VT for NIU
description: Prior to Virginia Tech's candelight vigil for NIU, an attendee signs a message board on display along alumni mall. Photo taken Monday, February 18, 2008. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0.
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
language: eng

WVU looks at safety plans
description: Issue Date:Wednesday April 18, 2007 Section: HeadLine News Section By Jon Offredo, Staff Writer What if it happened here? Would West Virginia University be prepared for a horrific incident such as the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech on Monday? The answer is yes, University officials say. "Blacksburg is a lot like Morgantown, and if it could happen there, it could happen anywhere," said West Virginia University spokeswoman Becky Loftstead. "In light of this, we are going to review the emergency plan and look at it intensely to make sure that all of our 'I's are dotted and 'T's are crossed to make sure any event like this is covered," Loftstead said. Prior to the massacre in Blacksburg, WVU officials were in the process of finding vendors to provide University-wide text messaging services in the event of an emergency, Loftstead said. Currently, the University would broadcast announcements on MIX and forward them to WVU.edu e-mail addresses as it does when canceling class during the winter. Officials were also looking into the idea of large messaging centers that would be visible in high traffic areas. Dr. Dan Della-Giustina, a WVU professor and expert in public safety, also suggested the implementation of a University-wide alarm system. "My thought is to develop an air raid-like signal, similar to the ones during World War II," Della-Giustina said. "It would sound a siren, when the students would hear this, regardless of where they were, they would know to stay put and be on lock down. Yet, despite new proposals, University officials have always had a plan for the instant disaster were to strike WVU. If WVU were faced with the same situation that arose in Blacksburg, students would be urged to remain where they were and focus on protecting themselves. In what Roberts called an active shooter situation, DPS members have been trained in a program called "Active Shooter," and a team is also trained in Rapid Response. To correspond with the DPS response, Morgantown…
creator: Jon Offredo
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Sports for the soul
description: Issue Date:Friday April 20, 2007 Section: Sports Section Patrick Southern, Sports Writer Sometimes it takes a life-changing event to shake you to your very core and remind you what really matters. For the countless people who are suffering in ways that defy comprehension following the stunning events at Virginia Tech, that lesson came in the toughest form possible. While I'm fortunate that I don't have to mourn the loss of any personal friends or family, I sincerely feel the pain of those who do. As DA Sports Editor Tim Tassa eloquently said in his Tuesday column, such tragedies "make sports seem so petty, so irrelevant." It's cliche to say so, but it's true. I know that by noon on Monday, I cared a lot less about how my Boston Red Sox would fare in their Patriots Day game against the Angels than I had when I woke up. In the wake of the campus shooting, the Hokies called off the remainder of their spring football drills and canceled all sporting events scheduled for the following days. These moves were in the best interest of all involved. At that point, no one needed the distraction of competition when the hearts and minds of all of those at VT were elsewhere. After all, athletes and coaches deserve the chance to grieve too. However, the moratorium on athletics at Virginia Tech ends today, when the school's baseball squad hosts Miami. To most, this event will mean little in light of the heartache the community has suffered. After all, college baseball games go on every day nationwide at this time of year. But in this case, the ping of the aluminum bat and the unmistakable snap of a solid fastball against a catcher's mitt will be the first sound of life beginning to return to normal in Blacksburg. While it's true that tragedy makes us realize how meaningless the wins and losses of our teams really are, it's every bit as true that athletics are a significant part of our lives. Sporting events are more than just a good excuse for people to get together and drink a few…
creator: Patrick Southern
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Practical emergency ideas needed
description: Issue Date:Friday August 31, 2007 Section: Editorial Section West Virginia University, like many colleges around the country, has been dealing with a ripple effect of concern from faculty, students and parents alike in regards to the shooting at Virginia Tech earlier this year. A report, commissioned by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine yesterday, revealed the failings of the Virginia Tech response to the situation. Earlier this week, The Daily Athenaeum ran a story about our college considering a variety of crisis options, including one widely thrown around by the media: text messaging. According to the Aug. 24 article, "Chief Bob Roberts of WVU's Department of Public Safety, the University may try mass text messaging, siren alerts, video displays and safety awareness programs." "We are currently trying to evaluate how we would put this all together," Roberts said in the article. The communication and notification committee are going to meet together to discuss final issues regarding these plans." While it is important that the University and its law enforcement officials corroborate on ideas to better alert and inform the WVU community about possible dangers, it is also necessary that we take a step back and encourage truly practical ideas, designed not for flashiness but for mass utilization and for the clearest, most direct announcement of danger. While text messaging is a great idea, some cell phones and carriers have reputations for messages arriving days late. Additionally, not everybody has them. Plastering LCD screens everywhere on campus that will regularly need replacing, the visibility of such screens may be too low to properly alert everyone. The University could most benefit from a University-wide speaker system, an idea highlighted in the DA article. A centralized speaker system that could be piped into classrooms, much like those in K-12 schoolrooms, could easily be channeled into the PRT and its stations (which are both already equipped with its own radio sys…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Sign up for new text alert system
description: Issue Date:Monday October 15, 2007 Section: Editorial Section Six months after the tragedy at Virginia Tech, West Virginia University and others institutions across the country have taken positive steps to reevaluate their security approaches, but there is still work to be done. On Friday, the University president, student body president and head of the campus police announced a new system to send text messages and e-mail alerts in the case of crimes, weather delays and closures, and other emergencies at WVU. Everyone is encouraged to sign up now for the service at http://emergency.wvu.edu. University President Mike Garrison has a history of emphasizing security at WVU. When he was president of the student body in the early 1990s, he worked on lighting issues around campus, as well as block captains and watch programs in Sunnyside. And now, as president, he is moving in the right direction. But the system doesn't solve everything. The University has a history of suppressing the true number of crimes it is required by federal law to report. Three years ago, Security on Campus, Inc., a watchdog group, filed a federal complaint against WVU for crime misreporting and said the University's behavior represented "the worst case of corruption we have encountered to date." Hopefully all the problems have been worked out. But it's hard to be sure if the University is doing better or worse on campus safety issues if we can't rely on figures from the past. Nor has the administration made good choices about weather cancellations and delays. In March, the University canceled classes for a snowstorm only after power had been lost and restored on the Evansdale Campus, the PRT had been unreliable or shut down, buses ran behind schedule and professors and students endured a dangerous day of trying to make it to class or sitting in nearly empty classrooms. These are not things that a new text system will solve - this is decision-making and the decision about what to do in a situation …
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

WVU mourns
description: Issue Date:Thursday April 19, 2007 Section: HeadLine News Section By Tricia Fulks, Staff Writer There was an overwhelming turnout at Wednesday night's vigil in Woodburn Circle for those lost in Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech. The event was hosted by the Student Government Association. President David Hardesty offered some remarks to all that gathered. "Any explanation we may offer may seem inadequate ... we must not give up hope for a better world," he said. "Violence can erupt in even the most peaceful of places ... each one of you is precious to your family and friends and to this University and to the future of this nation." Students have been showing their support throughout the week since the tragedy took place Monday in Blacksburg, Va. Jason Parsons, SGA vice president, said the student response has been poignant since Monday. As of Tuesday, more than 800 electronic cards and 350 hand-written cards were sent to the Virginia Tech campus from students at WVU. On Wednesday SGA set out banners for the campus community to sign and to send messages of hope to those affected at Virginia Tech. Parsons said two banners were filled, and SGA members handed out over 1,000 maroon and orange ribbons for students to show their support for the Hokies. "It's been amazing to see the hearts of students on campus," Parsons said. The Center for Civic Engagement has also played a big part in sending thoughts and prayers to the students and faculty at Virginia Tech. Brett White, the administrative assistant of the Center for Civic Engagement, said besides helping SGA plan Wednesday night's vigil, they also have a booth set up in the Mountainlair for students to write their messages on index cards. The cards, which read "From Your Mountaineer Friends," will be sent by the Center of Civic Engagement to the Virginia Tech campus. But perhaps the most moving part of the week was Wednesday night's service. Over 3500 students and Morgantown residents gathered outside Woodburn Hall and h…
creator: Tricia Fulks (Author)/Billy Wolfe (Photo)
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Virginia Tech vigil held on campus today
description: Issue Date:Wednesday April 18, 2007 Section: State & Local Section The Student Government Association is hosting a candlelight vigil tonight to mourn the April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech. Monday's massacre at Virginia Tech began at a residence hall and moved across campus to Norris Hall, the university's engineering building, leaving 33 people dead and many injured. The shooting is considered the worst mass killing in U.S. history. Throughout the day, students can send messages of hope on a banner in the Mountainlair. SGA will also be handing out orange and maroon ribbons, in support for Virginia Tech, according to a press release. The vigil will then take place tonight at 9 p.m. in Woodburn Circle, weather permitting. "We want to do our part on our campus to extend our condolences to those and their families at Virginia Tech," said SGA Vice President Jason Parsons. "We encourage all students and those in the community to come out." SGA President David Kirkpatrick and President David C. Hardesty are scheduled to speak. — tmf -- Original Source: The Daily Athenaeum http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27582
creator: tmf
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Our hearts go out to those at VT
description: ssue Date:Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: Editorial Section By Monday afternoon, the nation was shocked by the tragedy that occurred at Virginia Tech. At least 32 people were killed and more than 20 were left wounded in the nation's most violent school shooting ever. Though the campus of West Virginia University did not directly experience the tragedy, Mountaineer students found themselves anxious and alarmed as the news spread across the country. Some were distracted from their studies, while others waited with bated breath to hear word from their Hokie friends. Every student on every college campus is affected when an event like this occurs. As Virginia Tech mourns the loss of its students in the coming days, and some continue to mourn for many years to come, the staff of The Daily Athenaeum sends out our thoughts and sympathy to those who lost loved ones in Monday's shooting. When an event like this occurs, no matter what college campus you call home, you are taken out of your comfort zone. It's hard to fathom what Virginia Tech students, staff, faculty and families are going through. As a peer institution and ultimately a friend of Virginia Tech, we hope that they will be able to mend after such a horrifying occurrence. As the end of the semester draws near, it is hard enough to deal with the stress of classes, projects and final exams. Now, Virginia Tech students will be faced with even bigger obstacles. While we go through the next few weeks, take the time to remember those who were lost in this unspeakable tragedy. Enjoy every day, and take time to tell your friends and family that you care about them. It's unfortunate, but sometimes we are so wrapped up with our daily lives that it takes an event like this to bring us back to reality and remind us to be thankful. Again, our hearts and thoughts go out to those affected by the shooting. We will continue to think about you as we undergo the mourning process alongside college students across the nation. -- Origi…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Students Hold Vigil for Va. Tech Victims
description: By David Xia PUBLISHED APRIL 18, 2007 Approximately 300 students, faculty, and administrators gathered together at the sundial last night for a candlelight vigil held in memory of the 32 victims of the Virginia Tech shootings. University Chaplain Jewelnel Davis delivered a message of inspiration and hope to those gathered at the base of the sundial. Davis said that during this time of national mourning, it was crucial for members of the Columbia community to band together in solidarity and offer their condolences and prayers to those grieving over Virginia Tech. "Life will always overcome the darkness of hate, despair, and violence," Davis said. The undergraduate student councils provided 1,500 white candles, according to Ana Ortiz, CC '07 and Columbia College Student Council vice president of campus life, who spoke at the event. As the candles were lit and the flames passed along in silent respect, those in attendance exchanged glances of support. "We who believe in learning believe in hope," Davis said. "Light, when it is shared, overcomes darkness and spreads more light." Only the soft pattering of the drizzling rain was audible as attendees, heads lowered in respect, observed a moment of silence. Ortiz stated the names of the 32 students who were killed. "One great thing about the Columbia community is that when a horrible incident like this happens, we are able to come together as a family," Dean of Student Affairs Chris Colombo said after the event. For Mark Johnson, CC '09 and vice president of the CCSC class of 2009, the shootings in Blacksburg, Va. struck very close to home. Johnson, whose hometown is Virginia Beach, said it was unsettling to see such a tragedy occur at a place he considers home. "I'm happy we had something like this. It allowed me to vent," he said. -- Photo By: Key Nguyen Original Source: Columbia Spectator http://www.columbiaspectator.com/node/24914
creator: David Xia (Author)/Key Nguyen (Photo)
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)
language: eng

Web site commemorates those lost in Virginia Tech tragedy
description: Issue Date:Thursday April 26, 2007 Section: HeadLine News Section Angela Moscaritolo, Staff Writer Three West Virginia University journalism students are putting together a memorial Web site for Virginia Tech. Stephen Matthews, Missy Brown and Andy Smith traveled to Virginia Tech last week to cover the tragedy for a Web site to honor the victims. "Our mission is to tell the story of the students that were there," Matthews said. The Web site will focus on the victims and their friends and families. There will be no coverage of the killer as part of the Web site, Matthews said. The night before their drive to Virginia Tech, Matthews and Brown searched the Internet for contacts. Matthews heard back from the best friend of victim Ross Alameddine. "I've honestly never heard someone's voice who was so disturbed," Matthews said. When they got to the Virginia Tech campus, Matthews, Brown and Smith were met with a flood of other media. They saw stations covering the tragedy from Spain, Russia, Canada and more, Matthews said. On campus there were "hundreds upon hundreds" of flowers and signatures filling large white poster boards, Brown said. Also, no one ever spoke above a whisper, Matthews added. They saw inspirational messages sent from other colleges, such as New York University and Auburn University. "That just shows that it's affected all schools," said Matthews. The three students took audio and video recordings along with still photography for the multimedia Web site. Matthews, Brown and Smith are aiming to complete the Web site by May 13 but because of finals, the deadline for the project may get pushed back. Through their experience at Virginia Tech, Matthews, Brown and Smith said they learned real-world lessons about journalism. Smith was shooting photographs of the campus and came across Virginia Tech students crying in front of Norris Hall. He made an ethical decision not to take photos of the students. "The last thing they needed was a guy sticking a camera in t…
creator: Angela Moscaritolo (Author)/Andy Smith (Photo)
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Lessons from Blacksburg
description: By Armin Rosen PUBLISHED APRIL 19, 2007 It unfolded like a terrifying set-piece, and each new item of information seemed more trite and intuitive than the next: the killer had been a student. He had been a social outcast, homicidally contemptuous of the society that he felt had cast him out. The guns used had been purchased legally. And there had been warning signs that now seem to have stopped tantalizingly short of portending the coming carnage. "When this is all said and done," the online magazine Slate cited one blogger as writing a few hours after the shooting, "we will likely have an unhappy young person who probably had an unhealthy obsession with guns, violence, gory video games, and over the top blood-fest movies"-which means that, even in its horrifying randomness, the Virginia Tech shooting takes on a grim aspect of predictability. But what should this predictability teach us? Since noted poet and Virginia Tech English professor Lucinda Roy found Cho Seung-Hui unstable enough to justify contacting campus counseling services over 18 months prior to the attack, it could be argued that universities and society in general should be more aggressive in administering psychological help to those who obviously need it. We Americans are great believers in therapy: with nearly one in four adults seeking professional help and Adderall alone bringing in over a quarter-billion dollars in annual revenue, we, arguably, have put more faith in the redemptive powers of the clinical or prescriptive than any other society on earth. But it would be a mistake to let this past week's events reinforce this notion that normalcy can be clinically prescribed, or, as some have recommended, clinically imposed. As author Deepak Chopra appropriately noted in an interview with CNN, psychologist Abraham Maslow maintains that love and belonging are as fundamental to human existence as food and shelter. And the professional concern of a therapist for her patient can't fill basic emotional o…
creator: Armin Rosen (Author)/Shana Rubin (Photo)
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)
language: eng

When tragedy is for sale, it isn’t tragic enough
description: Issue Date:Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: Editorial Section Ry Rivard, City Editor By the end of the Monday it was obvious that the media had begun selling the day's horrors at Virginia Tech. No matter the gravity or magnitude of a tragedy, this country's commentators veer from events as they are, in and of themselves horrible, to a decontextualized, surreal account of things so they can be sold to and consumed by us. The shooting - the deadliest shooting in American history - quickly became, for some people, another chance to make various political points. It became, by the time Wolf Blitzer's show aired, a sort of tragic-porn, a way for the media to provoke rather than inform. Commentators tried to politicize it, politicians tried to comment on it, the news channels tried to heighten the drama with their usual parade of loud music and epic comparisons, "This is worse than ... " or "This is the biggest ... " Was what happened not enough in and of itself? Glenn Reynolds, law professor at University of Tennessee, quickly posted a 52-page paper on his popular Weblog arguing that the best way to prevent shootings like Monday's is to permit concealed handguns. It was the day's most academic approach to the event, but it was also one of the most callous. Written by two economists, the paper concluded that "the only policy factor to influence multiple victim public shootings is the passage of concealed handgun laws." Reynolds and several others who followed his lead took the deaths of 33 students to advance an agenda which, although done in an attempt to stop such events in the future, made them into a policy argument. Similarly, the Drudge Report, a conservative news site, dragged out a fourth-month old story from Roanoke Times about failed piece of legislation that would have permitted concealed handguns. It reported, "Virginia Tech spokesman Larry Hincker was happy to hear the bill was defeated. 'I'm sure the university community is appreciative of the General Assembl…
creator: Ry Rivard
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Virginia Tech panel recommends security solutions for colleges
description: Issue Date:Friday September 7, 2007 Section: HeadLine News Section By Kellen Henry, Staff Writer Many students gathered for candlelight vigils and wore ribbons in support of Virginia Tech after the April 16 shooting. While most students did not fear for their lives on campus, they realized such a tragedy could just as easily occur in Morgantown. Last week, a panel appointed by Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine reported findings on the shooting rampage by student Seung-Hui Cho that killed 32 people in Blacksburg, Va. The report presented more than 70 recommendations to advise law enforcement, school officials and medical personnel. They also intended to help other colleges choose proper security solutions for their own campuses. This week, West Virginia University officials announced a plan to send mass text messages in an emergency. The University will also provide better quality lighting in key pedestrian areas such as sidewalks between the Downtown Library Complex, the Mountainlair, the PRT and residence halls. The panels' report criticized Virginia Tech's emergency response plan because it lacked guidelines for a shooter scenario and did not allow police to play a major role in emergency decision making. "We don't see that as an issue here at WVU. As the first responders here, it makes sense for us to have an active role," said Chief Bob Roberts of the University Department of Public Safety. Administrators here began revising its policies in December 2005 to align it with the federal Department of Homeland Security's National Incident Management System. The University's new plan will be unveiled in October said Becky Lofstead, executive director of internal communications. It will include emergency training for students and staff and job action checklists. There is a Web site planned for relaying emergency information, Lofstead said. At Virginia Tech, police had no means of sending emergency alerts themselves and also failed to warn the administration that a gunman could s…
creator: Kellen Henry
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Better safety measures needed
description: Issue Date:Wednesday April 18, 2007 Section: Editorial Section There are still many questions left for the Blacksburg, Va., community as police and federal agents continue to investigate the gunman's trail. But there is one startling fact we are all aware of: Students and the rest of the university's community were not notified of the first shooting until nearly two hours later. And when they were notified, many did not take the message seriously until, in many cases, they saw bloodshed for themselves. It's hard not to think about how West Virginia University and others across the country would respond if a similar situation took place on their campuses. As explained in a news story in today's Daily Athenaeum, WVU officials say they do have an emergency plan in place. But does it need to be modified to be made more efficient? In a much less dire situation, WVU administrators took several hours to cancel classes when roads were too icy to drive on during a snowstorm last March. When Virginia Tech officials did notify the campus of the shootings, the message was mass delivered through an e-mail. Many VT students wondered aloud to the media if the tragedy could have only been an incident if they were notified earlier. And what if e-mails simply can't be read when the power shuts off or students and faculty don't check their accounts? We're glad to hear University officials are looking into campus-wide text messaging and messaging centers that are visible to traffic. Innovative measures such as these are some of the best ways to reach everybody at once nowadays. Still, in an emergency, cell phone network lines could become loaded, making messages hard to send. That's why universities, including WVU, need to work with local companies and networks to make plans for mass communication during security threats. Of course, nothing can change Monday's monstrosity. But if communities and administrators work together now, they may be able to prevent another tragedy. -- Originial…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Remember the Hokies
description: Issue Date:Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: Sports Section By Tim Tassa, Sports Editor Monday morning's events make sports seem so petty, so irrelevant. Every year there are one or two tragedies of monumental proportion that unite people and draw to mind that there is more to life than a rivalry, a goal post, a field and a coach. And, unfortunately, April 16, when at least 32 people at Virginia Tech were killed by a deranged gunman, was one of those days. It marked the beginning of a time to reach out to the Virginia Tech community, for so many at West Virginia University - through geography, friends and family - are connected to the institution. The day after the deadliest shooting on a college campus in United States history brings nothing but disbelief, outrage, curiosity and grief. As we often do during times of bewilderment and mourning, we ask, "Why do bad things happen to good people?" And still, there is no answer. As a University that is familiar with Virginia Tech, whether on the playing field, academically or socially, it is only human to keep southwest Virginia in our thoughts just a day after such a disaster. But the effects are much more widespread. After the images displayed on network television, Monday's violence will be remembered just as the Kent State, University of Texas and Columbine shootings - except at an even larger level. In addition, the events may be a catalyst for change in the way higher education is conducted nationwide. Or at least in security procedures. For those of us sitting in large lecture halls and residing in campus dormitories, the anxiety and horror of what happened in Blacksburg, Va., doesn't seem very far. The realization is that tragedies of this magnitude can happen on any campus, big or small. For current WVU students, sitting in class today will feel much different than it did last Tuesday. In speaking with a few VT students on Monday, the realities of the events had yet to hit them. By day's end it surely had. It was …
creator: Tim Tassa
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

WVU Reaction
description: Issue Date:Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: HeadLine News Section In response to the shootings at Virginia Tech, West Virginia University President David Hardesty said Monday afternoon in a statement that the "campus police are alert to the incident and are monitoring the situation as it unfolds. If deemed necessary, increased coverage by our campus police will be initiated." Students in need of counseling are encouraged to visit the Carruth Center in the Student Services Center next to the Mountainlair. The center, open between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., offers walk-in counseling services and an after-hour emergency phone consultation service (293-4431). On Monday, the center extended its walk-in services to 8 p.m. A candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the shootings will be held Wednesday at 9 p.m. in Woodburn Circle on the Downtown Campus. The University community and the general public are invited to attend. The WVU United Methodist Student Movement will sponsor an interfaith vigil today at 9 p.m. in the Mountainlair Ballrooms. — cls -- Original Source: The Daily Athenaeum http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27564
creator: cls
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

Shootings don’t call for unreasonable security
description: Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: Editorial Section Christian Alexandersen, Senior Staff Writer As I write this column, I, like most people in the world, am in disbelief of the terrible shootings that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus that claimed the lives of at least 33 people. First and foremost, I want to say that the thoughts and prayers of everyone at West Virginia University go out to everyone affected by the shootings at Virginia Tech. Words cannot begin to describe the pain and sorrow all college students are feeling on the worst day in our college careers. While this is now the worst public shooting ever to occur in the nation's history, it is the responsibility of college students, faculty and staff everywhere to act responsibly following these tragic events. Directly after the shooting at Columbine High School in April 1999, schools all over the country began instituting extremely strict policies to deter future acts of violence in American schools. Growing up in the post-Columbine school system, students today remember the heightened security measures that were taken. Superintendents everywhere were no longer allowing students to carry backpacks around schools or go out for lunch. While it is impossible to know if those new precautions actually deterred anyone from shooting people in school, one of the most important lessons to take from both the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings is that no matter the security precautions you take, nothing can stop a killer. It is crucial for WVU as well as all other colleges and universities around the country to act accordingly following the Virginia Tech massacre. However, higher learning institutions should not make unnecessary and costly security upgrades because of an isolated incident at Virginia Tech. During a press conference, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said, "(We) can't have an armed guard in front of every classroom." When asked if the campus had enough security to protect their students, Ste…
creator: Christian Alexandersen
date: 2008-02-18
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Leann Ray <Leann.Ray@mail.wvu.edu>
language: eng

STAFF EDITORIAL: Providing Comfort
description: By PUBLISHED APRIL 17, 2007 On Monday morning, 32 students at Virginia Tech were killed and about 30 others injured by a shooting at the hands of a fellow student. This tragedy raises questions about the nature of events like this and what Columbia might do in a similar situation. Yet the administration was slow in publicly responding to the event, and when it did, it failed to address the crucial question about what the University's response plan would be. The University should have expressed its sympathy, explained the counseling options available to students, and addressed safety concerns on Monday when the shootings occurred. The tragedy hit especially close to home on campus-first, because the victims were fellow students, and second, because many students here have friends and acquaintances at Virginia Tech. The University's immediate response should have been to give some notification telling students where they could go for counseling if desired. Tonight a candlelight vigil will be held on Low Steps for the victims, and the Counseling and Psychological Services office will be open until 11 p.m. for students who need its services. This is a good step on the University's part, but it should have made those resources available more quickly and opened CPS for extended hours. Questions have also been asked about how effective Virginia Tech officials were in securing the campus after the first round of shooting. Naturally, these questions raise concerns about Columbia's own emergency management plan and the safety and security of its campus. University of Pennsylvania President Amy Gutmann and Dartmouth College President James Wright have released statements offering condolences to the Virginia Tech community and providing information about the security of their respective campuses, as well as publicizing the counseling services that they have available. University President Lee Bollinger should follow suit and send an e-mail to the entire University explaining th…
creator: Editorial Staff
date: 2008-02-17
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)
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

Sticks and Stones and Rhetoric
description: By Evan Cohen PUBLISHED APRIL 26, 2007 Eleven years ago, I played in a band that rehearsed in a basement downtown. On one side of the basement was an illegal two-bedroom apartment that the landlord slapped together with drywall. My friend Matt lived there with a roommate. I didn't know anything about the roommate other than that he was black. One afternoon, my bandmate, George, and I went down to rehearsal early and checked in on Matt. We were in his room talking about the then non-hit TV show, Homeboys in Outer Space. George was saying that it was a low rent rip-off of the Britcom, Red Dwarf. I chimed in with "It's more like Red Nigger!" Matt hissed at me, "My roommate's home, stupid!" Oh shit. I was going to die. I never felt so low in all my life. I began to shake, and clenched my suddenly churning bowels to keep them from releasing. "Oh my god, he's gonna kill me!" "Relax," George said. We heard our drummer Michael walking down the basement steps. Matt opened the door and I walked out as quickly as possible. I didn't see the roommate. Thank god. Hopefully he didn't hear anything. We played for two hours and I almost forgot the sickening feeling in my gut. As we were packing up our equipment, George said, "You have to apologize." "What?" "You have to apologize to Matt's roommate." "But maybe he didn't even hear me say it!" I pleaded. "Like, what if he didn't hear anything and then it makes it look ten times worse!" "You have to apologize." Oh shit. I slowly walked across the basement to the apartment, wondering if I'd soon have any teeth left. I knocked on the door, hoping that he was gone. The roommate opened up the door. "Yes?" "Hi. I just... well... I want to apologize for something I said earlier in Matt's room, and I just want to let you know that I'm sorry if you may have been offended." "Okay," he said, and shut the door. I then ran upstairs and out of the building. Matt didn't talk to me for a long time after that. He would eventually tell me that relatio…
creator: Evan Cohen
date: 2008-02-17
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Tom Faure (tomfaure@gmail.com)
language: eng