MOURNING: At the official UC Irvine vigil for Virginia Tech administrators offered support to students. By Anam Siddiq Staff Writer In a vigil hosted by the Cross Cultural Center and UC Irvine Student Affairs, candles were passed out to hundreds of students, faculty and friends who had gathered on April 23 to give a final salute to all those killed and injured at the hands of one unstable man. Exactly one week earlier, the sun rose in Blacksburg, Virg. on a truly unfortunate scene. By the next week, the tragic events that had occurred at Virginia Polytechnic Institute were common knowledge, and although students across the campus had already held numerous vigils, UCI felt compelled to officially honor the victims in a formal ceremony. The event, advertised by the CCC, was also publicized by e-mails sent by Chancellor Michael Drake and included speakers from UCI administration, including Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez and Dean of Students Sally Peterson. Irvine Mayor Beth Krom and Orange County Human Relations Representative Ken Inouye were also asked to speak at the vigil, as well as two student representatives, ASUCI President Stephanie Johnson and Korean American Student Association Rep Rheela Kim. At 6:45 p.m., student musician Andrew Heringer began the ceremony with penetrating music played on his acoustic guitar. At the end an uncommonly serene silence befell Ring Road as the chattering crowd delved into quiet contemplation. Peterson was introduced, and emphasized that the program was one of remembrance. As she listed the names of the victims, the wind rustled through the crowd and blew out the candles. Gomez then read a message from Drake, who was in Washington, and assured the crowd that in the aftermath of this terrible event, the administration would "redouble [its] efforts to confirm the safety of the students and faculty on this campus." Gomez continued, saying that even though Irvine is one of the safest cities in the world, UCI and Virginia Tech shared many similarities, including "stunned sorrow and common grief." He further reminisced upon some of the heroes of the Virginia Tech shootings and requested the crowd to pray for killer Cho Seung-Huis' family who was said to be feeling "helpless, hopeless and lost." Krom expressed her belief that "sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together," and as proof she brought a family who worked for the Kids Who Care Club, a foundation that makes quilts for kids who have undergone major surgeries. The children who made a beautiful quilt with patches for each victim which was going to be sent to the university from the City of Irvine. Inouye verbalized the importance of refraining from letting the actions of a single individual reflect an entire ethnic community, reminding the students that despite everything "today, and for every tomorrow, we are all Americans." After the student speakers had expressed their sympathy for the tragedy and rallied the students to work together as a community, Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Cross Cultural Center Ana Gonzalez related the rest of the week's events, which included emotional distress, relief and open discussions about the Virginia Tech shootings. She also urged everyone present to write on the two boards set up for the students to express their thoughts, sentiments and prayers. By the end of the day, the boards were covered with such things as personal notes from students to artwork by sororities and fraternities. The vigil appropriately ended with Diedre Butler's "In the Arms of an Angel," the most heart-rending part of the entire ceremony. Some people were moved to tears and sought comfort in the arms of friends, while others sat in deep reflection. Blair Hollingsworth, a first-year drama major attending the proceedings, described the entire vigil as "beautiful and well-planned." The deaths of 32 people tragically killed on that terrible day brought a community together. Members of the crowd were drawn closer to each other as a group and all race, ethnicity, gender and religious differences were forgotten as students left their identities as UCI Anteaters and became one with the Virginia Tech students. As Gomez so rightfully put it, "This evening, we are all Hokies in spirit." -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007
Letter to the Editor: Asians, Parents Should Not Be Blamed for VT Tragedy
I was appalled by the commentary titled "VT Killer Needs Closer Look" (April 23) that sought to explain Cho Seung-Hui's motives in the Virginia Tech massacre. Overall, I got the sense that the article was trying to pin the blame of the Virginia Tech tragedy on the "typical" Asian-American immigrant household as somehow having stunted Cho's emotional development and ultimately his judgment in making the decision to take the lives of 33 people. The author makes sweeping generalizations about Asian-American families that show a severe misunderstanding of East-Asian culture. Many parenting practices of some Asian-American immigrant parents may seem backward from the Western point of view and may be misinterpreted as stern and unaffectionate. However, we can't discount these parenting styles just because they're different and don't always fit the Western norm. There are thousands of people who have grown up in immigrant families, and many of them have had difficult experiences adjusting to life in the United States. It doesn't make them any more likely to become emotionally traumatized and commit mass murder. Secondly, just because UC Irvine has a large Asian population does not necessitate the sudden need to worry about a UCI student becoming the next perpetrator. This is precisely the kind of dangerous mentality that sets in during times of crisis: that because one person of a racial group committed an atrocity, all the other members of that group are suddenly "on notice." Lastly, it is absolutely ridiculous to speculate that Cho might have not ended up the way he had if he'd had better presents as a child. Most parents do the best to provide for their children but it is impossible for them to satisfy every single one of their children's material wants. At a certain point, people should wise up and recognize the difference between needs and wants, and that material gifts are not the same thing as a parent's love. Perhaps the author should have thought about what sort of inferences he was making about the children of the Asian-American immigrant experience before making these ill-conceived assumptions about Cho's background. Hannah Sung fourth-year cognitive sciences and political science double-major -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007
Letter to the Editor: UCI Student's Suicide Ignored
I am writing with some reactions I had to three pieces in the New University of April 30, namely Anam Siddiq's front-page article on UC Irvine's vigil for the Virginia Tech community members who died on April 16, their families, and the survivors; Emilie Doolittle's article on under-funded counseling services at UCI; and Philip Grant's open letter to Chancellor Michael V. Drake on his message to the UCI community in response to the Virginia Tech events. Grant asks why the chancellor would send a message about 32 dead in Virginia, instead of any number of dead on a given day in Iraq. There is probably no answer, or too many, to that question. I have a different question: Why have the murders of 31 and the suicide of another on a campus in Virginia warranted a campus-wide message and vigil, while the March 30 suicide death by gunshot in a social sciences stairwell of a member of UCI's own student body goes unmentioned, save a lede in the OC Register and a similar one at the beginning of Doolittle's article? Did this student's life mean less than any one of the victims at Virginia Tech? Does the proximity of his death, and his membership in our UCI community, before we get to questions of "our nation," as Grant mentions, not make the event of his suicide perhaps more important, in terms of a public announcement and vigil? We were called upon to cope openly with the Virginia tragedy; is there no need to cope with the death of a fourth-year undergraduate who must have had human connections here—roommates, classmates, professors and friends? Or did the distance and sensationalism that marked the Virginia events call more for a public response than a largely unnoticed nighttime end to a UCI student's life in a quiet stairwell? I believe that a community response to this young man's death would do more to remind us of the pressures of university living, and to produce awareness of treatment options, than a response to a series of deaths thousands of miles away. Perhaps his family would benefit, as well. I do not know his name, and perhaps we should not. I mourn for him in some way, nevertheless, and in another way, I mourn for the loss of a memorial from his, our, community—a memorial that would have afforded us a moment to consider some of the values that Chancellor Drake sets out: respect, empathy, appreciation, or at the very least what Vice Chancellor Gómez described at the vigil for others as "stunned sorrow and common grief." Perhaps these can be shown in silence, but can they be shown in ignorance? Brook Haley Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Literature
EDITORIAL - Va. shooting cause for reflection
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/17/07 Many news outlets are calling it "the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history." For us, yesterday's shootings at Virginia Tech were a horrible tragedy, and they're also a reminder for all of us to examine our own campuses. We join college students across the nation in extending our condolences to the families and friends of the Virginia Tech students who died yesterday. Certainly those students were in the forefront of our thoughts and in the background of our actions today. Shock will diminish and the bleak reality of this heinous event will become clearer in the days to come. It's too early to know many of the important details of the shooting, but we do know that this will have an effect on college campuses across the country for years to come. Many students watch or read the news and wonder if their own campuses would be able to handle a similar situation. We also wonder if the communication methods in place now are capable of keeping us abreast of developing situations on campus - not all of us have PDAs and BlackBerrys. Certainly, entire university communities are going to be looking for answers from their own administrators about safety measures that are in place and how they'll be augmented to better handle potential future emergency situations. In the hours after the shootings, it seems as if many are quick to blame Virginia Tech for the shootings. After a thorough investigation into Monday's events is completed, Tech might receive criticism for its handling of the shootings - it might not. But as is the case at most campus, you do the best you can - universities and colleges aren't necessarily responsible for the actions of disturbed people. They certainly can't check every single person at every single door in every single building on their sprawling campus. They have to maintain security on campus while striking a careful balance with civil liberties. Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, in a statement to The Pitt News, said "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of the victims and stand ready to be of assistance to members of the Virginia Tech community in any way they would find helpful." And we hope that the college community in Blacksburg will be able to find solace in the offers of condolences from people across the world and be able to recover from an event that has already affected so many, from the victims to their families and to all of us who watch the television and read the stories online and ask: Why? There has never been an act as violent in college history, and we hope that the future does not hold anything more tragic, but instead a chance to work with members of the community to make sure that we minimize the chances of this ever happening again. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 17, 2007
Police chief says campus safety to undergo change
By: BETH OBERLEITER Staff Writer Posted: 4/19/07 When the identity of gunman Cho Seung-Hui was released yesterday, an integral part of the Virginia Tech shootings investigation fell into place. Immediately, his image was plastered over media outlets across the country, and experts and acquaintances analyzed his psyche, looking to explain his actions. But the time gap between the two shooting incidents continues to raise questions about why students had little warning about the impending danger. Pitt Police Chief Tim Delaney said that notifying students of an emergency can become a complex situation that involves careful thought and planning. He said each situation is case-specific and should be handled within context. "You have to be flexible in your planning. Things that may apply in another campus may not apply here," he said. Delaney said Pitt students would be notified by a mass e-mail if there were an emergency involving the University. Through this, they would hope to reach students who could access their e-mail from cell phones, as well as professors and administrators who would filter the information down. Pitt sophomore Suzie Culhane didn't find out about the shootings at Virginia Tech until Monday evening and was shocked that the campus didn't shut down after the first shooting. Even though she said that she felt safe in class on Tuesday, she thought a lot about how random and senseless the act was. "You can't ever be completely safe," she said. "That's how the world is today. You just have to deal with it." Delaney said he would use the annunciator on the fire alarm system to alert students to stay in a safe and secure location if there was a violent act on campus and the suspect had not been found. "I'm constantly thinking about the worst-case scenario," Delaney said, adding that he is constantly thinking up new solutions for evolving situations. Pitt has 300 cameras functioning throughout the University as well as electronic locks on 80 percent of campus buildings. The buildings can be electronically secured from the communications room with as little as the click of a mouse. The electronic locks allow for people to exit the building in compliance with fire codes. Every Pitt Police officer is also trained in "rapid deployment for active shooters," which is practiced in case they need to infiltrate a building. The Pitt police are part of the emergency response unit in Pittsburgh, and they work directly with the city's response team. The Department also has the ability to block traffic from Forbes and Fifth avenues using 15 traffic control points. This method was installed after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. In this case, only emergency vehicles traveling to and from the hospitals would be allowed on the roads. The situation would be monitored by a "unified command post," Delaney said, which would be made of the administrative heads of each University department. This group would make informed decisions based on the development of the crisis. Although he said Pitt's campus safety is very progressive, Delaney will have a staff meeting with his supervisors this week, where they will discuss hypothetical emergency situations and solutions. He predicts campuses will probably make revisions to their safety plans to recognize warning signs that a student may be mentally or emotionally disturbed. Social and academic issues can pressure students into irrational thinking, and he said the Pitt police meet habitually with the housing department and residence life to discuss potential problems in students. Even people who were not directly affected by the incident are feeling the weight of its effect. "It's saturating people," Delaney said, "and they're starting to become affected by it emotionally." Pitt freshman Kelly McCabe can relate to this feeling, and she said that she was in shock when she found out about the shootings on Monday afternoon. "That could happen anywhere. It's scary because you think you're safe," she said. Originally from a more rural area, McCabe said that it was hard to shake the "small-town feel" of thinking this these types of situations won't affect her. The shooting forced her to realize that anyone could become a victim. She now has more appreciation for the everyday safety procedures she encounters, such as signing in guests at her dormitory. "I definitely think I have to be more aware and more cautious," she said, but added that she feels safe on campus because she has never had any problems. Culhane said that, in her opinion, campus is safe from preventable disasters, but she has a harder time grasping the reason behind the Virginia Tech shootings. "Something like this just makes you think, because there's not really an explanation," she said. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 19, 2007
EDITORIAL - Media exploits killer's manifesto
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/20/07 Just days after the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech, NBC made the inappropriate decision to release videos of killer Cho Seung-Hui angrily ranting about the reasoning behind his crimes. Cho had sent a package that contained 43 photos, 28 video clips and a 23-page letter directly to NBC headquarters in New York during a break in his shooting spree on Monday. After NBC first released the shocking "multimedia manifesto" on the NBC Nightly News broadcast, 24-hour news networks quickly followed suit, constantly showing the disturbing video excerpts and photo clips. The media's release of Cho's photos and diatribe gave a deeper look into the mind and motivations of the killer, a decision that has had a great ripple affect across the country. While NBC stands by its decision to release the material, we believe the choice was made too hastily, without much thought or sensitivity for the families of the victims of the shooting, who have only had days to handle the emotional effects of losing their loved ones. Forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant Michael Welner appeared on "Good Morning America" yesterday to discuss the troublesome consequences. "This is a social catastrophe," Welner said. "This is perversion...[Cho] needs to create and produce his own picture in order to give himself a sense of power. Nobody saw him that way...that's why he set this up and he did this to achieve immortality." Welner's argument is logical. This footage does not present the public with any deeper knowledge about the crimes and, for that reason, it is not at all newsworthy. Instead, showing the video is a disrespectful and insensitive action toward the Blacksburg victims. Furthermore, the broadcast footage gives the fame-seeking Cho an audience and a stage where he can attempt to justify his crimes. In other words, it gives him exactly what he wanted. The problem is that 24-hour news networks have the unsettling habit of overeagerly reporting breaking news before having time to reflect upon the consequences of their coverage. NBC and other media outlets are pressured to constantly search for exciting and stimulating material to put on the air and as a result, they neglect to spend time on research and deliberation. That's what went wrong here. Cho's video collection was treated as news gold and was broadcasted without enough forethought. NBC and the other news networks had an obligation to act more responsibly. The videos and photos should have been carefully investigated before they were broadcast. Someone should have sat back and reflected upon the material and the negative repercussions that could follow. Unfortunately, our media tends to do this kind of thing all the time. As soon as we turn on our televisions, we are bombarded with news tickers, terror alerts and breaking stories that are blown up and emphasized to the extreme. Networks play on fear and paranoia to attract viewers, giving us shocking and reactive spurts of material that only serve to rouse our emotions. Instead of focusing on being the first to get the scoop, NBC and other media outlets should concentrate on thoughtfully investigating material before putting them on the air. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 20, 2007
By: JARED TRENT STONESIFER Assistant News Editor Posted: 4/20/07 Pittsburgh Police responded to a report of a bomb in a Carnegie Mellon University parking lot yesterday and later deemed the area safe. Forbes Avenue was closed for more than an hour yesterday afternoon after someone called 911 and allegedly saw a person putting a bomb in a white car. Police later spotted the reported car and pulled it over in a parking lot on Carnegie Mellon's campus. After inspection the device was rendered safe, according to Pittsburgh Police Zone 4 spokesman Matthew White. "Someone called in what they thought may have been a bomb," White said. "The car was inspected at CMU, which does a lot of work with the Defense Department, so it was a call we had to take seriously." Forbes Avenue reopened around 2:30 p.m. yesterday after the Allegheny County bomb squad found a cylinder in the back of the car and deemed it not to be dangerous. The driver was detained for questioning and an investigation is pending. White admitted that the recent incident at Virginia Tech has people more anxious and that more precautions than usual are now needed. "Virginia Tech has everyone on edge," he said. "This week is also the anniversary of the Columbine shootings and the bombing at Oklahoma City." -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 20, 2007
Students show support for Virginia Tech with photo
By: KAY OYEGUN Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Colleges all across America have come together to show support to the Virginia Tech students after the shootings that occurred there on April 16. Pitt organized a student support group photo outside the Petersen Events Center on Friday April 20 at 4 p.m. "The university came behind SGB, traditions committee, greek life and Student Alumni Association and helped spread the word for this event," Nora Duncan of the Athletics Department said. An estimated 300 students dressed in Hokie orange and maroon and gathered in the Petersen lobby before getting the group photo taken. At exactly 4:02 p.m., the crowd of supporters, which included Petersen Events Center staff and members of the Athletics Department, collectively made their way outside to the panther statue by the event center. "I am here just to support the Hokies. The whole thing affected my life," junior John Hollenberger said. "We are college students and that could have happened anywhere. I think its good that everyone pulls together to support those schools states away." Although the reason for the gathering was a tragic one, there were smiles and playful chatter all across the crowd as they took their places for the photo. Students climbed up on the University panther, crouched together at its side and sat on the pavement in front while the rest stood close by. The cameraman gingerly climbed to the top of his ladder and coached the students on how to pose. More and more students in orange and maroon shirts flowed in to join the picture. "Are we supposed to smile?" a girl from the crowd called out. The crowd was then instructed to smile for the photo and say "Hokies" instead of the classic "cheese." The coordinator counted down from three, the crowd yelled "Hokies" in unison, and he took the photo. In fact, this process was repeated five or six times. Those who gathered for the group photo decided to come out and show support for various reasons. "I am used to this sort of tragedy," Josh Wander, a graduate student in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said. "I am from Israel, so things like this happen all the time. I was especially touched by the Romanian professor - Liviu Librescu - and Holocaust survivor who risked his life to save his students." Some supporters made their way to Pitt's campus from other schools and decided to join in. There was no shortage of students willing to wear the orange and maroon for the Virginia Tech Hokies. "My school is 45 minutes from Blacksburg. Liberty is showing support even though we are athletic rivals with the Hokies," Jennifer Trujillo, a Liberty University grad, said. "We really are just one family, supporting and praying. It hit home especially being so close." A campus-wide vigil will be held on Monday, April 23 at 8:30 p.m. on the Cathedral lawn. Students and faculty are encouraged to attend this event to show support, share condolences and say prayers for the families and community affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 23, 2007
By: KONRAD KLINKNER Columnist Posted: 4/23/07 The intricacies of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech are proving to be very enduring media fodder, with NBC lapping up Cho's media package and the investigations probing deeper and deeper into the background of the gunman, savoring every juicy drop of sordid drama. It's been so lasting because, as the act of an irrational psycho, it's riddled with questions that will never be answered - and that always keeps an audience. Almost grudgingly, one of the few concrete issues that the tragedy has forced back into the national spotlight is one of America's least favorite debate topics: gun control. One might think that the massacre naturally lends itself easiest as an example of how guns are too easy to acquire here in the States. But, pro-gun rights advocates are already quick to turn it into a case for more self-defense. Indeed, some gun-rights proponents are even suggesting that Virginia Tech's campus policy of prohibiting the possession of firearms on campus should be reviewed. A fair number of students are quoted as saying they wished somebody had a gun with them on that day. Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said, "All the school shootings that have ended abruptly in the last 10 years were stopped because a law-abiding citizen - a potential victim - had a gun. The latest school shooting at Virginia Tech demands an immediate end to the gun-free zone law which leaves the nation's schools at the mercy of madmen." So Pratt is suggesting here that allowing guns on campuses would be a big step toward curbing shooting outbreaks. Really? Who thinks to bring a gun to class on a regular basis? Beyond making a strong case for having more vigilant background checks, though, it's very unlikely that the Virginia Tech tragedy will spur any significant gun control initiative within the United States. It's not like any previous mass shooting has. To many people elsewhere in the world, the recent tragedy is yet another bloody stain on America's generally ugly reputation. European critics, as to be expected, particularly express their never-ending bafflement that Americans never seem to do anything about their gun laws. And well they may wonder. But as much as I don't care for guns and identify more with the ethos of gun-control advocates, I can't believe that gun control alone is going to fix things. Serious gun control legislation, like what Europe has, is doomed to fail in the United States as it is today, and that's because guns are just too embedded in American culture for laws alone to make lasting changes about it anytime soon. History has shown us that prohibition laws are rarely ever effective when they run up against big cultural institutions. A real attempt to bring our gun control laws anywhere near the standards of Western Europe would be disastrous today. If someone ever miraculously pulls off an outright ban on general gun ownership in the United States, that person will probably get shot, and I'd fully expect ferocious, widespread defiance of the law across the entire nation. You'd have to pry those guns from America's cold, dead hands. Before law reform can be used effectively to curb guns, our gun culture must first undergo reform. Gun ownership is often trumped up in the United States as a testimony to the hallowed virtues of individualism and self-sufficiency. The civilian's gun embodies vigilante security and is about as literal as "power to the people" gets - this harkens all the way back to the Revolutionary days when militias actually mattered, which is indeed where we got this Second Amendment from in the first place. It was an assurance to those suspicious of the new federal government that they'd always have their guns to protect them should the feds ever get too tyrannical. Even today some pro-gun rights people will talk about a civilian's firearms as the last line of defense against governmental tyranny, which really can't be anything more than just a psychological comfort, since I can't imagine today's citizenry armed with handguns and hunting rifles having any chance against our government's tanks and bomber planes. But of course it's naive to say that gun enthusiasm in America mainly comes from a militant devotion to liberty. On a more simple level, people just like shooting things, and having guns makes you dangerous and therefore potentially cool. I get somewhat torn when it comes to this, because on one hand, I'm not a fan of real guns, but I honestly also think guns are quite awesome when kept to the realm of fiction, as in video games. Most U.S. politicians tend to take an inverse stance, being way more comfortable supporting restrictions on the mere depiction of guns rather than restricting guns in real life. Personally, I would rather there not be necessary restrictions on anything, and that American culture could just chill out with the guns out of its own volition. That, I think, will bring more peace than any law will bring about, but it will be a long time in coming. -- Original Source: The Pitt News - April 23, 2007
University enacts many campus security measures
By: ELI DILE Staff Writer Posted: 5/22/07 The Virginia Tech massacre in late April was a shocking reminder of the importance of campus safety. Pitt, which spends more than $9 million annually on security measures, has many organizations and programs that promote safety on campus. First and foremost, the Pitt police department safeguards the lives of students every day and represents the third largest police force in Allegheny County. In addition to officers on foot, bicycle or motorcycle, the department includes 74 commissioned police officers and has a minimum of four cars patrolling Oakland's streets during each shift. There are four Pitt police stations on campus. They are located at Sutherland Hall, Sennott Square and two locations on Forbes Avenue, one between the Barco Law Building and David Lawrence Hall. The other is the new Public Safety Building located at 3412 Forbes Ave. Students can report crimes by calling the Pitt police at (412) 624-2121 or by dialing 4-2121 on a campus phone, going to one of the stations or by using the anonymous tips portion of the Pitt police's website at www.pitt.edu/~police. More than 500 emergency phones, which students can use to contact Pitt police in case of an emergency, are located across campus. Exterior and garage phones are easily identifiable by their blue lights. In addition, nearly 300 surveillance cameras are spread throughout the campus and are monitored 24 hours a day. The University also maintains many other safety measures beside the University police. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, the communications center at the Public Safety Building is equipped to lock down 80 percent of Pitt's buildings. Also, the University can send emergency e-mails to students, faculty and staff and make emergency announcements over the public address systems in campus buildings. Pitt's Office of Sexual Assault Services provides counseling and medical services for anyone who has been sexually harassed or abused. Students can reach OSAS at (412) 648-7930. Each term the University offers a one-credit personal-defense course, which teaches students to defend themselves and escape from an attacker. Security guards control access to all residence halls. Students must present their student IDs, which are then swiped through an electronic system by the guards, to gain access to their residence halls. Guests wishing to enter a residence hall must first have a student who lives there sign them in. Guests must also be signed out or the resident may face a fine. Each residence hall has a resident assistant on every floor. Their duties include supervising fire evacuations, resolving roommate disputes, and handling vandalism, disorderly conduct, medical and psychological emergencies. RAs are on duty every evening, including weekends and holidays. Each residence hall has a resident director to supervise the RAs. In all residence halls, dorm-room doors can only be opened with either a key or the occupant's student ID followed by a four-digit code. The University also urges students to practice common sense when traversing the campus. Students should stay in well-lit and highly-traveled areas. When running or walking, students should travel with someone and carry a whistle. Students should also familiarize themselves with emergency phone locations. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - May 22, 2007
Counseling and Support Information for Students and Employees
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:34:30 -0400 From: Virginia.Tech.news@vt.edu To: Multiple recipients <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.VT.EDU> Subject: Counseling and Support Information for Students and Employees August 17, 2007 Counselors from Cook Counseling Center and ValueOptions will provide drop in counseling services from two locations, a tent on the Drillfield and in Squires Student Center: Sunday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cook Counseling Center, McComas Hall, will also be open Sunday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, August 20 through Thursday, August 23 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, August 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional counseling support for students please contact Cook Counseling Center at 231-6557 or 231-6444 after hours. For additional counseling support for faculty or staff, please contact Employee Relations at 231-7772. Counseling and Support Resources for Faculty and Staff Tom Brown, Dean of Students, and Christopher Flynn, Director of Cook Counseling Center, will be offering a series of seminars on "Identifying and Referring the Distressed Student" tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 10 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Registration is not required. Participation is open to everyone the Virginia Tech community. Locations to be announced. The Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching is sponsoring a workshop on Thursday, August 30 on "Pathways to Resilience - From Surviving to Thriving". The workshop will be led by two clinical psychologists from James Madison University. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. To register, visit www.ceut.vt.edu. Registration is open to faculty and staff. Faculty, staff, and dependents covered by Virginia Tech health insurance always have full access to counseling referral through ValueOptions, our EAP provider. Call 866-725-0602 anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Callers will be referred to a local counselor for an appointment. Counselors are available to meet with departments and workgroups at their offices or other convenient locations by appointment - contact 231-7772 to request this service. Counseling Resources for Students Cook Counseling Center, McComas Hall (231-6557): There is no charge for counseling services for graduate and undergraduate students. Individual and group psychotherapy services are available. Groups are forming for students coping with trauma; call for information. The after hours emergency number is 231-6444. Web Resources Additional resources and information for the university community are available at http://www.virginiatech.healthandperformancesolutions.net/ and www.hr.vt.edu/supportresources. Additional resources and information for students are available at www.ucc.vt.edu. Other Counseling Resources Mental Health Association of the New River Valley (540-951-4990) provides referrals to local counselors (no student services). New River Valley Community Services Board (540-961-8421, no student services). Psychological Services, Department of Psychology (540-231-6914) provided non-emergency counseling/therapy to students and to faculty, staff and/or family members (there is a fee for service). Family Therapy Center, Human Development Department (540-231-7201) provides non-emergency services to students, faculty, and staff (there is a fee for service). Upcoming Events for Employees The annual CommonHealth and Benefit Fair will be held Wednesday, October 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Squires Student Center in the Commonwealth Ballroom. In addition to vendor's booths, there will be wellness and stress management seminars. Watch for information coming in early fall. For more information contact Human Resources and Benefits(231-9331 or www.hr.vt.edu); Employee Relations (231-7772); Work/Life Resources (231-3213 or www.worklife.vt.edu); ADA Services (231-4638); Cook Counseling Center (231-6557 or 231-6444 after hours); Dean of Students Office (231-3787); Office of Recovery and Support (231-0062); Virginia Tech Police Tip Line (231-6411).
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:25:23 -0400 From: Provost@vt.edu To: Multiple recipients <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.VT.EDU> Subject: Provost Update August 17, 2007 August 17, 2007 Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues: You are probably noticing that the students are moving back to Blacksburg this week. (It is a good time to stay away from Washington Street.) The start of the fall semester is always an exciting time and we will be welcoming over 5,000 freshmen in the great new class of 2011. We will also be welcoming approximately 100 new faculty colleagues across all eight colleges. The first day of class will be a memorable adventure. Many departments and colleges have been busy this week with pre-semester retreats, planning sessions, and orientations. I realize that you are receiving multiple forms of communication about ongoing and new activities. I am going to highlight a few key issues and events recognizing that you have heard or will hear more about each of these items in different ways. 1. The three internal reviews requested by President Steger will be presented soon. James Hyatt chaired the group looking at infrastructure and security; Erv Blythe chaired the group looking at networking; and Jerry Niles chaired the group looking at the relationships among the academic, judicial, counseling, and legal systems. Each group will provide an overview of existing structures and programs and will make recommendations for enhancements. Some of the relevant items have been or are being implemented already (such as VT Alerts), and a comprehensive summary and outline of additional security enhancements was prepared by Executive Vice President James Hyatt. A note of immediate relevance to faculty instructors: the general assignment classrooms are being fitted with hardware that will allow rooms to be locked from the inside with automatic unlocking features when exiting. 2. The dedication ceremony of the memorial on the Drillfield will be held at noon on Sunday. All members of the university and extended community are invited. Faculty and student representatives will provide brief comments. 3. Human Resources and the Cook Counseling Center are coordinating efforts to provide counseling support to faculty, staff, and students next week. There will be two primary sites staffed by trained professionals: a tent on the Drillfield and Squires Student Center. Counselors will be able to travel to other locations as needed. In addition, counselors will be specifically assigned to a few key locations (including Norris Hall). In April, faculty members implemented a plan to invite a faculty colleague to attend class on the first day. The colleague was available to provide collegial support and to be available, if needed, to help with any issues that came up. The college deans' offices are helping to promote and encourage a similar system next week. Last spring we relied on the good judgment of faculty members to decide how best to address and respond to the events of April 16. We will do so again. I anticipate that most students and faculty in the classroom will be eager to focus on what we do best: teaching and learning. CEUT held some sessions for faculty this week and will have follow-up sessions over the next few weeks. Your feedback about your experiences and the experiences of the students will be helpful. 4. You have received advice about media attention early in the week. You are free to talk with the media, but you are under no obligation to do so. Also, you can decide what issues you want to discuss. You have control over who is admitted to your classrooms. 5. The "Concert for Virginia Tech" on Thursday, September 6 is going to have an impact on classes that evening. As of now, we are planning to cancel classes beginning at 5 p.m. so that all faculty, staff, and students may attend the concert if they wish. Unlike the situation with football games, the parking lots are open to regular use and no one will be expected to vacate spaces in specific lots. As provost, I am never thrilled when the regular academic schedule is affected by non-academic events. We are going through an important phase of the healing process and I hope you will embrace the positive features of this unique contribution to the Virginia Tech community. 6. One of the highlights of the academic year will be a special program that brings emphasis to our commitment to the unique responsibilities and opportunities that come from being Virginia's senior land-grant university, as well as highlights the Student Engagement component of our Strategic Plan. The program, which we are calling VT-ENGAGE, is a university-wide initiative that reaffirms our motto, Ut Prosim, by facilitating and leading opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to participate in community service, service learning, and volunteerism. During its inaugural year 2007-2008, VT-ENGAGE will honor the victims of the tragedy of April 16 and the commitment to service they demonstrated within their communities worldwide. A Steering Committee, which includes broad representation of faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community leaders, is working diligently on the planning for VT-ENGAGE. The committee has established a goal of at least 300,000 hours of service/service learning. Each member of the university community will be challenged to commit at least 10 hours during the academic year. We hope that each of you will choose to participate and that you will find creative ways to include the spirit of VT-ENGAGE in your teaching, research, and outreach. A major event will be held on the Drillfield the evening of October 16 to kick-off VT-ENGAGE. Community organizations are being invited to have displays and to sign-up volunteers. The event will be festive and feature stories of how Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff, students, and alumni make a difference in communities around the world. Much more to come. We believe VT-ENGAGE will send another positive message that Virginia Tech is a very special community with a spirit that does indeed prevail. Best wishes for a successful start to the new academic year. Mark McNamee University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
By:Sarah A. Newlin Posted: 4/27/07 I am writing in response to Richard Poskozim's opinion piece in the 4/25 issue of The Lantern. In the article, the author seems to imply that Cho's motivation to kill somehow originated from his alleged mental illness: "After everything that's come out about him, I think it's pretty safe to say his motivation was that he was crazy." While it is clear that something had deeply distressed Mr. Cho, one should be careful about jumping to conclusions about how mental illness played a role in this tragic event. Numerous studies have shown that it is incredibly rare for someone with a mental illness to commit gross acts of violence, especially on the scale of the Virginia Tech shootings. Violence is no more prevalent among individuals with mental illnesses than among the general public. In actuality, those suffering from a mental illness are more likely to be the victims of violence than the perpetrators. Furthermore, I am concerned that the focus on the shooter's possible mental illness will cause many students on college campuses who suffer from mental illnesses to not seek mental health services or to be feared and shunned by their peers, leading to their further isolation and discrimination. If any positives can come out of this horrible event, I hope that one will be a larger discussion about the need for increased recognition of mental health issues among college students and the need for adequate treatment, support and recovery resources on college campuses. I ask that The Lantern staff take this into consideration as they continue to cover the tragic circumstances surrounding the Virginia Tech shootings. Sarah A. Newlin Program Manager Campus Suicide Prevention Program -- Original Source:The Lantern - April 27, 2007
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, citing gun control policies and mental health issues as areas of consideration. Levine worked in downtown Washington D.C. during the Sept. 11 attacks as an undergraduate student at American University. She said she experienced first-hand campus safety issues when her campus was evacuated because of bomb threats. "In reality, there's no way to prevent this," she said. "You can do things to mitigate them, but you can't live in fear." Alaina Busch can be reached at busch.61@osu.edu. -- Original Source:The Lantern - April 30, 2007
Shooting proves need for gun control laws
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
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 forced them to comply. Other colleges in Utah, including the College of Eastern Utah, have had legal concealed carry since at least 2003. If there were serious problems with these schools, wouldn't we have heard of them by now? Opponents of campus carry don't like to talk about what happens in the real world; only what happens in their pessimistic, sociologically illiterate minds. The best reason for allowing CHLs on campus is that those of us who want to go armed need to carry as much as possible to make it a habit. The safest place for a defensive handgun is on one's person, not locked in a car (currently allowed by Ohio law on campus) or at home. No one can predict when they might be attacked, so one needs to carry a defensive weapon as much as possible. Do you only wear your seatbelt when you think you will be in a crash? Proper weapons training (another thing most administrators don't have) dictates that weapons should be carried in the same place as much as possible. When faced with danger, the mind will be occupied by other things, and one's weapon presentation should be automatic. This is true for any weapon or tool that will be used under stress. Unfortunately, our society ignores the real purpose of defensive weaponry, and stigmatizes handguns as suitable only for killing people instead of admitting their real purpose: saving innocent human life from an unexpected attack. A 1995 study, which showed firearms are used more than 2 million times per year in self-defense, described how prosocial uses for weapons at the very least cancelled out the negatives. Another criminologist, the late Marvin Wolfgang, followed that article with his own, expressing surprise as well as admiration because he had long been against firearms ownership, but could find nothing wrong with their methodology. CHL holders do not become violent, "Wild West" savages when they come onto campus. Those of us who carry simply want to be able to protect ourselves to the best of our abilities at all times. Yes, campus is relatively safe, but the neighborhoods surrounding OSU and the places where visitors come from may not be. Society is not made any safer by restricting individuals' right and means to self-defense. -- Original source:The Lantern - May 7, 2007
By: Doug Gill Posted: 5/7/07 I love British comedies. So I just had to see "Hot Fuzz" a couple weeks ago. It's the latest action-comedy-murder-mystery-thriller from the makers of "Shaun of the Dead," directed by Edgar Wright and starring Nick Frost and Simon Pegg. Expecting both a good time and a hearty laugh, I suddenly found myself feeling alone in a crowded theater and very uneasy. Why? In the movie, Nicholas Angel (Pegg) is a hot-shot London police officer whose arrest record makes his co-workers look bad. So they transfer him to an idyllic English village where there hasn't been a crime in more than 20 years. Yet Angel suspects that the week's five gruesome deaths were really murders. After all, people don't just accidentally blow themselves up, loose their heads or stab themselves in the throat with hedge clippers, do they? Maybe in the big city of London they do, but certainly not in Sandford, the community that cares. I soon found myself feeling very unsettled. What triggered my unease was a scene that generated the most laughter from the audience, a homage to the American western. Angel rides into town on a white horse sort of like Clint Eastwood. Loaded down with guns and ammunition, he surprises the murderous villagers who thought they'd killed Angel the night before. They open fire on him in a very explosive and gory scene. Yet everyone in the audience, including myself, guffawed and cheered approvingly as our avenging Angel took out the NWA one-by-one: the friendly couple who run the pub, the kindly village priest and the grinning grocer played by former James Bond actor Timothy Dalton. A woman two rows in front of me leaped from her seat. "All right!" she shouted. Turning to her neighbor, she quipped, "Serves 'em right!" A bunch of guys behind me began really whooping it up. I could hardly hear the gunfire over them. Yes, all of us were really getting into it. And who wouldn't have? The bad guys were getting their comeuppance for being so wicked. Still, I found myself sitting alone in the dark, feeling troubled. Then a still, quiet voice said, "A gunman has killed 33 people this week at Virginia Tech. Why are we laughing?" Back in the theater, I could no longer see the humor in bullets ripping through the air and tearing into people's shoulders or legs. Instead, I could only see the victims of last week's shootings along with their grieving family members and friends. Squirming in my seat, I hoped that none of them were watching this movie. I didn't want them to see people being shot at - even if they were the bad guys. Feeling queasy, I certainly didn't want them to hear our cheers and laughter as blood splattered across the screen and bodies fell to the ground. Granted, "Hot Fuzz" is just a movie. Our hero only wounded the villains so they couldn't shoot back. Heck, his name was Angel for heaven's sake. Nonetheless, in the wake of that week's tragedy, I felt as though I had disrespected the dead and, in some albeit small way, also contributed to a collective insensitivity toward violence in American culture today. And this is a disturbing feeling - a very disturbing feeling indeed. -- Original Source:The Lantern - May 7, 2007
In the drillfield, students mourned for the victims and comforted each other. Photo taken April 17,2007 Original Source:æ–°åŽç½‘ http://news.online.sh.cn/news/gb/content/2007-04/18/content_1927629_7.htm