The intangible bond between two broken hearts
The post title isn't an exact quote (because it would've been damn hard taking notes while trying to hold a lit candle (and, more importantly, given the windy conditions this evening, keeping it lit) from the remarks of NIU President John G. Peters at tonight's candlelight vigil at Northern Illinois University to honor the memory of the Hokies who lost their lives a year ago today. But they're a close approximation: I know he used both phrases in his speech, though I can't swear that they were that closely connected. Nevertheless, it's a good description for the relationship that will forevermore exist between our two campuses, our two communities. We're both members of a club that nobody wants to join--and would to God that NIU and Virginia Tech were the last two ever given the opportunity to join it. We speak each other's language: a language that neither of us was looking to learn, and one that both of us would rather we hadn't had the opportunity to learn at all. But we have learned it, and having learnt it, we cannot--and should not--forget it. The image is the design of the T-shirts that were handed out to the first 900 people who came to the Martin Luther King, Jr. Commons. I'm happy to report that there weren't any shirts left that I could see, meaning we had at least that many people at the event. Among them, God love them both, were two Virginia Tech students. They gave up the opportunity to be with their compatriots in Blacksburg at their own vigil today so they could come and support us--even as we tried to show our support for them and their fellow Hokies. Their presence is just the latest in a long line of expressions of support that Virginia Tech and its campus community have offered to us in the wake of our own tragedy two months ago--support for which we are eternally and profoundly grateful, and which we can never truly repay. Somehow, though, I don't think my Hokie brethren and sistren will mind. Tonight's vigil was a concrete and physical reminder of a spiritual reality that my faith tradition has taught for centuries: that we are all one body, one family--and our destiny is to help one another along the road we each must travel from cradle to grave. Yes, Virginia, you are your brother's keeper--as I am yours. Or, as Jesus told his disciples in Matthew's Gospel: á½Ï„Î±Î½ δὲ ἔλθῃ á½ υἱὸς τοῦ á¼€Î½Î¸Ïá½½Ï€Î¿Ï… á¼Î½ τῇ δόξῃ Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἄγγελοι μετ' Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦, τότε καθίσει á¼Ï€á½¶ Î¸Ïá½¹Î½Î¿Ï… δόξης Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦Î‡ καὶ συναχθήσονται á¼”Î¼Ï€ÏÎ¿ÏƒÎ¸ÎµÎ½ Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦ πάντα τὰ ἔθνη, καὶ á¼€Ï†Î¿Ïá½·ÏƒÎµÎ¹ Î±á½Ï„Î¿á½ºÏ‚ ἀπ' ἀλλήλων, á½¥ÏƒÏ€ÎµÏ á½ ποιμὴν á¼€Ï†Î¿Ïá½·Î¶ÎµÎ¹ τὰ Ï€Ïá½¹Î²Î±Ï„Î± ἀπὸ τῶν á¼Ïá½·Ï†Ï‰Î½, καὶ στήσει τὰ μὲν Ï€Ïá½¹Î²Î±Ï„Î± á¼Îº δεξιῶν Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦, τὰ δὲ á¼Ïá½·Ï†Î¹Î± á¼Î¾ Îµá½Ï‰Î½á½»Î¼Ï‰Î½. τότε á¼ÏÎµá¿– á½ βασιλεὺς τοῖς á¼Îº δεξιῶν Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿¦Î‡ δεῦτε οἱ Îµá½Î»Î¿Î³Î·Î¼á½³Î½Î¿Î¹ τοῦ Ï€Î±Ï„Ïá½¹Ï‚ μου, ÎºÎ»Î·ÏÎ¿Î½Î¿Î¼á½µÏƒÎ±Ï„Îµ τὴν ἡτοιμασμένην ὑμῖν βασιλείαν ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου. á¼Ï€Îµá½·Î½Î±ÏƒÎ± Î³á½°Ï καὶ á¼Î´á½½ÎºÎ±Ï„á½³ μοι φαγεῖν, á¼Î´á½·ÏˆÎ·ÏƒÎ± καὶ á¼Ï€Î¿Ï„á½·ÏƒÎ±Ï„á½³ με, ξένος ἤμην καὶ συνηγάγετέ με, γυμνὸς καὶ Ï€ÎµÏÎ¹ÎµÎ²á½±Î»ÎµÏ„á½³ με, á¼ σθένησα καὶ á¼Ï€ÎµÏƒÎºá½³ÏˆÎ±ÏƒÎ¸á½³ με, á¼Î½ φυλακῇ ἤμην καὶ ἤλθατε Ï€Ïá½¹Ï‚ με. τότε á¼€Ï€Î¿ÎºÏÎ¹Î¸á½µÏƒÎ¿Î½Ï„Î±Î¹ Î±á½Ï„á¿· οἱ δίκαιοι λέγοντες· Îºá½»ÏÎ¹Îµ, πότε σε εἴδομεν πεινῶντα καὶ á¼Î¸Ïá½³ÏˆÎ±Î¼ÎµÎ½, ἢ διψῶντα καὶ á¼Ï€Î¿Ï„á½·ÏƒÎ±Î¼ÎµÎ½; πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ξένον καὶ συνηγάγομεν, ἢ γυμνὸν καὶ Ï€ÎµÏÎ¹ÎµÎ²á½±Î»Î¿Î¼ÎµÎ½; πότε δέ σε εἴδομεν ἀσθενοῦντα ἢ á¼Î½ φυλακῇ καὶ ἤλθομεν Ï€Ïá½¹Ï‚ σε; καὶ á¼€Ï€Î¿ÎºÏÎ¹Î¸Îµá½¶Ï‚ á½ βασιλεὺς á¼ÏÎµá¿– Î±á½Ï„Î¿á¿–Ï‚Î‡ ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν, á¼Ï†' ὅσον á¼Ï€Î¿Î¹á½µÏƒÎ±Ï„Îµ ἑνὶ τούτων τῶν á¼Î»Î±Ï‡á½·ÏƒÏ„Ï‰Î½, á¼Î¼Î¿á½¶ á¼Ï€Î¿Î¹á½µÏƒÎ±Ï„Îµ. Whenever the Son of Man may come in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit upon the throne of his glory: and all the nations will be gathered together in his presence, and he shall divide them one from another just as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. He will place the sheep upon his right hand, and the goats upon his left. Then will the Ruler say to those upon his right: "Come here, you who are blessed of my Father; inherit the realm that was prepared for you before the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave me to eat; thirsty, and you gave me to drink. I was a stranger and you welcomed me, naked, and you clothed me. I was ill and you looked after me, in prison, and you came to me." Then the just will reply to him, saying: "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and come to you?" And the Ruler will say to them in answer, "Amen I tell you, as often as you did it for one of these the least of my brothers or my sisters, you did it for me." --Matthew 25:31-40, my translation from the original Greek The campus community of Virginia Tech has lived out that Gospel pericope. Tonight's vigil was one small downpayment on NIU's attempt to do so. It will not be the last, I'm sure. Nor should it be. 22:13 in NIU, Personal | Permalink Story by Michael Spires. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://musing85.typepad.com/blog/2008/04/the-intangible.html
Local colleges reflect on Va. Tech shootings
By Peter Reuell/Daily News staff The MetroWest Daily News Posted Apr 16, 2008 @ 12:35 AM ASHLAND — A year after the shooting massacre that left 33 people dead at Virginia Tech, security remains a concern on local college campuses. On campuses from Framingham to Franklin, officials said, the aftershocks of the shooting - and a more recent incident at Northern Illinois University, which left five others dead - are still being felt. After the April 16, 2007, killings at Virginia Tech, many schools quickly re-evaluated their security plans, particularly their ability to communicate with faculty and staff in a crisis. At many, including Framingham State College, the solution was to install a system that allows administrators to send emergency messages by phone and computer to the entire campus at the touch of a button. "You learn from the incident, and it allows you to, perhaps, make changes in your own systems," said Framingham State spokesman Peter Chisholm. The school later this month plans to finish installing a siren that will alert students, faculty and staff to campuswide emergencies. "At every college or university campus in the country, I'm sure, the president and public safety administrators sat down and reviewed what they had in place, and what improvements they could make," Chisholm said. The incident that sparked those meetings happened a year ago today in Blacksburg, Va. Just after 7 a.m., disturbed Virginia Tech student Seung-Hui Cho killed two students in a dormitory, then went on a shooting rampage in a classroom building, eventually killing 32 people and himself. At Massachusetts Bay Community College in Wellesley, administrators are close to installing a campuswide notification system similar to Framingham State's. They have held numerous meetings to review the school's crisis policies. "There's a method or protocol for just about every situation that could arise on campus," said Lisa Cascio, the school's director of communications and public affairs. "When something like this happens, every campus across the country feels vulnerable." Along with an emergency communications system, Franklin's Dean College officials rely on an emergency alarm, which alerts everyone on campus to emergencies. "We've trained everybody to know - students, faculty and staff - if you hear that alarm, that means check your text messages," said Pat Samson, director of public relations and communications. "I think incidents like these, it's not that it raised the priority. I think it refocused attention," she added. "We want to make sure everything is up to date. "I think it sharpens the focus. (Safety) is in the top three things, so it's always on the minds of the college's administrators, and the families and the students. When these events happen, things just come more sharply into focus." (Peter Reuell can be reached at 508-626-4428 or preuell@cnc.com.) Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/x489723324
By Dick Durbin RRSTAR.COM Posted Apr 17, 2008 @ 10:59 PM This week, our nation marked the anniversary of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech that took 32 lives and wounded 17 other people. Just two months ago, our state was stunned to witness a similar tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University in which 5 students were killed and 17 were wounded. I cannot imagine the magnitude of heartbreak and pain for friends and families of those killed or the trauma borne by those who survived these tragedies. As we mourn the loss of so many promising young lives, it is important also to learn from these tragedies. So what are those lessons? The first is to consider the tortured mind of the shooter. Mental illness is an illness, not a curse. It can and should be treated. Many who receive appropriate counseling and medication lead normal, stable and happy lives. But our laws ignore this reality. We have created legal and financial obstacles to appropriate care. This year, for the first time in a decade, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill to give mental health parity with physical health under the law. The House of Representatives also has passed legislation, and we are negotiating a compromise to fulfill the promise of health parity for millions facing mental health problems. But the challenge of mental health on our college campuses is unique. Many mental illnesses manifest themselves in this period when young people leave the security of home and regular medical care. The responsibility for the students' well-being shifts many times to colleges and universities struggling with limited resources. The situation is growing worse. Studies show that 10 percent of college students have contemplated suicide and 45 percent have felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. Colleges also are encountering students who 10 to 20 years ago would not have been able to attend school because of mental illness, but who can do so today because of advances in treatment of such illness. To meet the increased need, many schools have tried to increase mental-health education and outreach efforts. But the ratio of students to counselors is growing. Currently, there is only one counselor for every 2,000 students on our college campuses. NIU and Virginia Tech taught us that mental-health parity and better campus counseling services are not only critical in preventing these tragedies, but in dealing with the aftermath. The victims were not just those who were killed or injured in the shootings. Others have mental scars that are less obvious than bullet wounds but often slower to heal. The emotional trauma experienced by many students, faculty and families might require years of therapy and counseling. Finally, when the unthinkable does happen, as it did at Virginia Tech and NIU, we need to respond quickly and effectively to the immediate and long-term needs of the affected college community. Our colleges and law-enforcement agencies have made great strides in preparing for and responding to active-shooter situations, progress reflected in the admirable response to the NIU shootings. But we also need to view these violent tragedies on our campuses for what they are — catastrophes, like natural disasters, that require a sustained and coordinated recovery effort in the months that follow. We have a federal agency to deal with hurricanes, earthquakes and floods. But there is no central federal resource to help guide college communities through the recovery process. In the days and weeks after the shootings in DeKalb, NIU officials found themselves being led in circles through the bureaucracies at the federal departments of Education, Justice, and Health and Human Services, not to mention numerous state agencies. These entities, all of whom were well-meaning, often didn't talk to one another, forcing school officials and victims' families to navigate a red-tape maze to find answers to even their simplest questions. Just as we expect a coordinated emergency response to a flood or tornado, we need to ensure that victims, their families and college communities are able to receive similar assistance in the wake of these personal disasters. Reflecting on the loss of his own son, the well-known minister the Rev. William Sloan Coffin once said, "When parents die, they take with them a portion of the past. But when children die, they take away the future as well." As we mourn those lost at Virginia Tech, NIU and other schools across the country, we must learn from these incidents, work to avoid them and improve our response when they do occur. Dick Durbin, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Illinois. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.rrstar.com/opinions/x1498098116
NIU to Va. Tech: 'We understand what you're going through'
By Chris Green RRSTAR.COM Posted Apr 16, 2008 @ 11:00 PM Last update Apr 17, 2008 @ 07:38 AM DEKALB — Northern Illinois University senior Sonia Salazar said Virginia Tech students put their feelings of sorrow on hold to help the students at NIU heal. And on Wednesday, Salazar was joined by nearly a thousand other NIU students and staff who wanted to return the support for the students at Virginia Tech. NIU students and University President John Peters recognized the one-year anniversary of the shooting deaths at the Virginia Tech campus with a candlelight vigil in the Martin Luther King Commons, an outdoor venue in the center of the campus near the student center. One year ago Wednesday, a gunman took the lives of 32 Virginia Tech students and faculty before taking his own. It was the largest such campus massacre in the history of the country. Peters recalled the initial hours and days following the Feb. 14 slayings at NIU, when five students were shot and killed by Steven Kazmierczak, who also took his own life. He said the entire campus felt "isolated." "We simply couldn't imagine that anyone else could understand what we are going through." Then the phone calls and e-mails came in. "We understand what you are going through. You are not alone." Peters said a "collective hand of support" was extended from Blacksburg, Va., to DeKalb. "They shared openly and lovingly." The two universities are linked not only in their empathy for one another, but also by an unnerving coincidence. Green Bay gun dealer Eric Thompson told authorities his Web site, topglock.com, sold two empty 9 mm Glock magazines and a Glock holster to Kazmierczak on Feb. 4, just 10 days before the 27-year-old opened fire in a campus classroom. Another Web site run by Thompson's company, www.thegunstore.com, also sold a Walther .22-caliber handgun to Seung-Hui Cho, who shot down 32 people on the Virginia Tech campus before killing himself. Peters added, "One day, two Virginia Tech students came by my office and surprised me. They gave me a hug. I needed it." Nolan Owen, 19, a freshman on the university's football team recruited from California, said he could relate to the surprise visit from the Virginia Tech students. "After the shootings here, I flew home. I had all my NIU gear with me, and people at the airport and on the plane hugged me. They cared." David Duma, 22, an NIU senior, said attending Wednesday's vigil was the least he could do to pay respect not only to the students who lost their lives, but to the Virginia Tech Hokies who are forever united with the NIU Huskies. "They came all the way from Virgina to be with us." The Associated Press contributed to this report. Staff writer Chris Green can be reached at 815-987-1241 or cgreen@rrstar.com. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.rrstar.com/communities/x480408142
This photo was taken on February 21, 2008. The VT employees in the photo are from the Office of Research. Several employees wore black and red and are surrounded by employees wearing hokie colors. The photo was blown up poster size and was sent along with the banner that reads "We're All Huskies Today" to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies at NIU. Photo by Vicky Ratcliffe
This is a thank you letter from NIU in response to a banner and photo that was sent from the VT Office of Research. The photo, in which employees wore black and red and are surrounded by employees wearing hokie colors, was blown up poster size and was sent along with the banner that reads "We're All Huskies Today" to the Division of Research and Graduate Studies at NIU. Photo by Vicky Ratcliffe.
This sign advertising a silent auction for Northern Illinois University hung on the front of Squires Student Building on April 8, 2008. Sign says: "Silent Auction for NIU Wed, 4/9 8:30-6PM Squires 2nd Floor"
Valentine's Day in DeKalb: Two, Three, Many Virginia Techs?
Ben Agger and Timothy W. Luke Last Thursday, February 14th, 2008, Steven Kazmierczak reportedly shot and killed five students, and then turned a weapon on himself at Northern Illinois University. At least sixteen students were wounded in the rapid-fire shootings in this large NIU lecture hall during class. We have few certain details about the shooter, except that he used four weapons, two of which were purchased legally within the past week—a shotgun and a 9mm Glock semi-automatic handgun. Ironically, he purchased two magazines and a holster for the Glock from the same online vendor which sold Cho, the Virginia Tech shooter, one of his guns through a dealer transfer last spring. Apparently, he was a good student (a former sociology major at NIU) who had no police record. He was pursuing graduate studies in social work at the Urbana campus of the University of Illinois. It was also rumored that he recently had ceased taking mood-modifying medication and had broken up with a live-in girl friend. He was 27 when he died in the large NIU lecture hall. Yet, there was another side to him. He enlisted in the U.S. Army in September 2001, but soon was "administratively discharged" within six months. More recently, he took a job as an officer at the Rockville Correctional Facility in Indiana in September 2007, but he failed to complete his preliminary training after only two weeks, and then never returned to work. The shooting in DeKalb, Illinois occurred almost exactly ten months after the shootings at Virginia Tech last April, when 33 died, including students in classrooms, some of their professors, and the gunman himself. On November 7, 2007 Pekka Eric Auvinen walked into his high school in Tuusula, Finland, and shot eight people, killing five, and then also turned the gun on himself. There are parallels between these three bloody events: The shooters were young males; they used deadly semi-automatic weapons; they burst into school classrooms to do their damage; they took their own lives. There were apparent differences, too, although as yet we know next to nothing about the 'real' Steve Kazmierczak. Cho had already been identified in the Virginia mental health system as a troubled individual, and a potentially dangerous one at that. And Auvinen and Cho left video and written manifestos. In his testimony, Cho acknowledged the inspiration of Dylan Klebold and Eric Harris, who killed twelve of their high-school classmates and a teacher at Columbine in Colorado on April 20, 1999. How are we to understand the sequencing and connections among Columbine, Virginia Tech, Tuusula, and now Northern Illinois? It is unimaginable that the Valentine Day's Massacre in DeKalb would have occurred in the way that it did without Virginia Tech having occurred, as the December shootings in Finland also demonstrated. Tech is imbedded in DeKalb as its prototype and possibility. Kazmierczak might have found other ways to kill and to die without the example of Tech (and Columbine or Tuusula before it), but he surely framed his actions last Thursday within the scenario of last April in Blacksburg, Virginia. This is not to suggest that DeKalb is simply a copy-cat killing. What did Klebold, Harris, Cho, Auvinen, and Kazmierczak have in common that led them to enact these epic killings and suicides, on school grounds? It seems they were alone in a crowd; they were alienated, lacking social ties. Whether they were mentally ill or not is somewhat beside the point. They might have been stopped, helped, redirected—yes, even medicated. We are intensely interested in the experience of being alone in a crowd, in Cho's case as an Asian-American outsider on a big-time college/fraternity campus, which considers itself 'Hokie Nation,' —the illusion of tight community achieved through the gridiron Gemeinschaft of the Virginia Tech campus. And in the hours after the NIU attack, the response in DeKalb, Illinois and around the nation was to appeal to the school's athletic mascot, the Husky, and tout "Huskie Spirit." Perhaps we know only this: people more on the inside do not tend to commit mass murder and then take their own lives. It cannot escape notice that the killers at Columbine, Blacksburg, Tuusula and DeKalb were men. Women usually do not embark on shooting/suicide escapades, even though not even a week before on February 8, 2008 at Louisiana Technical College a female student shot two classmates and then herself in a classroom. Four of the five killed at DeKalb were women students, and many of those killed in Tuusula and Blacksburg also were female. This is a potent admixture: social isolation, male gun culture, fantasies of revenge. Were the killers evil madmen predestined to wreck havoc? Were they beyond social influence and redirection? They committed mad acts, to be sure. But there is a thin boundary between those who keep their demons within, and at bay, and those who erupt. The answer to these acts of deliberate madness lies not in armoring our campuses but in acknowledging people's interior turmoil and trying to help, where possible. This is difficult amid a sea of faces in large college lecture halls. But can we afford to reduce such acts merely to irreversible psychopathology? Columbine and Virginia Tech have now become a set piece—a media spectacle--with a certain inexorable momentum. Ben Agger is professor of sociology and humanities at University of Texas, Arlington. Timothy W. Luke is professor of political science at Virginia Tech. They co-authored a book There is a Gunman on Campus: Tragedy and Terror at Virginia Tech forthcoming in April 2008. -- Original Source: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers Blog http://rowmanblog.typepad.com/rowman/2008/02/valentines-day.html
Tim Luke (twluke@vt.edu) Ben Agger (agger@uta.edu)
Promotional flyer for "Hokies for Huskies" candlelight vigil at Virginia Tech, organized by Hokies United. Original Source: http://www.hokiesunited.org.vt.edu/Vigil.jpg
NIU has several examples to follow for Cole’s future
Photo: Photo by ALAN LEON | RRSTAR.COM Six huskies and flowers are set up as a memorial in front of Cole Hall on Feb. 22, 2008, on the campus of Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Story: Geri Nikolai, Isaac Guerrero and Sadie Gurman GateHouse News Service Mon Feb 25, 2008, 02:36 PM EST As officials at Northern Illinois University prepare for the return of 25,000 students this week, they have announced only one decision about the scene of the shootings. The building where a gunman killed five students and then himself on Feb. 14, Cole Hall, will remain closed this semester. Space has been found in other campus buildings to move all classes from the two large lecture halls in Cole. What happens afterward is the subject of speculation. Some students say they could never go back into the building and could not concentrate on academics if they did. Some suggest Cole be turned into a memorial. Others say that despite the tragedy, NIU cannot afford to raze a classroom building in an era of declining state support. Officials say they haven't discussed the future of Cole. Cherilyn Murer, who chairs the NIU board of trustees, said she doesn't know what will be done after this semester. Murer said the options include resuming classes, transforming it for some other use or closing it permanently. But it's too early to say, Murer said. "It's only been a week," she said. "Right now, the emotions are so raw that it would be premature to make a decision about what we'll do with that building." Another trustee, Barbara Giorgi Vella of Rockford, expects there won't be serious discussion of what to do with Cole until summer. At that point, she said, financial constraints have to be taken into consideration, along with the feelings of students and staff. Busy building Cole Hall, where nearly every undergraduate has at least one class, is one of the largest classroom buildings on campus, with two auditoriums seating what students estimate to be 250 people each. The idea of closing the building permanently is circulating on campus but doesn't seem practical to Justin Weaver of Beloit, an NIU sophomore. "Given that NIU already has issues in terms of space, even though it seems appropriate to close it forever given the tragic events that happened there, it still seems foolish," Weaver said. "When I looked at the schedule for reassigning classes, it was staggering how many classes are held in Cole Hall," Weaver said. "You can't duplicate that space." There are labs in the Cole Hall basement and one, for journalism students, is the best-equipped on campus for that kind of work, Weaver said. As for changing the atmosphere inside the building, Weaver also takes a practical approach. "The only thing that can change Cole Hall is time," he said. "As people at NIU graduate, new people will come in. They will know what happened but they weren't there and they won't feel the gravity quite as much." McHenry senior Colin Leicht suggested transforming the front of the building, perhaps using the large walls erected this week for students to express their sorrow. "Don't tear it down," said Leicht. "It's still a good building. NIU has had problems getting money from the state to rebuild other buildings. I don't think we're in a position to tear down a building." Rockford junior Krista Robinson said one professor asked her and other students what they thought about NIU erecting an environmental feature, perhaps a windmill, as a memorial. Robinson wasn't impressed. "I think a windmill is a good idea, but not as a memorial. I can imagine parents wondering what kind of memorial that is. It's not really relevant." Cole Hall was constructed in 1968. The general-education building contains 18,000 square feet of space. Columbine's library Other institutions have faced the question NIU now confronts. At Columbine High School in Littleton, Colo., where two students killed 12 others and one teacher in April 1999, the library where most of the killing took place no longer exists. Frank DeAngelis, principal then and now, said the old library would have been forever associated with the April 20 massacre. Students, parents and community members agreed they could no longer enter the room without reliving the pain, he said. Thought was given to demolishing the entire school but that would have been a mistake, DeAngelis said. "If we tore the building down, Harris and Klebold would have won," he said. The solution was to tear out the library, which was above the cafeteria/commons area, and open the commons into a two-story space. A new library was constructed nearby and connected to the school by a hallway. The problem, said DeAngelis, is that spectators still come to the school, sometimes in tour buses, distracting the students. Constructing a memorial on campus is a problem because it becomes an attraction, bringing in people not connected to the school, DeAngelis said. That's why a separate memorial was built at a nearby park, far enough from the school so students don't see people coming and going. The new library cost $3.5 million. DeAngelis said a community fund drive, coupled with donations from building contractors, quickly raised the money. Virginia Tech ponders changes Officials at Virginia Tech are still using buildings that were the scene of the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide at the Blacksburg, Va., campus April 15, 2007. Cho shot his first victims in a dorm room in West Ambler Johnston Hall. Two hours later, he opened fire in Norris Hall, which contains the school's Engineering Science and Mechanics program among others. Norris Hall would have cost $30 million to replace, according to university estimates. Instead, officials reopened Norris two months after the shootings and a task force was formed to entertain ideas for its future. In December, Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger announced the school would spend $1 million remodeling about 4,300 square feet of the second floor of the building, which will be home to the new Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. The dorm room where the initial shootings took place is still closed, but it's not practical to close the entire 800-room residence hall, said University Relations Director Mark Owczarski. Approximately 10,000 of the school's 26,000 students live on campus at Virginia Tech. The school has 14 residence buildings and another under construction. "On-campus housing is a premium here," Owczarski said. "Honestly, students enjoy living in West Ambler Johnston Hall as they do in all of our residence buildings." Memories will remain Changing a building does only so much to relieve the hurt, said Columbine's DeAngelis, adding that he still has flashbacks. DeAngelis said he has spoken with NIU leaders. Given his experience, DeAngelis feels compelled to reach out to schools where shootings have taken place. "People still ask me, 'what was the one day when everything got back to normal?'" he said. "It's never going to come." NIU students seem to understand. Going to class in Cole would never be the same, said Leicht. "The first day, I would be a little anxious, knowing this is where it happened," he said about having class there. "After that, as long as that door stays locked, it would be just another classroom. It could have happened in any classroom. But I think that door (where the gunman entered) should be locked." "It would be difficult" to go back into Cole, said Weaver. But if it's reopened at some point, "it would be something I and everyone else would have to do. "I'll tell you this, though. I have had a lot of classes at Cole and I always sat in the first two or three rows. I will never do that again, not ever." Robinson thinks Cole ought to become part of campus learning again, at some point. "I wouldn't close it down indefinitely but definitely for the rest of the semester. Maybe open it back up next year," she said. "But let Cole Hall be for right now," she said. "Let there be a little bit of rest in Cole Hall." Geri Nikolai can be reached at 815-987-1337 or gnikolai@rrstar.com. Isaac Guerrero can be reached at 815-987-1371 or iguerrero@rrstar.com. Sadie Gurman can be reached at 815-987-1389 or sgurman@rrstar.com. What others have done Here is what other institutions have done after being the scene of multiple deaths from violence: Columbine High School: Two student gunmen, who committed suicide, killed 12 students and a teacher in the April 1999 shooting at Columbine in Littleton, Colo. The library, where most of the shootings took place, was torn out and the cafeteria below it remodeled into a two-story room. A local artist painted a skyline mural with the branches of Aspen trees and 13 clouds — one for each of the victims. A library was built nearby. Virginia Tech: Seung-Hui Cho killed 32 people before committing suicide at the Blacksburg, Va., campus April 15, 2007. It is the deadliest school shooting in U.S. history. Virginia Tech is still using buildings where the shootings occurred. Norris Hall was reopened in June 2007. The school will spend $1 million remodeling the second floor of the building, which will be home to the newly created Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. The dorm room where a student was killed is closed, but the rest of the 800-room residence hall is still open. University of Texas: On Aug. 1, 1966, a sniper barricaded himself on the observation deck of the tower on campus and began a shooting spree that killed 14 people and ended when police killed him. It was the worst school shooting until Virginia Tech in 2007. The observation deck was closed until 1968, then opened and closed again in 1975 because of a series of suicide jumps. In 1999, security and safety measures were installed and the deck was reopened. Crandon, Wis.: Six young adults were killed by a 20-year-old off-duty sheriff's deputy Oct. 7 as they relaxed in a home. Plans are to tear the building down and create a memorial garden, but first the mortgage must be paid. A fund drive was started but contributions dwindled when the homeowner, the father of one of the victims, announced plans to sue the county over the shooting. Nickel Mines, Pa.: A gunman burst into an Amish schoolhouse and killed five young girls Oct. 2, 2006, then killed himself. The building was demolished 10 days later and the site is used to graze cattle. About NIU Enrollment: 25,200 Budget: $104 million Founded: 1899 as satellite of Illinois State Normal School Renamed: NIU in 1957 City: DeKalb Main campus: 755 acres Regional sites: Hoffman Estates, Naperville and Rockford Programs of study: Seven degree-granting colleges; 55 undergraduate majors; 75 graduate programs, including 10 Ph.D. programs, doctoral degrees in education and juris doctorate Students: 91 percent from Illinois; 46 percent men, 54 percent women; 26 percent ethnic minorities; 862 international students from 88 nations Faculty: 1,279 Class size: Average is 28 students (18 in senior-level classes) Oldest building: Altgeld Hall, opened in 1899 Newest building: Yordon Center, opened in 2007 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported -- Original Source: http://www.gatehousenewsservice.com/regional_news/x257795083
Geri Nikolai, Isaac Guerrero and Sadie Gurman
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 Unported
Latest news: Investigators, loved ones try to reconcile the 2 sides of NIU gunman
Photo: ALAN LEON | RRSTAR.COM Ken Shold, an NIU almunus and father of a current student, sheds tears while praying in front of Cole Hall on Saturday, Feb. 16, 2008, on the Northern Illinois University campus in DeKalb. Story: Feb 16, 2008 @ 09:40 PM RRSTAR.COM, THE ASSOCIATED PRESS, GATEHOUSE NEWS SERVICE AND ESPN.COM DEKALB - A look at those who died in the shootings Visit the NIU February 14 Student Scholarship Fund For more coverage, read our special report Steven Kazmierczak had the look of a boyish graduate student — except for the disturbing tattoos that covered his arms. 9:40 p.m. NIU plans scholarship fund in honor of victims Authorities at NIU said they were creating a scholarship fund in honor of the slain students and also are discussing how to build a permanent on-campus memorial. 8:18 p.m. Virginia Tech plans virgil for NIU shooting victims Virginia Tech plans to have a candlelight vigil on Monday to show support for those affected by the shootings at Northern Illinois University. Hokies United, the student group that formed after the April shootings at Virginia Tech that left 33 dead, organized the vigil and has asked the university community to wear NIU's school colors of red and black as a sign of support and solidarity on Monday. Hokies United will also temporarily lay a red and black Hokie Stone near the campus memorial dedicated to those who lost their lives in the April 16 shootings. Students plan to deliver the stone to Northern Illinois, in DeKalb, Ill., in a week or so. On Thursday, a 27-year-old former NIU student opened fire on a geology class, killing five people before committing suicide. The shooting brought back horrific memories for the Virginia Tech community, still reeling from its own tragedy. Many people on campus donned red and black on Friday in a show of support. The latest shooting also left some families of the Virginia Tech victims feeling anguished. "It just brings it all back. I can't imagine what they're going through, but I know what they're going through," said Suzanne Grimes, whose son Kevin Sterne was injured in the Tech shootings and appeared in a now-famous photograph being carried by rescue workers with a tourniquet around his leg. "I feel their pain, and I feel their loss." Sterne, who returned to Blacksburg to pursue a master's degree, is deeply upset by the latest shootings, and is concerned about entering a classroom, said Grimes, of Eighty Four, Pa. He hopes to reach out to the victims' families and the survivors of the Illinois shooting, she said. Virginia Tech president Charles Steger also expressed sympathy for the NIU community. "This horrific news will certainly bring to mind the hurt, pain, and trauma we experienced less than a year ago," Steger wrote in a message posted on the university's web site. "I have sent my condolences and offer of assistance to the president of NIU. Our university community was bolstered and comforted by the outpouring of support from campuses around the nation and the world," Steger said. "I am sure that expressions of support from the Virginia Tech community will mean much to that now suffering campus community." 6:15 p.m. Students agree closing Cole Hall right move The decision to close Cole Hall, the scene of Thursday's shootings that left six dead, was the right one, said Lee Blank, an NIU student working toward a postgraduate journalism degree. "It would just be wrong ethically, I think, to have to open that building up again and go to class there," he said. The school has asked faculty members to return to campus Tuesday and classes will resume Feb. 25. Teachers and staff will receive extensive training on how to help students cope with returning to class. Student associations are putting a series of activities and events together to keep students busy during the days ahead. All university events, including athletic competitions, remain canceled through Feb. 24. "The last thing on people's minds right now is going back to class," said NIU junior Michelle Rzepka, who said she'd spend Monday attending the funeral of fellow classmate Daniel Parmenter. NIU will increase police presence when classes resume. The school's 45 to 50 sworn officers will be bolstered by private security guards, and police officers from DeKalb and surrounding counties will be added, NIU spokeswoman Melanie Magara said. An extra week will be added to the school year. The May 10 graduation commencement has been rescheduled to May 17. Officials have made no decision about how to handle questions about academic grades or refunds for students who do not return to school immediately or at all. Magara offered no new details about the ongoing investigation into the shooting. Authorities intend to interview the 160 or so people who were in the Cole Hall auditorium where the shooting took place, but those interviews aren't yet finished, she said. She read a written statement from NIU President John Peters, who urged students, faculty and residents to "take care of ourselves and take care of each other" as the community copes in the days and weeks ahead. "Let us continue to show the world that an act of violence does not define us," Peters said. 5:04 p.m. Classes at NIU to resume Feb. 25 Classes at Northern Illinois University will be postponed for another week, with students scheduled to return Feb. 25, the university announced this afternoon. Faculty and staff will return Tuesday, according to Melanie Margara, assistant vice president of public affairs. Margara said the weeklong delay will mean a week will be added to the end of the semester. She said this week will be used to train staff on how to work with students in the aftermath of the shooting and give the university staff and students time to recover from the event. "In the end, the decision ... ultimately gave us a little more breathing time," she said. Margara said Cole Hall, the building where the shooting took place, will be closed for the rest of the academic year. Beyond that, its future is unknown. 4:57 p.m. Seven victims of NIU shooting remain hospitalized Seven people remain hospitalized after the shooting at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb. Three of the patients are listed in serious condition -- including one who was upgraded from critical. The other four patients are listed in fair condition. They are at hospitals in DeKalb, Rockford, Downers Grove and Chicago. A 27-year-old graduate student from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign killed five people in a NIU lecture hall Thursday before killing himself. 3:35 p.m. Mother of victim retains her faith in goodness After learning of the death of her son, it would have been easy for Linda Greer to withdraw into her grief and shun the rest of the world. But the Elmhurst resident publicly reaffirmed her faith in God and her hope for humanity, even while family and friends struggled to cope with the tragedy that took her son's life. Dan Parmenter, a 20-year-old sophomore at Northern Illinois University, died Thursday after a former NIU student shot and killed five people in a classroom before taking his own life. Shortly after a vigil held Friday evening, Greer shared her thoughts about her son with members of the media. "He was always special," Greer said. "From the time he was a little boy, he was fearless, and he was inquisitive and he loved people. And the character traits just continued to grow as he did." Greer said her son grew up in Elmhurst and became an integral part of the community. And though she wasn't pleased that Parmenter joined a fraternity when he went away to NIU, he used the occasion to do some good by organizing bingo nights with his frat brothers at a nursing home, Greer said. Greer expressed her hope that the goodness in people like her son will triumph over the evil that took his life. "I just want people to know that Dan is gone. It was evil that his life was taken," Greer said. "There is no way to make sense of it. But because I know that so many people are praying for us and are holding us up, there is hope for the future. Evil is not going to overcome good in this world as long as there are people of God and people are praying." The Friday vigil was held at Elmhurst Presbyterian Church, just southeast of York Community High School. Parmenter graduated from York in 2006. 3:29 p.m. NIU response helped by Virginia Tech lessons Northern Illinois University's response to Thursday's shooting rampage may have been helped by what state officials learned from last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University. A Campus Safety Task Force was created to see what could be learned from the Virginia Tech incident and how those lessons could be implemented here. Representatives from state colleges and universities, including NIU, attended task force meetings. One of the most important lessons discussed was getting information to students as quickly as possible. "The response at Northern Illinois, from our standpoint, was extraordinary," said Mike Chamness, chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. Students were notified within 20 minutes that a shooting occurred, to take cover and stay away from some parts of the campus, Chamness said. At Virginia Tech, it took more than two hours to issue an alert. Students at NIU also were relaying text messages to each other. One idea discussed by the task force was that colleges should use multiple means to convey an emergency message to students, including encouraging the use of text messaging. Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, said Western Illinois University in his district just went through a drill to notify students in case of emergency. "They sent text messages to cell phones, voice mail, e-mail," Myers said. "As I understand it, it was a very successful test." What to do after an emergency is only part of the task force's responsibility. It is also examining prevention. A full report is scheduled to be delivered April 1. "A mental health survey is still being completed," Chamness said. "That purpose is to look at ways to identify potential issues and how to deal with those, how to get help to those people." That will probably require the assistance of students themselves. "Be alert. If you see something that looks suspicious, don't be shy or embarrassed about picking up the phone and calling law enforcement authorities," Chamness advised. "You may be the person who helps prevent something." At the same time, Chamness said there didn't seem to be the "red flags" in the NIU case that there were at Virginia Tech. "I don't think there's a panacea out there for how you stop this," he said. "You're talking about somebody who walked into a classroom." Chamness said state officials will meet with NIU staff in coming weeks to assess what happened and what parts of the response plan worked and if any didn't. Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he wants two House committees — Higher Education and Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — to convene a joint session in a few weeks to review the NIU situation. "I want to have a joint hearing once reports are released and more information can be obtained as to how we can be better informed and better prepared," said Brady whose district includes Illinois State University. "Even though it looks like everyone worked in synch, there's always something to learn." 3:18 p.m. Godfather of NIU shooter: Reunion planned for today Richard Grafer was supposed to have breakfast with his godson Saturday. Instead, Grafer is mourning him. Grafer, godfather to NIU gunman Steven Kazmierczak, said he lost touch with his godson about 15 years ago, when the boy was 12. He wouldn't say why. it changed about four weeks ago, when Kazmierczak called Grafer at about 10:30 p.m. to reconnect. "He says, 'Hi, Uncle Rich.' I said 'Who is this?'" Grafer said in a phone interview this morning. "He told me it was Stephen." The conversation led to an apology from Grafer for not showing up when Kazmierczak's mother, Gail, died in September 2006. They talked about fishing together, which they'd done in the past, Grafer said. "We had a lot of fun together," he said. "He was a good kid." Grafer said he thought Kazmierczak had a girlfriend, though he did not know her name. He also said he was unaware of what kind of medication Kazmierczak had been taking before he stopped, which made him "erratic" over the past several weeks, authorities have said, before he shot and killed five NIU students and himself Thursday at Cole Hall. Grafer and Kazmierczak, 27, would have reunited today. "This is hard for me. He was supposed to stay at my house today," Grafer said. "He said he wanted to get back in touch and do things." 2:24 p.m. Blackhawks to honor victims of NIU tragedy The Chicago Blackhawks announced today that they will pay their respects to the six lives that were lost in the tragic shooting on the campus of nearby Northern Illinois University by wearing a Huskies decal on the back of their helmets for the game Sunday against the Colorado Avalanche. The decal will be a replica of the overlay of a black ribbon and Northern Illinois Huskies logo that appears on the university's official Web site. The team will also observe a moment of silence before the anthem for Sunday's game to allow fans to pay their respects to six bright young lives that were senselessly taken from us. The team will wear the decals for their road game against St. Louis on Tuesday and again at home against Minnesota on Wednesday. 1 p.m. NIU athletic department implemented crisis plan after Va. Tech shootings After the Virginia Tech shootings in April, the Northern Illinois athletic department upgraded its emergency crisis plan, just in case. "You hope you never have to use it," athletic director Jim Phillips said. Tragically, the plan was put into action Thursday afternoon after a 27-year-old man walked into Cole Hall and opened fire at 3:07 p.m., killing five students before taking his own life at the school's DeKalb., Ill., campus. No student-athletes were among the dead or wounded. Drew Jeskey, a midfielder on the Huskies soccer team, was in the lecture hall during the shooting but escaped. Tim Mayerbock, an offensive guard on the school's football team, was just outside Cole Hall at the time of the shooting and helped a wounded student. "The student got hit with some pellets off of one of the shotgun shells, was not in critical condition but was certainly injured," Phillips told ESPN.com on Friday night. "Tim and his friend helped the kid to safety and also took him to the hospital. He really jumped in at a horrific moment." The tragedy hit especially close for Phillips, who received a message from his wife late Thursday night that their niece was in the lecture hall but didn't attend because she was sick. "Our hearts are broken, and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families," Phillips said. "But we will not be deterred. We're going to get stronger from this event." Phillips was in a meeting at the athletic department offices Thursday afternoon when university president John Peters called to inform him of the shooting. Department staff members immediately contacted the school's 17 varsity head coaches, who started the process of accounting for all of their athletes. Phillips went to inform the women's basketball team, which was practicing at the Convocation Center when the shootings occurred. He also had NIU's academic advisor check if any athletes were attending the geology class. They found out several hours after the shooting that Jeskey was safe. "I'm very proud of our staff and our coaches," Phillips said. "We were able to get a hold of all of our kids through text messaging, e-mails, phone calls, voicemails, cell phones, on-campus phones. I pray that we never have to go through this horrific tragedy ever again." After an emergency meeting with the school's administration, Phillips cancelled all athletic activities scheduled for the weekend. Athletes were given the option to go home, and counselors were provided for those who remained on campus. No decision has been made on when athletic events will resume. Teams likely will make tributes to the shooting victims. "It's still a little bit premature," Phillips said. "We're certainly going to do something. To what extent, we haven't made any final decisions." Phillips spent much of Thursday night with Peters and other school officials at Kishwaukee Community Hospital, where 18 gunshot victims were transported. Around 10:30 p.m., he spoke with Virginia Tech athletic director Jim Weaver. "He was absolutely wonderful," Phillips said. "I just tried to seek his guidance and counsel to make sure we were making the proper decisions. He felt like we were doing a very good job. That was reaffirming." 12:22 p.m. Media at NIU 'just doing their jobs' Camera lenses from around the world focused on DeKalb this week, dwarfing this university town of about 40,000 residents with their presence. Hundreds of reporters swarmed the campus after it played an unlikely home to the country's third deadliest college shooting in history when Stephen Kazmierczak shot and killed five of his classmates and turned the gun on himself on the stage of Cole Hall. By early Friday morning, a Fox News helicopter buzzed above King Commons, drowning the whispers of several students praying below. The news crews stuck around Friday, perching their satellites and umbrella reflectors outside Altgeld Hall before filling the auditorium. Reporters inside donned badges from outlets as far away as they Los Angeles Times, TIME magazine and Spanish-language network Telemundo. Waiting for debriefings, they slugged down coffee and swapped memories of other national tragedies they've covered. Afterward, they staked out every cranny of the campus; antennae peeped from behind rows of stone buildings. The scene was decidedly quieter Saturday morning. Altgeld Hall, which served as a kind of hostel for media, sat empty. But growling TV trucks sat stationed at hotels around DeKalb, waiting to make their next move. "I think it's good," resident David Castro said of the extra attention the community is receiving, though he never expected it. "They're just doing their jobs." Castro works at Black Stone Restaurant on Lincoln Highway, where patrons on Friday seemed equally fixated by media accounts of the massacre. At breakfast, they're eyes were glued to televisions where scrolling headlines pumped details of the violence. "You really don't think it's here, in your home town," resident Jim Smith said. "It feels like it's happening somewhere else." 11:18 a.m. NIU students search for distractions Dennis Hadley walked out of a candlelight vigil in the Holmes Student Center with tear-stained eyes. But by Sunday, the DeKalb native will be through with crying. He is packing up his wife Susan and daughter Bethany and driving to the Chicago Auto Show. "It's a distraction," said Hadley, a 44-year-old graduate student enrolled in NIU's accounting program. "For a few hours, I'll fantasize about this new car or that new car." Hadley's Huskie roots run deep. His father worked at the university as a janitor and security guard. His uncle worked there as an equipment manager. His wife is a graduate, and his daughter is a senior who plans to graduate alongside her father in May. "You never think a tragedy like this will happen in your hometown," Hadley said. "This is the stuff that happens on TV. It happens somewhere else. It's not supposed to happen in a rural community like this, but it has. We're not safe out here anymore, out here in our corn." Talking about the tragedy is helping Hadley cope. He spent Friday and Saturday e-mailing and phoning students and colleagues he works alongside. They swapped stories about where they were when the campus was locked down and the minutes and hours that followed the shooting rampage Thursday. Hadley was in an accounting class with 30 other students at Barsema Hall, a block and a half northeast of Cole Hall where the shooting occurred. "Everyone's cell phones started going off and we knew something was wrong," he said. "But then we tried calling people and none of our phones worked because the lines were overloaded. We we're stuck inside the building until sometime after 4 p.m. I wasn't able to talk to my wife until about 4:45 p.m. I didn't talk to my daughter until 7:30 p.m. that night. Everyone I knew was fine. Shaken, but fine." Hadley said he's been crying a lot. His daughter Bethany, an NIU gymnast working toward an education degree, didn't want to go with her dad to the vigil today. "She wanted to sleep instead," her father said. "I know time will heal the wounds, I just don't know how much time." 10:24 a.m.: Police seize computer from hotel where gunman stayed Steven Kazmierczak checked into a hotel near campus three days before carrying out his deadly shooting spree at Northern Illinois University, paying cash and signing his name only as "Steven" on a slip of paper, according to the hotel manager. Kazmierczak last was seen at the Travelodge, where he smoked cigarettes and downed energy drinks and cold medicine, on Tuesday, hotel manager Jay Patel said. A newspaper report said that authorities found a duffel bag that Kazmierczak had left in the room, the zippers glued shut. A bomb squad was called, but investigators found ammunition inside the bag, the newspaper reported, citing law-enforcement sources. Kazmierczak also left behind a laptop computer, which was seized by investigators, Patel told The Associated Press today. "It's scary," said Patel, adding that he called police when he found the laptop and clothes, but "nobody's in the room." The discoveries added to the puzzles surrounding Kazmierczak, a 27-year-old graduate student some called quiet, dependable and fun-loving who returned to his alma mater on Valentine's Day, leaving five people dead before turning a gun on himself. A former employee at a Chicago psychiatric treatment center said Kazmierczak was placed there after high school by his parents. She said he used to cut himself, and had resisted taking his medications. He also had a short-lived stint as a prison guard that ended abruptly when he didn't show up for work. He was in the Army for about six months in 2001-02, but he told a friend he'd gotten a psychological discharge. Exactly what set Kazmierczak off, and why he picked his former university and that particular lecture hall, remained a mystery. On Thursday, Kazmierczak, armed with three handguns and a pump-action shotgun, stepped from behind a screen on the lecture hall's stage and opened fire on a geology class. He killed five students before committing suicide. University Police Chief Donald Grady said Friday that Kazmierczak had become erratic in the past two weeks after he stopped taking his medication. Kazmierczak spent more than a year at the Thresholds-Mary Hill House in the late 1990s, former house manager Louise Gbadamashi told The Associated Press. His parents placed him there after high school because he had become "unruly" at home, she said. Gbadamashi said she couldn't remember any instances of him being violent. "He never wanted to identify with being mentally ill," she said. "That was part of the problem." The attack was baffling to many of those who knew him. "Steve was the most gentle, quiet guy in the world. ... He had a passion for helping people," said Jim Thomas, an emeritus professor of sociology and criminology at Northern Illinois who taught Kazmierczak, promoted him to a teacher's aide and became his friend. Kazmierczak once told Thomas about getting a discharge from the Army. "It was no major deal, a kind of incompatibility discharge — for a state of mind, not for any behavior," Thomas said. "He was concerned that that on his record might be a stigma." Kazmierczak enlisted in September 2001, but was discharged in February 2002 for an "unspecified" reason, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said. He worked from Sept. 24 to Oct. 9 as a corrections officer at the Rockville Correctional Facility, a medium-security prison in Rockville, Ind. His tenure there ended when "he just didn't show up one day," Indiana prisons spokesman Doug Garrison said. 9:16 a.m.: NIU still unsure when classes will resume NIU administrators are "still pondering" when the campus will open and classes will restart, Pat Erickson, a university spokeswoman, said this morning. Erickson said administrators are meeting sometime this morning to discuss how to proceed. She was unaware of any plans for the future of Cole Hall, where Stephen Kazmierczak shot and killed five students and himself Thursday. Classes and events at NIU since have been canceled. "(Administrators) are taking in all the information as they're getting it," said Erickson, who did not know when more information about NIU's future would be made public. She is steering people to NIU's Web site, www.niu.edu, for more information. She said any new information would be posted as a "status update." 7:12 a.m.: NIU campus quieter; memorials draw attention The NIU campus is decidedly quieter this morning, as TV satellites and a flurry of reporters who stormed the campus Friday have appeared to disperse. Only a few photographers are lingering, milling about the makeshift memorials that have sprung up around campus. Students, who gathered last night for several candlelight vigils also have retreated. But their memorials continue to grow. At Lucinda Street and Normal Road, a memorial with candles and posters offering prayers and messages of support remains. And near the Holmes Student Center, students have placed a sign that reads "We Are NIU," where hundreds have signed their names and light candles. 6:20 a.m.: Tips offer help for grieving NIU students Northern Illinois University officials have issued a tip sheet for grieving students who are struggling to understand how a shooting rampage could take place on the university campus. The paper from the Counseling and Student Development Center and the American Psychological Association says it's typical for people to experience a variety of emotions after the tragic massacre. "You may find that you have trouble sleeping, concentrating, eating, or remembering even simple tasks," the paper states. "This is common and should pass after awhile. Over time the caring support of family and friends can help to lessen the emotional impact and ultimately make the changes brought by the tragedy more manageable." Tips include: Talk about it: Ask for support from people around you. They'll listen to your concerns and your feelings. They will comfort you. Counseling services are available through the NIU Counseling and Student Development Center. It can be reached at 815-753-1206. The center is in the Campus Life Building at the corner of Lucinda and Normal. Strive for balance: Balance pessimistic or negative outlooks or thoughts by reminding yourself of the people and events that are meaningful and comforting. Turn it off: Take a break from the news. Overexposing yourself to news of the tragedy can increase stress. Instead, focus on something you enjoy for awhile. Take care of yourself: Engage in healthy behaviors that help you cope. Exercise and eat healthy meals. Avoid alcohol or drugs because they might intensify emotional or physical pain. 6:06 a.m.: Cleanup crews leave; news crews remain at NIU Crews from Aftermath Inc., a company that specializes in cleaning after homicides, self-inflicted gunshot wounds and unintended deaths worked through the night at Cole Hall on the Northern Illinois University campus. The crews, dressed in plain clothes, appeared to complete their work just before 5 a.m., loading black garbage bags of materials into three utility vans before driving away. Cole Hall remains cordoned off behind yellow police tape. Meanwhile, media crews already are set up just beyond the police tape, preparing for another day of coverage of the tragedy. News vans that had parked just before 5 a.m. on the sidewalk outside of Kings Commons in view of Cole Hall, the scene of a bloody rampage Thursday, were told to relocate by police officers. 5:11 a.m.: Chambers of commerce set up NIU memorial fund The DeKalb and Sycamore chambers of commerce have established an NIU memorial fund through the DeKalb County Community Foundation. Donations may be sent to DCCF, 2600 DeKalb Ave., Sycamore, IL 60178. For information, call the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce, 815-756-6306. Donate online through PayPal on the National Bank & Trust Co. Web site. 5:02 a.m.: Private company begins Cole Hall cleanup A private company has begun cleaning up Cole Hall after Thursday's bloody rampage. Three utility vans with Aftermath Inc. painted on their side were spotted just before 5 a.m., parked outside the building on the NIU campus. Several men, some dressed in shorts and T-shirts, were seen carrying trash bags from the crime scene and placing them into the vans. According to its Web site, the Oswego-based company specializes in "crime scene and tragedy cleanup." 3:55 a.m.: Friends of NIU victim pay respects It's quiet on the Northern Illinois University campus where memorial candles still burn despite the severe cold and frigid breeze. Hours earlier, standing before one of several makeshift memorials scattered throughout the campus, Sarah Hilby and Ashley Leach embraced. They left three roses and candles in memory of those killed this week in a mass shooting. "We wanted to pay our respects at least in this way," said Leach, 20, an NIU sophomore. Both were friends with Daniel Parmenter, one of five NIU students killed Thursday afternoon by Stephen Kazmierczak, an NIU alumnus. "We knew (Parmenter) from freshman year," Leach said. "He was around our room a lot at Lincoln Hall." Dennis O'Brien, an auto mechanic in Oswego, said he came along to pay his respects. "It's just tough," O'Brien said. "It's an upsetting thing and to just pass it by, people don't pay attention, people don't care. Columbine is so far away you don't think it affects you. But this is so close it's a lot more upsetting." 2:12 a.m.: 'I wanted to be around people who could understand' Northern Illinois University alumnus Andrew Crow relit memorial candles, straightened others that had fallen over and tended the makeshift memorial on a hill bordering the Kings Commons shortly after midnight. From there, Cole Hall — where five students were shot to death and up to 18 others wounded before the gunman killed himself a day earlier — can be seen about 150 yards away. An electrical engineer who graduated in December 2005 from NIU, Crow said he needed this. Tending the memorial is his way of paying respect to the dead and wounded. "This is more for myself," Crow said. "I needed people who know what I was feeling. I wanted to be around people who could understand." In the wee, frigid hours of Saturday morning, dozens of folks are still walking from memorial to memorial, looking for solace. Looking for solidarity. And looking to come to grips with what, until Valentine's Day, had been unimaginable. Crosses taller than a man stand vigil at the corner of Lucinda and Normal just outside the Lutheran Campus Ministries. There, NIU student Amber Larson, 21, of Stillman Valley paused with friends to write a message. Larson said the vigils on campus have given her some measure of comfort as grief has replaced yesterday's shocked disbelief of the massacre. "The vigil was good," Larson said. "It was nice to have a sense of community and know people are there for us." 1:55 a.m.: Mourners pay respects for victims of 'selfish act' Northern Illinois University is a campus in stunned grief. Outside the Lutheran Campus Ministries stand six crosses about 6 feet tall symbolizing the six who were left dead after a vicious attack on a Geology 104 class in Cole Hall on Thursday. Across the street at the corner of Normal and Lucinda, dozens of candles and posters have been left by mourners on a snowbank. Bridget Buehler, 19, of DeKalb, a sophomore NIU student, left candles at the makeshift memorials, paying her respects to the dead. "Everyone is trying to band together," Buehler said. "I think everyone still thinks it's somewhat surreal. Growing up here has made it difficult to deal with. You never think something like this will happen in your town. I never felt unsafe here or worried about anything. I had a class in that room." Where once virtually all felt safe on this campus that's still surrounded by cornfields despite significant commercial growth over the past decade, that cloak of security has been ripped away. Dave Kupcinet of Chicago came here to pay his respects along with girlfriend Chrissy Clark, a student from Pacific College in Chicago. They came looking for answers. How could someone do something like this? But Kupcinet said perhaps he knew all along there would be no answers. "Parents feel their kids are in college, in a classroom or a dorm room and they are safe," Kupcinet said. "No place is safe anywhere. It's an unbelievable tragedy that something like this could happen. What a selfish act. It's hard to accept. I can't imagine your college carreer being broken apart by something like this. Why did it happen? Who knows." 1:22 a.m.: NIU gunman's deadly rampage baffles many who knew him If there is such a thing as a profile of a mass murderer, Steven Kazmierczak didn't fit it: outstanding student, engaging, polite and industrious, with what looked like a bright future in the criminal justice field. And yet on Thursday, the 27-year-old Kazmierczak, armed with three handguns and a brand-new pump-action shotgun he had carried onto campus in a guitar case, stepped from behind a screen on the stage of a lecture hall at Northern Illinois University and opened fire on a geology class. He killed five students before committing suicide. University Police Chief Donald Grady said, without giving details, that Kazmierczak had become erratic in the past two weeks after he had stopped taking his medication. But that seemed to come as news to many of those who knew him, and the attack itself was positively baffling. "We had no indications at all this would be the type of person that would engage in such activity," Grady said. He described the gunman as a good student during his time at NIU, and by all accounts a "fairly normal" person. But other details of his life emerged on Friday, including short-lived stints as a prison guard and service in the military. Kazmierczak enlisted in the Army in September 2001, but was discharged in February 2002 for an "unspecified" reason, Army spokesman Paul Boyce said. Late Friday, a former employee at a Chicago psychiatric treatment center told The Associated Press Kazmierczak was placed there after high school by his parents. She said he used to cut himself, and resisted taking his medications. And he worked briefly as a full-time correction officer at the Rockville Correctional Facility, an adult medium-security prison in Rockville, Ind., about 80 miles from Champaign. His tenure there lasted only from Sept. 24 to Oct. 9, 2007, after which Indiana prisons spokesman Doug Garrison said "he just didn't show up one day." He said he didn't know if Kazmierczak had tried to get his job back. Exactly what set Kazmierczak off — and why he picked his former university and that particular lecture hall — remained a mystery. Police said they found no suicide note. Authorities were searching for a woman who police believe may have been Kazmierczak's girlfriend. According to a law enforcement official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the case is still under investigation, authorities were looking into whether Kazmierczak and the woman recently broke up. In Chicago, FBI spokesman Ross Rice said, "I know that we're looking for a roommate, but I don't know whether it is a girlfriend or not." Investigators learned that a week ago, on Feb. 9, Kazmierczak walked into a Champaign gun store and picked up two guns — the Remington shotgun and a Glock 9mm handgun. He bought the two other handguns at the same shop — a Hi-Point .380 on Dec. 30 and a Sig Sauer on Aug. 6. All four guns were bought legally from a federally licensed firearms dealer, said Thomas Ahern, a spokesman for the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. At least one criminal background check was performed. Kazmierczak (pronounced kaz-MUR-chek) had no criminal record. Kazmierczak had a State Police-issued FOID, or firearms owners identification card, which is required in Illinois to own a gun, authorities said. Such cards are rarely issued to those with recent mental health problems. The application asks: "In the past five years have you been a patient in any medical facility or part of any medical facility used primarily for the care or treatment of persons for mental illness?" Kazmierczak, who went by Steve, graduated from NIU in 2007 and was a graduate student in sociology there before leaving last year and moving on to the graduate school of social work at the University of Illinois in Champaign, 130 miles away. Unlike Virginia Tech gunman Seung-Hui Cho — a sullen misfit who could barely look anyone in the eye, much less carry on a conversation — Kazmierczak appeared to fit in just fine. Chris Larrison, an assistant professor of social work, said Kazmierczak did data entry for Larrison's research grant on mental health clinics. Larrison was stunned by the shooting rampage, as was the gunman's faculty adviser, professor Jan Carter-Black. "He was engaging, motivated, responsible. I saw nothing to suggest that there was anything troubling about his behavior," she said. Carter-Black said Kazmierczak wanted to focus on mental health issues and enrolled in August in a course she taught about human behavior and the social environment, but withdrew in September because he had gotten a job with the prison system. He resumed classes full-time in January, Carter-Black said. His University of Illinois student ID depicts a smiling, clean-cut Kazmierczak, unlike the scowling, menacing-looking images of Cho that surfaced after his rampage. NIU President John Peters said Kazmierczak compiled "a very good academic record, no record of trouble" at the 25,000-student campus in DeKalb. He won at least two awards and served as an officer in two student groups dedicated to promoting understanding of the criminal justice system. Exactly what sort of career he planned for himself was unclear. But he wrote papers on self-injury in prison and the role of religion in the creation of early U.S. prisons. The research paper on self-injury in prison said his interests also included political violence and peace and social justice. Speaking Friday in Lakeland, Fla., Kazmierczak's distraught father did not immediately provide any clues to what led to the bloodshed. "Please leave me alone. ... This is a very hard time for me," Robert Kazmierczak told reporters, throwing his arms up and weeping after emerging briefly from his house. He declined further comment about his son and went back inside his house, saying he was diabetic. A sign on the front door said: "Illini fans live here." A statement posted on the door on the Urbana home of Kazmierczak's sister said "We are both shocked and saddened. In addition to the loss of innocent lives, Steven was a member of our family. We are grieving his loss as well as the loss of life resulting from his actions." Neighbors in the brick apartment building in Champaign where Kazmierczak last lived were shocked to hear he was the gunman. "It's not possible," said Maurice Darling, 80, who lives in an adjacent second-floor apartment. "He seemed to be much too nice." He said the tall, thin and bespectacled Kazmierczak shared the apartment with a woman and neither showed any sign of anger or aggression. "They were friendly, agreeable — just like any neighbor would be," he said. Chelsea Thrash, a 25-year-old waitress who lives with her 3-year-old daughter in the apartment directly beneath Kazmierczak's, said he was always up late and there was frequently a lot of "trampling" noise coming through the hardwood floor. She went up and knocked on the door once recently at 1 a.m. or 2 a.m. to request quiet and he said through the closed door, "Oh, I'm sorry — I dropped my weight." "It's kind of creepy," she said. "I never thought someone in this tiny corner of southwest Champaign would ever dream of that, let alone carry it out, and have that above me and my daughter." Kazmierczak grew up in the Chicago suburb of Elk Grove Village, not far from O'Hare International Airport. His family lived most recently in a middle-class neighborhood of mostly one-story tract homes before moving away early in this decade. His mother died in Florida in 2006 at age 58. He was a B student at Elk Grove High School, where school district spokeswoman Venetia Miles said he was active in band and took Japanese before graduating in 1998. He was also in the chess club. Kazmierczak spent more than a year at the Thresholds-Mary Hill House in the late 1990s, former house manager Louise Gbadamashi told the AP. She said his parents placed him after high school because he had become "unruly" at home. She also said he used to cut himself for attention. She said he often resisted taking his medications, though he eventually became "compliant." Gbadamashi said she couldn't remember any instances of Kazmierczak being violent. At NIU, six white crosses were placed on a snow-covered hill around the center of campus, which was closed Friday. They included the names of four victims — Daniel Parmenter, Ryanne Mace, Julianna Gehant, Catalina Garcia. The two other crosses were blank, though officials have identified Kazmierczak's final victim as Gayle Dubowski. By Friday night, dozens of candles flickered in packed snow at makeshift memorials around campus as hundreds of students, mostly wearing NIU red and black, formed a standing-room-only crowd at an evening memorial service. "It's kind of overwhelming. It feels strong, it feels like we're all in this together," said Carlee Siggeman, 18, a freshman from Genoa who attended the vigil with a group of friends. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.rrstar.com/niu/x1529756411
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Area colleges updated alert systems after Virginia Tech
By CHRIS DETTRO STAFF WRITER Published Friday, February 15, 2008 Springfield-area colleges have systems in place to alert students to campus emergencies, and most procedures have been updated or were instituted originally in the wake of campus shootings at Virginia Tech University in Blacksburg, Va., last spring. Thursday's shootings at Northern Illinois University in DeKalb brought the importance of those procedures to the forefront again. "It's just awful," said Mike Underwood, spokesman for MacMurray College in Jacksonville. "Something like that really hits home." The University of Illinois at Springfield, Illinois College in Jacksonville and Blackburn College in Carlinville all have some type of emergency notification system where students can receive e-mails, cell phone messages or other electronic notification should there be an emergency on campus. Michelle Green, spokeswoman for UIS, said the school had a call from one parent within an hour of the NIU shooting expressing concern. UIS sent out a campuswide message to faculty, staff and students late Thursday afternoon urging them to sign up for the UIS Emergency Notification System it implemented last month. The university's chancellor or provost, chief of police or someone assigned the task sets the notification system in motion, Green said. Lincoln Land Community College recently updated its emergency procedures in response to the Virginia Tech incident, said spokeswoman Lynn Whalen. In addition to having armed campus police on duty 24 hours a day, LLCC has installed emergency phones in each classroom and has enabled all classroom doors to be locked from the inside. "We also have a good counseling and referral system should anyone need that kind of help," Whalen said. Jim Murphy, Illinois College spokesman, said more than 400 of IC's 1,000 students signed up to receive e-mail or text-message alerts last fall. "It was a response to Virginia Tech and established a way to get information to students, faculty and staff as soon as possible," he said. Blackburn College has an on-campus siren and a system to notify people via e-mail and on the college's Web site. "When something like this happens, we always review the manual," said Rusty Ingram, public relations director at Blackburn. "We have security procedures we go through, and we can lock down the entrances to campus." Ingram said the shootings at Virginia Tech "made us more aware," although he believes that because almost all Blackburn students have jobs on campus, they may be more aware. "Our thoughts and prayers certainly go out to the people at Northern today," he said. "We have a chapel on campus if students here want to talk about it." Staff writer Sarah Antonacci contributed to this report. Chris Dettro can be reached at 788-1510. On the Web For more information on the UIS Emergency Notification System, students can go to https://emergency.uis.edu A previous version of the story misstated the number of students who have signed up for Illinois College's emergency alert system. The correct number is 400. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic -- Original Source: http://www.sj-r.com/News/stories/25291.asp
NIU response helped by Virginia Tech lessons
Doug Finke GateHouse News Service Fri Feb 15, 2008, 09:31 PM EST SPRINGFIELD, IL - Northern Illinois University's response to Thursday's shooting rampage may have been helped by what state officials learned from last year's massacre at Virginia Tech University. A Campus Safety Task Force was created to see what could be learned from the Virginia Tech incident and how those lessons could be implemented here. Representatives from state colleges and universities, including NIU, attended task force meetings. One of the most important lessons discussed was getting information to students as quickly as possible. "The response at Northern Illinois, from our standpoint, was extraordinary," said Mike Chamness, chairman of the Illinois Terrorism Task Force. Students were notified within 20 minutes that a shooting occurred, to take cover and stay away from some parts of the campus, Chamness said. At Virginia Tech, it took more than two hours to issue an alert. Students at NIU also were relaying text messages to each other. One idea discussed by the task force was that colleges should use multiple means to convey an emergency message to students, including encouraging the use of text messaging. Rep. Rich Myers, R-Colchester, said Western Illinois University in his district just went through a drill to notify students in case of emergency. "They sent text messages to cell phones, voice mail, e-mail," Myers said. "As I understand it, it was a very successful test." What to do after an emergency is only part of the task force's responsibility. It is also examining prevention. A full report is scheduled to be delivered April 1. "A mental health survey is still being completed," Chamness said. "That purpose is to look at ways to identify potential issues and how to deal with those, how to get help to those people." That will probably require the assistance of students themselves. "Be alert. If you see something that looks suspicious, don't be shy or embarrassed about picking up the phone and calling law enforcement authorities," Chamness advised. "You may be the person who helps prevent something." At the same time, Chamness said there didn't seem to be the "red flags" in the NIU case that there were at Virginia Tech. "I don't think there's a panacea out there for how you stop this," he said. "You're talking about somebody who walked into a classroom." Chamness said state officials will meet with NIU staff in coming weeks to assess what happened and what parts of the response plan worked and if any didn't. Rep. Dan Brady, R-Bloomington, said he wants two House committees — Higher Education and Homeland Security and Emergency Preparedness — to convene a joint session in a few weeks to review the NIU situation. "I want to have a joint hearing once reports are released and more information can be obtained as to how we can be better informed and better prepared," said Brady whose district includes Illinois State University. "Even though it looks like everyone worked in synch, there's always something to learn." Doug Finke can be reached at (217) 788-1527. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0. -- Original Source: http://ghns.ghnewsroom.com/regional_news/midwest/illinois/news/x230383197
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Students ask question, "Could it happen here?" John Tierney Issue date: 2/15/08 Section: News Notre Dame students expressed sadness and shock Thursday night at yesterday's shooting at Northern Illinois. The tragedy, in which at least six people, including the gunman, were killed and 17 were injured, occurred in a lecture hall less than three hours away from Notre Dame's campus. Although this generation of Notre Dame students has grown up with school shootings ranging from Columbine in 1999 to Virginia Tech last year, students haven't become immune to the tragedy of school massacres. "It was very tragic and scary. You have to wonder what's going on with those kids. It makes you wonder if something like that could happen at Notre Dame," sophomore Tim Nelson said. Many students had not heard of the shooting by Thursday evening, including a group of seniors who stood speechless after being informed of the news. Student body president Liz Brown noted that school shootings are becoming more common. "Unfortunately, this is kind of becoming an occurrence on college campuses across the nation. Hopefully, this trend will stop," she said. Brown also expressed a sense of grief at the NIU tragedy. "This is a hard thing to react to," she said. "This sort of thing has become all too common at schools in the United States." Senior Meghan Jebb, who was studying in Dublin at the time of the Virginia Tech tragedy, questioned the universality of school shootings. "I don't know if this kind of thing happens in other countries. After the Va. Tech shootings, the kids in Ireland were like, 'why do they have guns?'" she asked. Colleen Fleshman, who is from Illinois, said that her first reaction after hearing the news was to call her friends who attend NIU to make sure of their safety. She said she was relieved to find that all her friends were alright. Although the shooter's motivations are not yet known, some students have wondered about the timing of his attack. "He probably picked Valentine's Day for a reason," junior Ryan Simmons said. Sophomore Kyle Hagelskamp agreed. "It's too bad that people don't feel the love and support of the world and resort to doing something like this," he said. "We need to work on providing a loving and supportive environment to try to prevent this sort of tragedy." Brown stressed that while she obviously hopes that no similar situation would happen at Notre Dame, the University has precautions in place designed to manage a tragedy. "Certainly we hope it would never happen at Notre Dame," she said. "We think our campus is very safe. But if it were to ever happen, I'm thankful that we do have the correct measures in place to adequately inform the student body and react quickly." These measures include the Emergency Networking System that will alert students to any emergency situations through text messages, phone calls and emails. These emergency situations include shootings. -- Original Source: http://media.www.ndsmcobserver.com/media/storage/paper660/news/2008/02/15/News/Nd.Upset.By.Niu.Shooting-3213406.shtml
Attendees at Virginia Tech's candlelight vigil for NIU. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P12/
View of candlelight vigil for NIU on Virginia Tech's Alumni Mall. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P11/
Virginia Tech's candlelight vigil for NIU. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P10/
Virginia Tech's candlelight vigil for NIU. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P9/
Attendees hold candles at Virginia Tech's vigil for NIU. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P8/
Attendees hold candles at Virginia Tech's vigil for NIU. Photo by Kim Peterson Original Source: http://www.ee.unirel.vt.edu/index.php/vtnews/flip_book/C69/P7/