Saint Gertrude High School, Richmond, VA, Summer Alumnae News
description: Dear Saint Gertrude Family, When I was asked to write a letter on behalf of our alumnae sisters at Virginia Tech, emotions at every level filled my heart and mind. There are no words to describe the events of April 16th nor are there appropriate words to share how your support helped each of us to deal in our own way with the days that followed. I speak for all of us when I say that the outpouring of love and concern was undeniably the strength behind our personal ways of coping and our ability to remain strong for all who needed us then and for all who need us now. The spirit of St. Gertrude High School emerged at a level that was both unbelievable and phenomenal ... the photo taken in the gymnasium is just one example; your e-mails, cards, and calls were yet another. The insert below was taken from a note that I had sent to family and friends in the early days, which continues to best describe the feelings that we faced and ultimately had to accept in the aftermath: "For those of you who watched the convocation on TV, it was perhaps your first "real" emotional connection to the tragedy of seeing your beloved alma mater in pieces. You were able to sit amongst your Virginia Tech family and feel the personal impact that this devastation created, while celebrating together in the true spirit of Ut Prosim. For those of you who did not go to Virginia Tech and may never have really thought too much about it prior to Monday, you can now call yourselves Hokies for you have shared with us and were able to feel the pain and strength of our ---your--- Hokie Nation. I was merely a symbol of the love that you feel for Virginia Tech and your deep emotions for our shared loss. Seeing me, someone you have a bond with, on national television allowed you to grieve at another level, one that I know many of us unconsciously resisted for that would mean admitting what had happened was for real. It was." Yes, it was definitely real. That reality grew even stronger when it was discovered…
creator: Judi Lynch
date: 2007-08-10
contributor: Judi Lynch
language: eng

BUPD to increase communication for campus safety
description: By: Lisa Davis Posted: 4/27/07 Increasing communication in case of an emergency within the Boston University community will be a top priority for the BU Police Department for the next few months, officials said last night at a town hall meeting in the Student Village organized in response to the April 16 Virginia Tech shootings. The BUPD will also be looking into all possible means of communication to stay in close contact with staff and students by using phones, email and text messaging, said BUPD Chief Thomas Robbins at the meeting, which was attended by one Student Village Resident Assistant in addition to a reporter and photographer for The Daily Free Press. "In the case of a crisis, there would be various communications," Robbins said. "One way or another, in a crisis, we'll get the word out." The community must be able to openly discuss public safety, which was the motivation behind holding the meeting, Robbins said along with Sgt. Jack St. Hilaire and Office of Residence Life Director David Zamojski. The three BU officials stressed the importance of being aware of safety even when there is not a crisis at hand. "Sometimes it comes down to just being aware of your surroundings," Robbins said, adding that those who ever think they need help off campus should call BUPD. "In terms of safety, the avenue to bring that up is through a [Resident Assistant]," Robbins said. "It's about communication." When BU administrators inform students about safety at freshman orientation, parents tend to pay close attention while students "glaze over," Robbins said. "You should think ahead," Robbins said. "We are in the middle of a city, and that's what makes us great as a university." Students should program the BUPD phone number into their cell phones, in addition to numbers of taxi companies, to ensure further security, Zamojski said. The low turnout will not discourage the BUPD from holding more meetings on a regular basis, including one more before the semester ends, Robbins …
creator: Lisa Davis
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Council plans future preparedness meeting
description: By: Victoria Demaria Posted: 4/26/07 More than a week after the worst shootings in U.S. history happened on the Virginia Tech campus, the Boston City Council decided yesterday to plan a future meeting to discuss emergency procedures at Boston's universities and hospitals. "It made me realize we have hospitals that have huge campuses, [and] we have so many universities in the city," said Council President Maureen Feeney. Feeney said the hearing will focus on the concept of unifying a system to contact people in the event of such an emergency, especially on large campuses with many buildings. Last Tuesday, the day after the April 16 shootings, local law enforcement agencies met with 19 area universities to address emergency protocols. "Things like [the shootings] can happen at any point and at any time," said Councilor-at-Large Stephen Murphy. "It's a perfectly reasonable order for a hearing." Councilor Michael Ross (Back Bay, Fenway) said the city's University Accountability Act requires colleges to track their off-campus students for such an emergency, which would hopefully avoid the troubles the Virginia Tech administration had contacting commuter students during the shootings. Councilor Jerry McDermott (Allston, Brighton) suggested Virginia Tech officials may not have publicized news of the first shooting, in which the gunman killed two students in a residence hall nearly two hours before he killed 30 more in an academic building a half-mile away, for fear of marring the school's reputation. "Put yourself in the place of an admissions officer," McDermott said. "You wouldn't want this information getting out." McDermott said schools should not keep such information quiet and said the hearing should also investigate whether universities tend to suppress negative news. "Schools need to let everyone know the good, the bad and the ugly," he said. In other Council news, Councilor Rob Consalvo (Hyde Park, Roslindale) suggested Boston join the "national movement" of citie…
creator: Victoria Demaria
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

After VT, Koreans prepare for backlash
description: By: Hannah McBride and Andrea Rodi Posted: 4/25/07 Acknowledging cultural repercussions of last week's Virginia Tech shootings, Koreans at Boston University said they have been facing racial pressures as details have emerged about the killer, who came to the United States from South Korea when he was a child. Although Koreans -- whose culture traditionally values community support -- initially did not know how to react to the Virginia Tech shootings, many agree they should not feel responsible for the actions of Virginia Tech senior Cho Seung-Hui and should not fear persecution when expressing their culture, said BU Korean Student Association Secretary Clara Pyo. "Because it wasn't racism-driven, personally, we can be sorry that it happened, but we shouldn't feel responsible," she said. Almost immediately after Cho shot and killed 27 students and five teachers before killing himself on the Blacksburg, Va. campus April 16, many Korean organizations -- in the United States and overseas -- prepared for racial backlash against them. Members of BU Asian groups say they have not received a backlash from their peers, and the shootings are not a reflection of their culture. Nevertheless, KSA discussed taking extra precautions before its Korean cultural show, "Lost in Translation," on Saturday. Officers considered postponing the show, and the Student Activities Office offered to bolster security for it, but the group decided to continue with almost no changes. "We didn't know if we should be afraid or if we should celebrate [our heritage]," said Pyo, a School of Education sophomore, "but we decided that if there was any hostility against us, we didn't want to be swayed by the incident." In the wake of the shootings, the media can affect Americans' perceptions of Asians, said BU Asian Student Union President Lisa Tobari. "[Media portrayal] impacts the way you behave and the way you see yourself," the College of Communication junior said. "[However,] the fact that [Cho] is Asi…
creator: Hannah McBride and Andrea Rodi
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LETTER: Gun violence is what needs to be controlled
description: By:Daniel Ross Posted: 4/24/07 "The Changing Gun Debate," an article written by New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg in response to the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech, can be found in the April 30 issue of Newsweek. I applaud his insight and his efforts; Mayor Bloomberg is leading an uphill battle against gun crime. For as long I can remember, the gun debate has been about special interests -- on both sides. Our political leaders remind us that they are concerned about guns in America and either passionately advocate or decry gun regulation. Our two parties are entrenched in this opposition. Sadly, this debate is far more about ideology and not at all about restoring the peace and safety of American homes, businesses and schools. Mayor Bloomberg proposes a middle ground that sidesteps the dogma of regulation. He intends to stop gun crime, and he is making measurable progress doing so. In the past six years, murders in New York City have dropped 40 percent. Specifically, Bloomberg wants to stop crime perpetrated with illegally purchased guns. Although the Virginia Tech shooter legally purchased his weapons, most criminals do not. Most criminals who use guns purchase them illegally. "FBI statistics show that violent crime is on the rise across America," writes Bloomberg, and the weapon of choice is an illegal gun. Unfortunately, our federal government is doing little to help the fight against illegal guns. In fact, Bloomberg says federal regulations prevent his police department and cities across the nation from using the resources they need to bust illegal gun dealers. "Statistics show that 1 percent of dealers sell more than half of all illegal guns," Bloomberg said. In order to stop the sale of these weapons and keep them out of the hand of criminals, Bloomberg started a coalition called Mayors Against Illegal Guns. Now, more than 200 cities participate, sharing information about the sale of illegal guns. Our national debate on guns must change. Following Bloombe…
creator: Daniel Ross
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

EDITORIAL: The need for gun control
description: By:Anonymous Posted: 4/24/07 Many believed last week's Virginia Tech shootings would trigger immediate gun-control legislation from the Democrat-controlled Congress. But apparently, that won't be the case. Rep. Michael Capuano seemed to represent the Democrat majority's attitude Monday when he said tackling gun control is "just not worth it," as reported by an April 23 Boston Globe article. He said although he would ideally like to support stricter gun-control laws, putting up a losing fight on such a divisive topic could be political suicide. Capuano added it would be a difficult battle because, when it comes to Congress, "the NRA has this place wrapped up." And most other Democrat leaders seem to agree. But that doesn't mean the fight shouldn't be made. Some of this country's greatest societal changes came after long struggles. The United States entered a civil war in part to end slavery. Activists lost their lives fighting for civil rights in the 1960s. Gay marriage is an undying debate on Capitol Hill. Change is never easy. The last time Democrats held a majority in Congress, they made headway on gun control. In 1994, President Clinton passed a federal ban on selling semi-automatic weapons. This ban expired in 2004 under a Republican Congress. Now that Democrats have regained dominance in the legislature, gun control should be championed again. Many Republicans will see gun-control efforts as an irrational reaction to the Virginia Tech tragedy. Too much emphasis on the issue will appear as if Democrats are trying to take advantage of emotional circumstances to push their agenda. But gun-control efforts are necessary even if they are reactionary. Politics are about responding to society's demands and addressing issues that need to be fixed. It cannot be stressed too often that April 16 was the worst shooting in U.S. history, and it should have been prevented. In 2005, a Virginia court determined Cho Seung-Hui to be mentally ill. Virginia law prevents people who a…
creator: Anonymous
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

BU community honors Va. Tech
description: Candelight vigil marks one week after shootings By: Jenna Nierstedt Posted: 4/24/07 Though many Boston University community members gathered last week at a candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the Virginia Tech shootings, a few students were not ready to let the flames extinguish just yet. Late last week, those students organized another vigil for yesterday evening, in which about 50 students and staff came together again for prayer and the chance to express their emotions on Marsh Plaza. Though the winds were too strong for most of the candles to remain lit, Rheanne Wirkkala, who helped organize the vigil, stood on the steps of Marsh Chapel and said the fact that the community had gathered again was just as meaningful as each candle burning. "It's easy Tuesday and Wednesday and Thursday when you constantly see it in the news to keep remembering, but we hope that people will remember a week later and a month later and a year later," the College of Arts and Sciences junior said afterward. The crowd huddled together to try to block the wind from blowing out candles, as Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore jokingly asked Marsh Chapel dean Robert Hill to direct a prayer to calm the wind. "Maybe in some way, I'd like to hope and think that the wind is moving down south to the good folks in Virginia, and maybe they'll hear our songs, smell the lit candle and know that we are thinking about them," Elmore said afterward. Hill led a prayer calling for BU to "withstand what we can't understand" and "to offer ourselves for one another." "How do we do something here that can resonate somewhere else," Elmore said, "and how do we also send a strong message to the world -- that we do matter and that we think other people matter?" CAS junior Caitlyn Hessell expressed her feelings through a song she sang while playing guitar on the Marsh steps. "Just seeing that some of the victims had everything taken away from them, it was just more intense knowing that I [have] this whole life…
creator: Jenna Nierstedt
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

BU community honors Va. Tech
description: Students reach out with support to VT campus By: Clarissa Bottesini and Angela Marie Latona Posted: 4/24/07 After last week's deadly shootings at Virginia Tech, many Boston University students have joined efforts to offer their physical and emotional support. The BU community is still in the early stages of organizing how to best aid those directly affected by the shootings, though Dean of Students Kenneth Elmore said many students have approached him about how they can reach out to the Virginia Tech community. "It's a tough one, because people are thinking, 'What does the community need?'" he said. "People are trying to figure out how best to be effective and what can be done to reach out." Marsh Chapel and the Office of Residence Life are in the process of sending support letters to Virginia Tech. A candlelight vigil held last night at Marsh Plaza marked the second time the BU community came together to reflect on students affected by the shootings, in which 32 people were killed by a Virginia Tech senior who then shot himself. Elmore said students have also discussed ways to help hospitalized victims and offer assistance to fire department and police officials. In an email sent to students April 20, President Robert Brown expressed his condolences to the Virginia Tech community and announced efforts to improve campus safety and communications procedures. "Our hearts go out to the students, parents, faculty, staff and families impacted by these senseless killings," Brown said in the letter. "Many members of our community are grieving." Response has also reached the Internet, with some BU students changing their Facebook.com profile photos to Virginia Tech tributes that read, "Today, we are all Hokies." Some groups, including Champions, a College of Communication community service organization, are taking small steps to help Virginia Tech by planning to compose support letters at its upcoming meeting Monday. However, members have not decided whom the letters will b…
creator: Clarissa Bottesini and Angela Marie Latona
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

PERSPECTIVE: Covering Virginia Tech as a student journalist in Blacksburg
description: By:Priyanka Dayal Posted: 4/23/07 I spent three days last week at Virginia Tech University as a reporter covering the heinous murder of 32 innocent people. I had never felt so many things all at once. I had never been so nervous and so excited and so sad and so scared all at the same time. I had never eaten so much fast food, then slept for three hours then worked for 16. I've spent this semester at Boston University's Washington Journalism Center, where I write for a newspaper in Massachusetts and intern at USA TODAY's main bureau in McLean, Virginia. Last Monday, I was sitting at my desk doing some mildly interesting research. That's when I heard the first reports that people had been shot at Virginia Tech. The newsroom started bustling. What was going on in Blacksburg? Which reporters and editors would go? How many should go? Mindy, a reporter who sits next to me and, for weeks, has been the best mentor an intern could have, started gathering some fresh notebooks and yelled over the wall dividing our desks if I wanted to go. "Go where?" I asked. "To Blacksburg!" she said. That's not what I expected to hear. My heart started beating really fast. I've been a reporter, albeit a student reporter, for four years. I've never had that kind of an adrenaline rush before. I know I should have jumped on the assignment. But I didn't. I got scared. I didn't know what to do. Did I really want to go straight to a place where a psychopathic killer had just stunned the world? Yes. Once we reached Blacksburg, I wasn't nervous anymore. I set about reporting the story like I would report any other story. I talked to people about the situation. But I wasn't always prepared for their answers. Through tears, a girl my age, named Tina, who was in Norris Hall last Monday morning, told me about hearing gunshots in the classroom below her. She heard pounding. She heard screams. She heard maniacal laughter. Later that night, she heard all those things again in her dreams. While Tina was tel…
creator: Priyanka Dayal
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LETTER: Shooter needed counseling
description: By:Bethany Morris Posted: 4/20/07 n In reaction to the Virginia Tech shootings, different advocacy groups are focusing on gun control and security as issues that should be addressed after this latest tragedy. While these are valid points, doesn't the problem stem from mental-heath care? It is nearly impossible to get individuals into mental-health facilities after they turn 18 unless they commit themselves or have committed some act of violence against themselves or others. If the professor who had tried to get Cho Seung-Hui help had been able to get him committed to residential treatment (treatment that he had needed for years) this tragedy might have been prevented. Unfortunately, this young man was too far gone to acknowledge his need for treatment, and his behavior went unchecked. Bethany Morris CFA '09
creator: Bethany Morris
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-13
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LETTER: VT editorial, NBC wrong
description: Issue date: 4/20/07 Section: Opinion The Daily Free Press's editorial sounded like it was taken straight from the NBC anchor's monologue, complete with the required clichés of "difficult decision" and "responsibility to tell the story," ("Airing murderous motives," April 19, p. 11). It gave NBC every benefit in assuming its goal here is to selflessly provide "the story." "Before even thinking about putting the information on the air, NBC contacted the FBI." This sounds great, and it was very humble of NBC to do that, but was it true? It seems to me the more likely timeline was to first make copies of everything, contact the FBI and finally slap the NBC logo on each frame before starting the round-the-clock replays. A more interesting analysis for the editorial could have been to walk through that journalistic decision making process: Does a mass media outlet weigh the good or bad that might come from their exploitation of a situation? I can easily think of many bad outcomes from this such as additional psychological damage to the victims and their families and the obvious danger of inspiring the next mass murder out there. The editorial said Cho Seung-Hui copied previous killers, so it acknowledges that there is a real danger. Perhaps his words are being written into some other loner kid's notebook right now. The editorial does, however, dismiss this danger: "These threats will surface regardless of whether the media provides all the information or not." This is a weak justification (might as well make drugs legal, people will do them anyway). That excuse is also an attempt to remove the mighty responsibility which comes with the journalism profession. As far as the good from showing the video, I can't think of anything beyond profiting from human misery. Does anyone feel better knowing the final thoughts of a killer, or seeing what must have been the last thing all of those innocent people at Virginia Tech saw before they were killed? Please let me know what benef…
creator: David Stifter
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
description: EMS director outlines city's disaster-response system By: Evelyn Ratigan Posted: 4/20/07 As the efficiency of the emergency response system at Virginia Tech faces scrutiny, with critics saying the school was slow to notify its members of the attacks in which 32 people were killed on campus Monday, Boston's expert on emergency response systems said the city is prepared for a large-scale disaster. Boston Emergency Medical Services Chief Richard Serino, detailing the city's strategy to a group of about 20 yesterday at Harvard University, said the city is focused on improving communication within departments and with the community. "Everybody has to be involved in all the various parts of this," Serino said. "Communication is a huge issue. You don't want to be exchanging business cards at the scene of the disaster." Serino cited Boston's historic landmarks, dense population and subway system as factors that make the city a top terrorist target. He said the city has been aware of this and has spent more than 25 years revising tactics in case of an emergency. "Emergency preparedness is not something new for us," he said. "It's not just something we've been looking at since 9-11." Serino said the key to emergency preparedness is encouraging partnerships among the city's departments and private businesses, as well as the public services involved in the process. This collaboration has become "institutionalized" from years spent building these relationships, he said. The BEMS constantly works with the Boston police and fire departments, the MBTA and other state and local agencies, he said. In addition, hospitals sharing staff members and enhanced radio communication systems linking state and local agencies coordinate first responders who would otherwise remain disconnected, he added. Serino said high-profile events such as the Democratic National Convention in 2004 and the Boston Marathon are used to practice for emergencies, calling them "planned disasters." Monday's maratho…
creator: Evelyn Ratigan
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
description: BHE takes a look at campus security By: Kate Davies Posted: 4/20/07 The Board of Higher Education, during its meeting that was previously called to clarify the fine print on Massachusetts's policy toward allowing undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, said it plans to review universities' security policies in wake of this Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. Taking time to reflect on the shootings, in which 32 Virginia Tech members were killed by a gunman who then took his own life, Board officials said although universities already have adequate crisis response plans in place, it is important to review such policies and possibly seek more statewide funding for the schools. "We have strong plans in place to secure a safe learning and working environment that we can go to everyday," said Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President Mary Grant. "We always have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best." The BHE announced it will meet in June at the University of Massachusetts with public and private universities and state police to review existing response programs. In a BHE press release yesterday, Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke said the schools' existing plans are extensive. "The Department of State Police review of these plans is designed to ensure that the plans continue to reflect best practice standards," he said. After further work with universities, schools may adopt more high-tech communication methods, including automated voice and text-messaging systems and better counseling services for students, the BHE press release states. When the Board turned to its original agenda, it released a "fact sheet" detailing the fine print of the in-state tuition system as it applies to undocumented immigrants. BHE chairman Aaron Spencer said the fact sheet is meant to clarify two bills filed separately by the Senate and House that would each allow undocumented immigrants to attend state institutions at the same price other state residents pay.…
creator: Kate Davies
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LETTER: BU must be responsive
description: By: Natalie Orphanos Posted: 4/20/07 In light of recent events, I am very disappointed in the administration's lack of a response to its students. Boston University prides itself on being a close-knit community despite its large size, a community in which each person is fully supported. However, this is not being expressed. In the past, after tragedies, such as the fires near South Campus, BU students have been notified through email of the tragedy immediately and how the university is handling it. However, I sit by my computer three days after the Virginia Tech tragedy without an email. The only places I've been able to read about the tragedy on campus are The Daily Free Press and BU Today. My Residence Assistant even sent out an email giving us support and guidance. I need more than a publication to tell me that everything is okay. And while my RA showed that she cares, I need to feel like the university officials care, too, and that they are doing everything to ensure our safety. And I need to hear that directly from them. This massacre is one that has affected the nation; it is not a remote incident. We have been reminded time and again through similar tragedies that these events can happen anywhere. The students at Virginia Tech were not notified by the university after the first shooting took place in a dormitory. The shooter was able to send a video and his manifesto to NBC en route to the classroom building where he killed 30 people. Had the university taken more action, had it notified the students and faculty of the situation and had they placed the university on lockdown, the incident may have been prevented. If that is not compelling enough, perhaps the fact that a BU student threatened to go on a rampage at another college in Boston similar to the one at Virginia Tech is more reason for the university to send an email out to the students. The media knew of this incident before many BU students had even heard about it. In these times, BU's administration…
creator: Natalie Orphanos
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

BU student allegedly threatened shootings
description: Police plan to arrest part-time MET student today By: Jenna Nierstedt Posted: 4/19/07 A part-time Boston University student allegedly threatened to recreate the Virginia Tech shootings at Wheelock College late Monday, according to police, who took the man to a hospital and plan to arrest him today. Andrew Rosenblum, 20, allegedly sent online messages to a woman he had dated in 2005, threatening to kill her and her friends at Wheelock, a private college of mostly women in Boston, according to the Boston Police Department. The woman received multiple instant messages "with some very threatening words" late Monday night, according to the BPD, the same day a Virginia Tech senior shot and killed 32 people and himself on the campus. Shortly after receiving the messages, the woman placed an emergency call to the BPD. BPD immediately notified the Needham Police Department, whose officers picked up Rosenblum at his parents' house in Needham early Tuesday morning. NPD Lieutenant John Kraemer said the department turned over custody and care of Rosenblum to Newton-Wellesley Hospital. Hospital representatives said Rosenblum's name did not appear in their database, but they said it is possible he was placed in the psychiatric ward, where patients are not registered in the hospital's system. "The victim in question did exactly the right thing in saving and printing the threatening messages and notifying police immediately," said Jake Wark, a spokesman for the Suffolk County District Attorney's Office. Wark said the BPD received an arrest warrant for Rosenblum, and upon arrest, Rosenblum will be charged with threat to do bodily harm. He will be brought to BPD District B-2 of Roxbury, where he will be arraigned in the Roxbury Division of the Boston Municipal Court Department. Police said they hope to arraign Rosenblum today. BU officials confirmed that Rosenblum is a registered part-time student at Metropolitan College and is taking two courses this semester, although he is not seek…
creator: Jenna Nierstedt
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

EDITORIAL: Airing murderous motives
description: By:Anonymous Posted: 4/19/07 When a chilling multimedia package containing 27 video clips, 43 still pictures, a 23-page document and one audio clip composed by cold-blooded Virginia Tech murderer Cho Seung-Hui arrived on NBC's doorstep at Rockefeller Plaza yesterday morning, the station's editors faced a difficult decision. They held in their hands a firsthand account of Cho detailing his twisted motives. With such information comes tremendous responsibility. NBC had the power to shape public perception about the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. But should it provide viewers the valuable details they deserve while giving the gunman the publicity he clearly wanted? It had to be an incredibly difficult decision to make, but on its "Nightly News" broadcast, NBC aired video clips, pictures and words from Cho's package. And the broadcasting corporation handled its reporting as tastefully and tactfully as it could have. Before even thinking about putting the information on the air, NBC contacted the FBI so investigators could begin looking at the vital material. NBC executives understood that it is more important to contribute to the case than it is to immediately post breaking news. But NBC also understood the public has the right to learn as much as possible about the killer. Most will never understand Cho's motives, but everyone deserved to hear them. If NBC knew details but didn't expose the pertinent ones, it would not have been doing its job. Before releasing any footage or sound bytes, though, Brian Williams made sure to preface the broadcast by saying the station knew it would be "airing the words of a murderer." And NBC had to be careful when doing this. If people who share Cho's beliefs think a violent rampage can warrant mass exposure of a killer's message, airing an overload of footage could inspire copycat actions. Cho's actions themselves mimicked past rampages. In his statements, Cho made reference to Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the 1999 Columbine Hig…
creator: Anonymous
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LETTER: Good coverage is worthwhile
description: By:Kyle Cheney Posted: 4/19/07 Adan Berkowitz's disdain for the very media that gives him a voice is an alarmingly narrow-minded generalization. ("A campus in grief distracted by media attack," April 18, p. 9). While sensationalism is all too prevalent in certain segments of the press, to ignore examples of remarkable, in-depth coverage of the Virginia Tech massacre is equally egregious. Tragedies such as this are the rare moments in U.S. history when the country collectively holds its breath, anxiously waiting for the newest fact or detail to emerge. In these cases, we rely on reporters on the ground to ask tough questions and capture the horror and pain that sent shock waves around the world. It surprises me that amid the supposed "swarm" of reporters marauding like vultures on the Virginia Tech campus, Berkowitz failed to notice the intrepid coverage by the Roanoke Times, a local outlet that has the most comprehensive, to-the-minute coverage and became a virtual bible for out-of-town reporters. The paper currently features a moving tribute to the victims on its main web page. Berkowitz also curiously missed the fantastic USA Today coverage, and even his hometown Boston Globe made a fine showing. To be sure, the Talking Heads do have a way of obscuring issues and turning them into partisan talking points, and they certainly make a lot of noise. But they are hardly representative of the media as a whole, which, at least on this story, performed masterfully. Kyle Cheney COM '06 Former editor-in-chief of The Daily Free Press -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
creator: Kyle Cheney
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

LYONS: The impact of sports during tragedy
description: By:Chris Lyons Posted: 4/19/07 Originally, I was planning on writing a column about the debauchery that is Marathon Monday. As one of the biggest days here at our school, it only seemed right to dedicate an entire column taking a look at the day many students compare to Christmas. Everything started out according to plan. As the day began and the race went off with minimal rain. It seemed as though all would turn out OK. It's amazing how things can change in a blink of an eye. Since coming to school here at BU, I've stressed over numerous "problems" that all college students go through when they arrive in a new environment. Making friends, meeting girls (or boys) and rooting for athletic teams that give everyone stress at some point or another. Education, of course, can be thrown into this category as well. None of those seemed to matter when I went to check my computer Monday morning while taking a break in the Marathon action. As I went to ESPN.com as I always do, the breaking news at Virginia Tech put everything into perspective. All the things I constantly worry about as a sports fan were irrelevant once again. Suddenly, the marathon didn't matter. The Red Sox game being played down the street didn't matter. The wins and losses of Boston University athletics that I've worried about for the past three years didn't matter. Feelings reminiscent of those I had when I first heard of the Columbine High School shootings and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks rushed into my head. It seemed as though the death toll continued to rise each time I refreshed the page until the number reached 32 killed by a crazed gunman. Trying to talk about athletics at the time of a tragedy of this magnitude almost seems senseless. No matter how much passion we put into supporting or playing sports, they are just games at the end of the day. But somehow, sports always help play a huge role in the recovery process in situations like these. Columbine's football team's success the season after th…
creator: Chris Lyons
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

PERSPECTIVE: Bush's speech at Virginia Tech clouded by own agenda
description: By:Matt Holt Posted: 4/19/07 I had time to listen to President Bush's speech Tuesday morning at Virginia Tech. The president did the right thing by going to the campus in an attempt to console the victims of the unspeakable tragedy that claimed so many young lives Monday. Maybe "unspeakable" is the wrong word to use. Perhaps such tragedies are born from discontent that is never spoken but stoked, unknowingly, by people who are unaware of the realities that lead up to such a desperate and violent act. No matter the reasons now, the end result will not change. The bullet has left the gun, so to speak. It is ironic this particular tragedy is not of the president's making yet he was able to address the event so well. Communication is the key to awareness when relating to other people or groups of people. Who knows what we might have learned from talking with the perpetrator of this horrific episode. Why would he want to die and see others suffer and die? What is it that instilled such anger and hatred that it completely eclipsed the light, a soul so damaged that it had reached the point of no return? Desperation on such a scale is reminiscent of the suicide bombers we hear so much about today. Why can't they see the use in their own existence? They have been trained to hate and destroy themselves and everyone around them. To someone who doesn't harbor hate, this type of action is completely unfathomable. None of the victims deserved to meet such an end. The only way to arrive at an answer is to investigate the causes. Is it possible that the gunman was just deranged, and it didn't take any special event to spawn the actions yesterday? As I listened to Bush, it occurred to me that much of what he said about the tragedy could also be said about his presidency. His legacy will be a lack of communication and alienation of whole nations and religions. When he said "it's impossible to make sense of such violence and suffering" or "they were simply in the wrong place at the wr…
creator: Matt Holt
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

PERSPECTIVE: Personal instinct only defense against tragic news
description: By:Ryan MacDonald Posted: 4/18/07 In the days following a great tragedy, we as human beings collectively exhibit a variety of distinct reactions. Some will experience fear. This response is inevitably redoubled by a media which profits on false dependency -- cable news network owners want Americans to believe that without a constant and unfettered flow of semi-useful detail they will lack the needed information to survive the evening. Others sink deeply into depression. A few bleak hours permanently darken the thousands that they have spent on this planet. A state of war looms on all horizons. A third group will clamor for explanations and solutions. Quick fixes will be enticing and will abound. Pundits and politicians will congest the airwaves and television screens calling for every reform from censorship of music to religious revival. Erroneous causal connections will be purported, and the vulnerable masses will be lost in the sea of competing ideologies. On Monday, tragedy struck. As news poured in from various outlets we learned the shooting at Virginia Tech was the worst in American history. Reporters interrogated school officials about the identity of the shooter and why he was able to carry out two rounds of mass murder without being caught. People will struggle with causes and effects for weeks; they will pour over preventative solutions; news outlets will inject dramatic twists of plot to increase viewership and revenue. Confusion and disillusionment will not be in short supply. Amid all of this, though, I urge you to reflect deeply on the events of April 16 and the aftermath. What is your immediate response? How will this affect your perception of the world? What would you do to change things? Preempt the onslaught of ideology before it reaches your ears. Although I run the risk of being labeled a hypocrite by putting forth a moral position, I'd like to share some of my personal reflections. First of all, the most essential fact of the matter is that an i…
creator: Ryan MacDonald
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng