friday it became a way to unite alumni and students across the nation. "I have a lot of friends that go to Virginia Tech, and I felt that it was the least I could do," said Emily Bisker, a sophomore biology major. Carson said the tragedy has impacted the UNC community significantly on both a personal and institutional level. She said that the similarities between Va. Tech and UNC, including both schools' rabid sports fans and size, make the tragedy hit much closer to home. "The tragedy at Virginia Tech was so affecting for students across the nation because it could have happened anywhere," Carson said. Freshman George Drometer, whose friend was asleep in West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall wh…
creator: Amanda Younger
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Carson consoles in tragedy
description: New leader reaching out to Va. Tech By: Meghan E. Woods, Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Not even three weeks into her term, Student Body President Eve Carson has found herself trying to console both the UNC and Virginia Tech campuses. Hours after learning of the Va. Tech tragedy, in which 32 people were killed by a suicidal student gunman, Carson, along with student body presidents from other schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, formed an e-mail listserv to send messages of condolence to Va. Tech student government leaders. "Hearing the news was just so incredibly shocking," Carson said. "The listserv was a way of reaching out. In a moment of need, there's nothing like having someone to reach out to you." Carson said she hopes to expand the communication between the schools by encouraging UNC student leaders to reach out to their counterparts in Blacksburg. "We're asking people to send their counterparts an e-mail or a letter," Carson said. "Just something to let them know you're thinking about them. We thought it'd be important to show that we were caring about the Virginia Tech community." Carson said that the matchup program is a collaborative idea and that she has been motivated to reach out because of her experiences with the death of Jason Ray, the UNC senior who portrayed Rameses for three seasons . "When Jason Ray died, I received a number of letters from people expressing their sympathy," said Carson, who took office the week after Ray's death. "I thought it was so incredible. It's nice to know that others are with you and thinking of you." Carson also is talking to UNC athletics officials about putting Va. Tech emblems on baseball helmets and working with other ACC schools to coordinate a full-page advertisement in the Collegiate Times, the Va. Tech student newspaper, expressing support during the wake of the tragedy. Former Student Body President Seth Dearmin said communication among students was the path toward healing last March when nine people were…
creator: Meghan E. Woods
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Religious leaders defer in healing
description: Few mention Va. Tech during Sunday sermons By: Allison Nichols, Assistant State & National Editor Posted: 4/23/07 The Rev. Ruth Stevens, whose son graduated from Virginia Tech in 2004, was one of few ministers of Franklin Street churches to address in a sermon Sunday the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. "The most vulnerable were not the 32 students who were shot," she said at University United Methodist Church, linking the week's events to Christian teachings. "The most vulnerable was the one who did the shooting." Stevens said some of her parishioners have felt out of step with society at large because they feel empathy for Seung-Hui Cho, the Va. Tech senior who shot 32 others before killing himself, in addition to their compassion for his victims. She and other area religious leaders said no one has come to them in the past week for help coping with the tragedy "I think the University really counsels itself," said Rabbi Ben Packer of the Jewish Experience Movement of the South, a UNC student organization. "It's amazing how the University community has come together to deal with it communally, whether it's religious or in other ways," he said, adding that the Va. Tech shootings were a main topic of conversation at Shabbat meals on the Sabbath. Packer said the reactions of students with whom he's spoken about the tragedy were neither uniquely religious nor uniquely Jewish. "Everybody's hurting from it," he said. "Everyone kind of feels the same pain." The Rev. Bob Dunham of University Presbyterian Church said that for people within any faith tradition, there is an element of basic personal compassion for the pain of others, as well as a responsibility to intervene whenever possible. He said the most important thing people can do now is to listen to those most affected by the deaths at Va. Tech. "It's too early to talk about forgiveness," he said. Rabbi John Friedman of the Judea Reform Congregation in Durham said he's talked to his congregation about gun control …
creator: Allison Nichols
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

The right to life
description: More gun control doesn't infringe on right to bear arms By: Editorial Board Posted: 4/23/07 It took little time for the journalists and political pundits to start talking gun control. This editorial is not just about last week's Virginia Tech shooting. It's also about the North Mecklenburg High School student who brought a gun on campus last Wednesday, threatened two other students and then left and shot himself. It's about the rumors of a planned shooting that circulated around Orange County High School last Friday and about the student who killed his father, then injured two others at that same school last fall. This editorial isn't about the Second Amendment or taking away Americans' right to bear arms. It's about how to keep guns away from those who are unfit to use them. It's about taking away an easy means of suicide for the roughly 16,000 Americans who killed themselves with a firearm in 2004. It's about limiting the 14,000 murdered by guns in 2005 and the 650 fatal accidents the year before. One reason to study history is to avoid making the same mistakes as in the past. Stricter gun control laws might not prevent tragedy from striking, but they can make it far less likely. Even simple regulations such as background checks can make a huge difference. If somebody has a history of mental illness, that should certainly show up in a background check and prevent that person from buying a gun. And there is no sense in destroying information gathered during those checks after 24 hours, as is mandated by national law, when, in some states, that person can return to buy another gun 30 days later. A comprehensive registration system of gun owners would not hurt anyone but criminals. In Texas, residents do not need a permit to own a gun and do not have to register their firearms. The authorities don't even know how many guns are in the state. In addition, 80 percent of prisoners who own guns received their gun from family or a friend or bought it on the street or illeg…
creator: Editorial Board
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Hokies return seeking routine
description: Some students able to forgive By: Erin France, State & National Editor Posted: 4/24/07 BLACKSBURG, Va. - The first day back to class for Virginia Tech students began with a morning ceremony honoring the 32 students and faculty killed by senior English major Seung-Hui Cho. Thirty-two white balloons were released with the strike of a bell in front of 33 small stones placed in a semi-circle on the wide expanse of the field known as the Drillfield. The 33rd marker, placed between Matthew Gwaltney's and Dan O'Neil's, was for Cho, who killed himself at the end of his rampage; it was removed later Monday. There still is a sizable showing of flowers and notes in the place where his stone lay. "He was still a person, too," junior Matthew Quinn said. "He was still a Hokie." In this community of more than 25,000 students, there are signs of forgiveness toward the gunman, but it is not a consensus. There were not many on campus willing to talk to the media Monday, and while the campus population spiked from last week, it was far from a normal spring day. "There are a lot of students back, but this is pretty sparse," graduate student Amy Tanner said. "I think it will be just a slow, long week." Instructors received e-mails from the Va. Tech administration encouraging them to mention last week's events in their classes. Ting Cai, a graduate student, is teaching a general chemistry class today and said he cannot predict how many of his students will attend. "We're only going to meet for 15 minutes," he said. "I think I'll probably start with a moment of silence." Teachers are using Monday and Tuesday to assess the grades and conditions of their students before finishing the semester. Exams are optional in calculating students' final grades. Andrew Blando, a junior oceanic engineer, said he still is debating the different options. "I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of the situation," he said. The students remaining on campus Monday were searching for normalcy. Many stu…
creator: Erin France
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Shooting amps up gun debate
description: By: Alexander Trowbridge, Staff Writer Posted: 4/25/07 The shooting at Virginia Tech last week put the gun control issue back in the national public forum. While Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine dismissed taking political advantage of the incident as deplorable, both pro-gun groups and those advocating gun control rallied for change. Barbara Hohlt, executive director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence, said stricter gun laws could have saved lives at Va. Tech. "We do a very poor job in this country at doing adequate background checks." Pro-gun advocates attacked gun-free safe zones such as the Va. Tech campus, which they claim prevented victims from protecting themselves. Carl Abbe, the owner and president of Calibers Indoor Gun Range in Greensboro, said gun-free zones let criminals know that no one is there to stop them. Abbe said Va. Tech should consider arming and training select members of the campus community to defend their fellow classmates. "If that one professor who blocked the door had had a handgun, he would have been able to do more than just block the door," Abbe said. "He would have been able to stop that man." The N.C. House passed a bill on Thursday that would allow judges to carry concealed weapons. Rep. Walter Church, D-Burke, sponsored the bill and said it was a response to the shooting of a judge in a courtroom in Atlanta last year. "The judges that I've talked to thought it was a good idea," Church said, adding that even those who don't carry guns appreciate the attention to their security. The passage of the bill just days after the shooting at Va. Tech concerned some N.C. residents. Lisa Price, executive director of the North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Education Fund, said courtrooms already are protected. "In general, we dislike putting guns in more places," Price said. The issue of gun control is complex, and in North Carolina it is not always divided along party lines. Though Church sponsored the bill allowing judges to carry concealed w…
creator: Alexander Trowbridge
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Tragedy may cause RA training review
description: By: Kellen Moore, Staff Writer Posted: 4/25/07 With last week's Virginia Tech shootings still fresh in the minds of many, UNC officials are looking to evaluate residence hall safety as one area of emphasis. With about 7,700 students living on campus, resident advisers often are the first line of defense in emergencies. At Va. Tech, Ryan Clark, an RA in West Ambler Johnston Hall, was one of the first of 32 victims killed in last week's shooting rampage. He was investigating a loud noise when he met the gunman in a hallway. Kyle Jordan, coordinator for student leadership and programming and a member of the committee responsible for training RAs to deal with emergencies, said that while the training RAs receive is extensive, it deals only with situations within the confines of everyday life. "We don't train them to deal with any type of assailant that might have a weapon," Jordan said. At UNC, RAs are responsible for a section of a residence hall, and they are placed throughout 14 campus communities. Training is held two weeks before the semester starts, and it includes preparation for emergencies such as fires, medical accidents and sexual assault, among others. RAs also are instructed how to deal with roommate conflicts and how to approach students who they suspect might be experiencing emotional problems. "Really, it is a top-down process from the highest administrators living in a building down to the RAs," Jordan said. "Everybody is a part of crisis management, and we do it very well." But despite his confidence in those guidelines, Jordan said there has been talk about UNC reviewing safety procedures more. "There's no time that we're going to say our policies are 100 percent," Jordan said. Kareemah Lewis, a former RA in the Olde Campus Upper Quad Community, said the training she received came in handy. "We were prepared because we had specific training in that area, in dealing with a crisis - not specifically somebody coming to shoot, but students hurting themsel…
creator: Kellen Moore
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Take time to reach out to someone at Virginia Tech
description: Posted: 4/26/07 TO THE EDITOR: In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, we have the opportunity to reach out and touch the lives of the students affected by this tragedy. Eve Carson made the suggestion to find someone at Virginia Tech to "adopt". For student groups, search for a "sister organization." Student leaders, look up your counterparts in Blacksburg. Then, make some contact with them. Let them know they are in our thoughts. Need somewhere to get started? Get a shoe box, throw some candy and some pictures in it, and then write a letter. Be creative. Be genuine. Be yourself. If you need any help, we are personally available and extremely willing to do anything we can. We are not experts, but we will call upon what resources we have. We are available by e-mail, Facebook and phone. We also urge you to call upon your fellow students here in Chapel Hill and take advantage of this opportunity to grow closer to those in the UNC community as well. As the school year draws to a close, keep in mind that time is of the essence. This is a call to action. We know many people feel helpless, but this is simple, cheap and easy yet personal way to positively affect the Virginia Tech community. James F. Eby Carolina Advocacy, Executive Branch Logan Liles Carolina Advocacy, Executive Branch -- Original Source:The Daily Tar Heel - April 26, 2007
creator: James F. Eby
publisher: The Daily Tar Heel
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng