UNC community feels connected to Va. Tech Hokie maroon and orange dotted the solemn crowd Tuesday night as hundreds from the Carolina community turned out in support of their peers at Virginia Tech. At a candlelight vigil organized by three UNC students from Northern Virginia, students, faculty and residents gathered in the Pit, on its steps and stood 10 deep in places outside it, many sporting ribbons with Va. Tech colors. Speakers and audience members expressed the need for community, both within UNC and also with all college students nationwide. "This is the time when, for all our words, we are speechless, when our fears trump our hopes," said Jan Rivero, campus minister of the Wesley Campus Ministry. "It is times like this when we need each other the most." Counselors from Counseling and Wellness were circulating the crowd in case of a need. Students were invited to write messages on posters that will be sent to Va. Tech. The posters will be in the Pit until the end of this week. Messages ranged from expressions of love for specific individuals to solidarity with the "Hokie nation" to "It could have been us" - an idea that seemed to be on the minds of many. "Virginia Tech is a lot like Carolina," said Margaret Jablonski, vice chancellor for student affairs, citing traits ranging from campus geography to each school's rabid sports fans. These similarities caused many students to wonder if a situation similar to the tragic shooting by a Va. Tech senior characterized as a loner that left 33 dead - including the shooter, Cho Seung-Hui - could happen here. "No campus is immune from what happened yesterday at Virginia Tech," Chancellor James Moeser said in a Tuesday press release addressed to the Carolina community. "Just as we always do in the wake of a security issue on this campus, we also will learn from the Va. Tech tragedy." Stephanie Berman, Skylar Gudas and Alison Linas, the Northern Virginia natives who organized the event, led the gathering in lighting candles as an expression of community. "As we pass the flame let us be silent and reflect on these events and remember our peers in Blacksburg," Linas said. Student Body President Eve Carson urged students to carry the feelings of community and solidarity forward. "We need to keep this culture of peace at the forefront of our mind." Chelsea Stahr, Va. Tech class of 2005, who sported maroon and orange from head to toe said she was encouraged by the UNC response. "I have been overwhelmed by the amount of support that UNC and all other schools have shown, and it just made it a lot easier." Stahr, who now lives and works in the area, commended Va. Tech for how it's coped with the situation. "The amount of support that they have shown the students and the amount of unity the students have shown ... that's what's going to get us through this," she said. Winston Crisp, assistant vice chancellor for student affairs, said counselors and representatives from the dean of students office and various campus ministries were available to students Tuesday in the Union. He said his office will evaluate the situation today to see if a similar need exists. "We want to make it easy for students," he said, also citing the availability of counselors with walk-in hours in Counseling and Wellness, the office of the dean of students, community directors, resident advisers and faculty members. Campus Y Director Virginia Carson said that difficult times show what's truly important. "Our values are connecting with each other," she said, urging students to reach out to those most directly affected by the shootings. "They need you a little more now than they did yesterday." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
Thousands honor fallen, rally hope BLACKSBURG, Va. - Resounding cries of "Lets go Hokies!" echoed off the walls of Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday, capturing the mix of grief and pride that marked Virginia Tech's first full day of coping with the aftermath of Monday's massacre. The basketball stadium was filled with shouting students and community members, clad in the orange and maroon reminiscent of a Hokie Homecoming rally. Only minutes earlier, the room had been silent. The campus and the community gathered at the coliseum for a Convocation to mourn the deaths of the 33 students and faculty members who died Monday. President Bush and First Lady Laura Bush attended the event, along with all of Virginia's congressmen, Gov. Tim Kaine and his wife, members of the university board of visitors, members of the clergy, poet and Va. Tech professor Nikki Giovanni and local officials. "For many of you, your first instinct was to call home and let your moms and dads know that you were OK," Bush said. "I know many of you feel awfully far away from people you lean on and people you count on during difficult times. But as a dad, I can assure you a parent's love is never far from their child's heart." The 10,000-seat arena reached capacity about 20 minutes before the event began at 2 p.m. Several thousand people also camped out in Lane Stadium to watch the ceremony on the JumboTron, filling the football field and parts of the stands. Many students rested their heads on friends' shoulders and cried as speakers took the stage. The Convocation marked the first time the Tech community was brought together after learning that a senior English major, 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui, was responsible for the shootings. "How can we know if something like this will happen again?" junior Brandon Campion questioned. "That's like everyone here." Later Tuesday night, as students gathered on the campus' sprawling Drillfield for a candlelit vigil, a crowd of thousands stood silent for almost 10 minutes. The only sounds were of sniffles and camera shutters, as hundreds of photographers from across the world took in the scene. But even that somber event would not have been complete without the inevitable shouts of "Hokies!" and thousands of candles hoisted in a defiant toast of light. At one point, a stadium-style wave rippled across the field. "This is definitely a football school," quipped Weston Hunter, a graduate student in the mathematics department. Hunter said it felt right to remain on campus, even as many students left to be with family and friends. "It's good to be here," he said. "This is the most relevant place to be." Police confirmed Tuesday morning that Seung-Hui was the gunman in the shooting at Norris Hall, an engineering building, which left 31 people dead, including Seung-Hui. His death is being called a suicide. An earlier shooting at West Ambler-Johnston Residence Hall left two people dead - resident adviser Ryan Clark and freshman Emily Hilscher. Campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum said Tuesday that one of two handguns recovered from the Norris Hall crime scene also was used in the dorm shooting. However, he stopped short of saying Seung-Hui was the shooter in both incidents. One gun was a 9 mm handgun and the other a .22-caliber handgun. Seung-Hui was a South Korean native and a legal resident alien of the United States, here on a visa. He lived in Harper Residence Hall. His permanent residence is listed as Centreville, Va. As of Tuesday evening, nine people remained hospitalized in stable condition and two in serious condition. More than 20 people were injured in the incident and taken to hospitals across the region. As the names of victims leaked to the media, students found comfort and grief in the news. "(Clark) was doing his job and I think that's the hardest thing to deal with," said senior Manisha Joshi, who was a resident adviser with Clark for two years. Joshi said being around other people who understand what's going on has helped her deal with the tragedy. And even on such a large campus, with more than 25,000 full-time students, it is hard to find anyone who isn't somehow connected to the victims. "You've either had class with them, they lived on someone's hall, or you've seen them around," junior Staci Hudy said. "I'm waiting to see when individual memorial services are going to be held." Many students are using Facebook.com to create groups for friends and supporters of the deceased. Some groups also have relayed information about those believed injured or dead. Numerous students expressed the need for solidarity in this time of crisis, and even many of those planning to spend time at home elected to stay long enough to attend the group events Tuesday. "I think it was a really nice thing that everybody got together," freshman Tiffani Price said after Convocation. Price said that her biology lab partner was killed and that one of her high-school friends still is missing. "I think it helped a lot of people. It helped everybody feel they had someone who was experiencing the same thing as them." Time is what students say it will take to move on and put this incident behind them. The semester is scheduled to close May 2, with Commencement set for May 12. "Please don't be concerned right now about how your academic situations will all work out," said Tom Brown, senior associate dean of students, at the Convocation. "You cannot get your mind back on academics without first taking some time to take care of yourself." Classes have been canceled for the remainder of the week to give students time to cope with the situation, and Norris Hall will be closed for the rest of the semester. "I think going to graduation this year is going to have a different effect on a lot of us," Joshi said. "It's going to be a time to celebrate, but it's also going to be a time to remember." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
Erin France, Eric Johnson, Jessica Schonberg and Alexandria Shealy
Professor who died in tragedy worked at UNC
Christopher James Bishop, known as Jamie in his five years at UNC, was killed Monday in the tragedy that left 33 dead on the campus of Virginia Tech. He was 35. Bishop worked as an academic technology liaison at UNC from 2000 until 2005 with the Office of Arts & Sciences Information Services. He also taught an intermediate German course in 2004. He left UNC to become an adjunct instructor of German and a technology trainer with the Faculty Development Institute at Va. Tech. He was leading a class in introductory German at about 9:50 a.m. Monday when the gunman aimed at his head and fired, The Washington Post reported Tuesday. "Jamie's thoughtfulness, energy and laughter made him a wonderful peer and friend to many," his former co-workers said in a collective statement. "His legacy continues to shape the education of thousands of students to this day." Bishop first was hired at UNC as a temporary employee in 2000, his former supervisor, Jason Li, said. Bishop later was hired as a full-time employee, working with instructors in language departments and providing one-on-one training in computer applications. "He was such a motivated, dedicated employee," Li said. Charlie Green, associate vice chancellor for teaching and learning at Information Technology Services, looked back fondly on his time working with Bishop. "He was a creative thinker," Green said. "He was someone who saw technology as a creative tool." One innovation of Bishop's was a way to record students' language practice through laptops. Previously, students had to tape-record their practice and physically bring the tape to their instructor, Green said. Bishop crafted a software package to record and send the practice digitally - which is of much higher quality and much more efficient. But Bishop's value was more than just in his work. "He cared about people," Green said. "He would spend a lot of time making sure people he worked with had everything they needed." Green said this aspect of his personality is reflected in the fact that Bishop was nominated for an Information Technology award - designed to reward versatility and willingness to go beyond the call of duty - each year he was at UNC. Bishop's wife, Stefanie Hofer, earned her Ph.D. in Germanic languages from UNC and later taught with Bishop in the German program at Va. Tech. Bishop was a Fulbright scholar at Christian-Albrechts University in Kiel, Germany, and lived in Heidelberg from 1995 to 1996. He earned his bachelor's and master's in German at the University of Georgia. Bishop was also a prolific artist. He had posted an extensive gallery of photos, multimedia projects, graphic designs for book covers and computer-generated images on his Web site - www.memory39.com. "He was a member of our family," Green said. "He will be deeply missed." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
Virginia Tech appreciates support from UNC friends
TO THE EDITOR: I am a Hokie. I finished my degree work at Virginia Tech in 1974, and in all these years, I have never regretted my choice to go to Blacksburg. I became the man that I am there. To have this ugly nightmare play out in my emotional home, is a desecration of my special place. The hurt, the disgust, is beyond my ability to express. We are Virginia Tech. I could not be more proud of the current generation of Hokies living and learning at Virginia Tech than I am today. The clarity of thought and action, the selflessness, the love for one another, the support, the unanimity of the University in the face of this "monumental horror," helps me and all VT grads everywhere. I can see where this current generation of Hokies is growing up at Tech. We are the Hokie Nation. When we celebrate, we do it together. When we cry, we cry together. When we need to, we close ranks, hunker down, and face our problems together. And we help each other to keep on going. But as we do just that, we also wonder: Does anyone else even understand what is happening to us? My son is growing to manhood at UNC and has kept me informed of activities there. I have heard of the ribbons being worn, in maroon and orange. I have heard of the message posters being signed by so many of you, expressing support and love. And I have heard of your candlelight service, in memorial to those whose lives were snuffed out before being able to live our motto: "That I May Serve." I have passed news of this to my Hokie colleagues, and the effect on us is profound. You have touched where we live. You understand what is happening to us. We welcome our Carolina cousins into our family, into our nation, with open arms - and great thanks. We are the Hokie Nation. You are the Hokie Nation. For today, we are ALL Hokies. Damon Wilson Virginia Tech Class of 1974
The focus of a discussion between public safety officials on area crime issues quickly turned to Virginia Tech at the 2007 Chapel Hill-Carrboro-Orange County Forum sponsored by WCHL. The forum was intended as an opportunity to discuss local issues, but the Monday shootings left leaders reflective. Chapel Hill has experienced similar incidents on a smaller scale, such as when alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove through the Pit in March 2006, injuring nine students, and the 1995 Wendell Williamson shooting, in which a law student opened fire on Franklin Street, killing two and injuring two others, including a Chapel Hill police officer. "This community can associate somewhat with the community of Blacksburg because we've come so close ourselves," said Dan Jones, Chapel Hill fire chief. Interim Chapel Hill police Chief Maj. Brian Curran said he also noted the similarities between the two campuses. "It's something that we're afraid could have happened here." Panelists discussed the town's preparedness to handle such an event if something similar was to happen at UNC. Jones noted how difficult it would be to secure the campus. He said every exit door to every building would need to be guarded, in addition to every intersection, sidewalk and open area. "It's easy to see that in a matter of minutes you'd need over 1,000 officers to close off the campus," Jones said. "That'd be just about every officer in Orange, Chatham, Durham and Wake counties on any given day." Capt. Charles Blackwood, of the Orange County Sheriff's Department, said he felt the Va. Tech emergency response was the best it could have been given the magnitude of the tragedy. "I think they did as good a job as they can, and I think we would do the same," Blackwood said. "You try to have a good plan in place, and you hope you can respond in such a situation." Many of the participants noted how failures in addressing mental health issues lead to safety issues, both for the individual and for the town residents. Joyce Kuhn, executive director of Orange Chatham Alternative Sentencing Inc., said it is important to provide services for those in need, something panelists agreed has become more difficult to do as more of the burden is shifted to local municipalities. "There has to be more of these things so people have the care they need," she said. District Court Judge Joe Buckner said that only an estimated 1 percent of those held at Orange County Jail for misdemeanors are repeat offenders, with 10 or more charges, but that they create problems for the entire criminal system with their recurring offenses. Curran reiterated that point, and said what frustrates police is their relative inability to intervene in situations where an individual has not committed a crime and is unwilling to seek mental help. "We're dealing with a relatively small population, but we're dealing with them over and over again," Curran said. "We just kind of stand by and watch these folks spiral out of control - there's really very little we can do." And arresting individuals with mental health issues on minor offenses creates overcrowding in the jails and forces the county to assume costs of treating and housing the individuals. "You can't really arrest yourselves out of a problem," Curran said. Public safety incidents have risen in all areas of the county, and many attribute the increases to the influx of residents into the region. "Growth is all across the public service spectrum," Jones said. "We're seeing a more transient population that makes all of these issues ... more difficult." Part of approaching those difficulties more successfully includes adjusting to the fact that Chapel Hill is growing. "People still think they're living in a small town," said Donna Kay Smith, executive director of the Family Violence Prevention Center. "People are having to make that transition of recognizing that this is not a small town area anymore." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
BLACKSBURG, Va. - The revelation that Virginia Tech shooter Cho Seung-Hui had a documented history of psychological problems is likely to intensify an already heated debate about how campuses handle troubled students. A number of high-profile court cases in recent years have centered on the constraints and responsibilities university officials confront in deciding whether to take pre-emptive action on behalf of at-risk students. Christopher Flynn, director of the Cook Counseling Center at Virginia Tech, alluded to that difficulty in discussing Cho's history of strange behavior. "There are lots of issues that are present on a college campus," Flynn said during a Wednesday press conference. "The extent to which we can make a judgment about whether someone is a danger is a separate issue." For universities, it is an issue fraught with moral and legal complications. Officials have to balance concern for campus safety with an obligation to protect individual privacy, often with vague guidelines. "Schools walk a real fine line," said Johnne Armentrout, assistant director of counseling services at Wake Forest University. "The tricky thing is that they face lawsuits on both sides, either from not doing enough or from violating their students' privacy rights." Federal law prohibits universities from revealing a student's psychological problems, even to parents, unless they have a signed waiver or believe the student poses an imminent danger to himself or others. Deciding when to break that confidentiality is difficult, but universities typically have erred on the side of protecting student privacy. In recent cases, universities have prevailed in court against parents arguing that they should have been better informed about their children's psychological problems. "When in doubt, my decision is to respect the student's right to privacy," said David McCord, head of the psychology department at Western Carolina University. "The students' right to privacy is mandatory training for all faculty." But in the wake of Monday's tragedy at Virginia Tech, there already are calls for revisiting the circumstances when counselors can disclose potential threats. Flynn and other campus officials faced tough questions Wednesday about why Cho was not forced to seek more help when professors complained about his behavior. "We certainly are always sensitive to the potential for violence," Flynn said. "That's a very difficult thing to predict clearly." That uncertainty is what puts counselors in such a challenging position, said Robert Murphy, executive director of the Center for Child and Family Health, a joint venture between UNC-Chapel Hill, Duke and N.C. Central universities. He said universities are likely to review their policies in the aftermath of Monday's shooting. "Legally, our society has come down more on the side of the individual client or patient rights," Murphy said. "There are hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people in this country who might present with similar warning signs but never go on to commit an act like this, and that's the really tricky part." -- Original Source:Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
The shootings at Virginia Tech on Monday hit too close to home for some students and faculty at both Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools high schools. Many said they worried that several recent graduates of East Chapel Hill and Chapel Hill high schools who now attend Virginia Tech could have been victims, but no alumni are among those reported dead. "There's great sympathy among our students and concern for graduates from our schools who may have been attending Virginia Tech and to get in contact with the person and make sure they're safe," said Stephanie Knott, assistant to the superintendent for community relations for the district. Linda Klemmer, counseling department chairwoman at Chapel Hill High, said students and faculty expressed anxiety about alumni. "There was some concern for students that had siblings and friends at Virginia Tech," she said. "I got a sense of sadness and shock," she added, as she described the students' moods in wake of the incident. Her department is open to students who want to talk to someone about the shootings, she said. Owen McDonnell, a freshman at Virginia Tech and graduate of Chapel Hill High, was one of the people those at home worried about. "A lot of people were saying they tried to call me and couldn't," he said. McDonnell traveled back to Chapel Hill late Tuesday to be with family after Monday's tragedy struck his campus, but he said he's eager to get back to the daily grind of classes. "I think it's important to get back to normal after having a week to grieve," he said. But students at one of the district's high schools already have experienced gun violence on campus. Last April, William Barrett Foster, then a student at East Chapel Hill High, took social studies teacher Lisa Kukla and student Chelsea Slegal hostage after school. Kukla and Slegal eventually were able to talk to Foster, and they convinced him to shoot out a window instead of killing them. Knott said last year's incident helped calm students' and faculty's fears about the possibility that something such as the Virginia Tech incident could happen locally. The hostage incident forced district officials to prepare campuses for anything. "For the most part we made some revisions to security following the hostage situation at East Chapel Hill High School last year," Knott said. "You'll find in the superintendent's recommended budget about a $206 ,000 request to fund some new safety projects." Knott said she plans to ask principals to encourage students to wear maroon and orange - Virginia Tech colors - Friday for Orange & Maroon Effect Day to commemorate victims of the tragedy. -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
BLACKSBURG, Va. - A steady stream of breaking news added to the tension on Virginia Tech's campus Wednesday following the Monday deaths of 33 students and faculty. An afternoon press conference revealed that NBC News received a package containing what network officials described as a "multimedia manifesto" from Cho Seung-Hui, the student definitively identified as the gunman in one of two shootings Monday. "Upon reception of this correspondence, NBC News immediately notified authorities," Virginia State Police Superintendent Col. Steven Flaherty said. "This may be a very new, critical component of this investigation." Authorities still were evaluating the materials Wednesday night, even as NBC began to release images and videos taken by Cho. Students gasped and whispered "Oh my god" as television screens flashed an image of Cho posing menacingly with two handguns raised at eye level. The videos portray the intense anger of an individual whose exact motives still are unclear. Cho assigned blame for the massacre to his victims, claiming that he "died like Jesus Christ, to inspire generations of weak and defenseless people." He called his victims "snobs" and suggested the source of his rage was the privilege and materialism that he saw in his classmates. "Your trust funds wasn't enough," he said, sitting in front of a plain cinder-block wall and appearing to read from a script. "Your vodka and cognac wasn't enough. All your debaucheries weren't enough." The release of the video capped an already uneasy day. Even two days after the shootings, and with a dwindling number of students on campus, the community remained on edge. Early in the day, a swarm of police and media descended on Burruss Hall after a Va. Tech operator received a threat on university President Charles Steger's life. The building was secured by police and a report of a suspicious person came in amid the confusion, said campus police Chief Wendell Flinchum. "These kinds of reports are not uncommon in the wake of what has occurred in the last 48 hours," he said, alluding to the vigilant mood in Blacksburg. The last two days have left investigators, reporters and students scrambling to understand an event that left friends, family and community members dead. There is growing frustration at the news that Cho had an extensive history of psychological instability, including a recommendation of involuntary hospitalization dating back to 2005. Campus police were contacted with complaints about Cho in November and December of last year, when two female students alleged that he repeatedly contacted them through phone calls, Internet messages and in person. At the time of the second complaint, police received a separate report that Cho might be suicidal. University counselors found the risk credible enough that he was sent to a mental health facility in nearby Radford, Va., on Dec. 13. Lucinda Roy, the chairwoman of the English department at Va. Tech, also shared her concerns with campus police during the fall semester of 2005 when she became concerned about the substance of Cho's writing. Flinchum was careful to note that there was no direct threat in the writings, so the university had no ground for taking drastic action. "The writings did not express any threatening intentions or allude to any criminal activity, and no criminal violation had taken place," he said. "Since those contacts in November and December of 2005, I am not aware of any additional incidents or reports made to our department." Even as the revelations about Cho's history at the university became public, most students remained reluctant to fault the university's handling of the supposed warning signs. "You never know what's beneath the surface," said Matt Stewart, a senior at nearby Radford University who was on campus to pick up his girlfriend. "You can't prevent crazy." Stewart said his girlfriend would be staying with him for a few days because she had a "bad vibe" about remaining on campus. "She just wants to get away and let the town settle down a little bit," he said. That seemed to be a common sentiment. Throughout the day, students trickled out of dormitories carrying backpacks and suitcases, some piling into cars with friends and others being picked up by parents. "I'd say most people just want to get away for a bit, get a little breather," said Eric Hilgartner, a freshman waiting for his ride outside West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall. "I need to come home for my parents' sake more than mine. I know they'd like to see me." The university canceled the spring football scrimmage scheduled for Saturday, and professors still are figuring out how to cope with grades and class schedules before students return Monday. Across campus Tuesday and Wednesday, groups of students speculated about what might happen with essays and tests that had been scheduled for this week and how exams might be affected. University officials announced Wednesday afternoon that individual deans would have the authority to decide how to proceed with the semester. They left open the possibility that final exams could be canceled at the discretion of the university's separate colleges. But with police visible on every corner and a continuing frenzy of media activity on campus, many students said they simply wanted to get out of town. Hilgartner said he hopes the university is out of the media glare by the time he returns. "We'd like to get back to that quiet reputation we had in Blacksburg," he said. "Well, if we can ever get it back." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 18, 2007
SEVILLE, Spain - The news of the 33 deaths in Blacksburg, Va., on Monday spread a sobering cloud over the UNC students studying in this traditional Spanish city. Here, where the streets still shut down for the sacred midday siesta, students have pulled themselves away from the news on their computers and have begun to speak with foreign friends and host families about the Virginia Tech shootings. In places around the world, UNC students are seeing the foreign reaction to the violence at home. Some of the 436 University students abroad have found that the attacks did not surprise their non-American acquaintances as much as they surprised themselves. "This has happened so many times in the U.S.," said Kristin Haug, a student from Oslo, Norway, in reference to the Columbine shooting. "It's just so weird that it's still so easy to get a weapon." Her friends, all Norwegians in Spain for the semester, nodded in agreement outside the school building they share with UNC students. International media have spotlighted the shootings. On Wednesday, two days after 23-year-old senior Cho Seung-Hui opened fire on Va. Tech's campus, the events were still on the front pages of newspapers in Paris, Dublin, London, Israel, Turkey, Dubai and Iran. But the impact has not resounded with most foreigners in the same way it's hit Americans abroad. Norwegian students here called the shootings, with no intentional callousness, "typically American." Michael Turner, a junior from Elizabeth City, first heard of the shootings when he turned on Al Jazeera in Jordan. He stated in an e-mail that local coverage depicted the violence as part of a trend. "I don't expect it comes off that way in American media, and it certainly doesn't in my mind," he stated. UNC sophomore Rosanne Niforos, a former advertising representative for The Daily Tar Heel, was in Puebla, Mexico, when she saw news about the shootings online. Lacking her cell phone, she waited for a friend at Va. Tech to change his Facebook.com status to show he was safe. Now Niforos is watching the reaction on her Mexican campus. Much of the student community there has used the incident to examine U.S. policies in general. "There are already posters up on campus with pictures of Va. Tech victims being carried out of Norris Hall and then an image superimposed next to it of President Bush, dressed in militant clothes, bullets and a machine gun," she stated in an e-mail. "I haven't seen many of those, but they are there." UNC students have said non-Americans have asserted that this type of shooting could not happen in their home country. Some, like the Norwegian students, blamed U.S. gun control laws and pointed out that in many European countries, citizens cannot own handguns and that in some places, even police officers do not carry guns. On ElPais.com, a poll of the day asked readers if there should be more gun control in the U.S. As of Wednesday morning, 93 percent of the 5,790 responders said "yes." "When people here see this happen, they're really shocked," Spaniard Celeste Castellanos Calvo said. "They see it as an American thing." -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
Wake of shooting tragedy is not time to point blame
TO THE EDITOR: I attended the vigil for Virginia Tech Tuesday night, and it was extremely touching. My thoughts and prayers go out to all those affected by Monday's shooting. It is times like this when we ask ourselves how someone could even be capable of carrying out such an event. However, the one thing that this is not a time for is playing the blame game. The day of the shooting, the media was already pointing fingers at whomever they possibly could. I've overheard some blaming society. I've heard some blame the president of Virginia Tech. And I've heard some blame gun control laws. There is a time and place for everything, and at this time, there is no place for politics or playing the blame game. It's a horrible disrespect to all those who died, who deserve our supporting thoughts and prayers, not our fingers in others' faces. Chris Buchheit Freshman Undecided -- Original Source: Daily Tar Heel - April 19, 2007
Text messages can notify police By: Katy Doll, Staff Writer Posted: 4/20/07 UNC officials are implementing a phone system that alerts campus police when students are in danger. Beginning this fall, the University will offer the Rave Guardian program, which uses a Global Positioning System timer to notify police of students' locations when needed. "You can set a timer on your phone that says: 'If I don't reset this timer, I want you to send a signal to campus police,'" said Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education. When the time expires, the phone alerts the student, and if it's not turned off, Rave contacts campus police, who can locate the phone using GPS technology. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, campus security is on everyone's mind, but UNC officials were planning to implement Rave Guardian before Monday's shootings. UNC officials are in negotiations with different providers and do not know the exact costs associated with purchasing the program. Hicks said the housing department plans to offer a reduced price on GPS phones to all on-campus students next year. There will be a push for incoming freshmen to buy the phones, which will be promoted at C-TOPS. The program is part of the Rave Wireless system, an existing service that allows students to receive text messages about Blackboard updates and bus routes. The service also has an emergency broadcasting system. "We could basically send out a broadcast message to all the users of the Rave system," said Brian Payst, director of technology and systems support for the division of student affairs. Students whose phones aren't equipped for the GPS program can use Rave's other features, such as emergency text messaging. Students can sign up at www.unc.edu/rave. Rave was established as a pilot program at UNC last summer with a group of about 20 students and now has 364 students, Payst said. The emergency system never has been used, but officials said they have completed tests of the system. "We've done tests, and they've gone just fine," Payst said. "You log in and have a Web page, type in your message and hit send. It just takes minutes - seconds even." Officials also said a campuswide siren system is on its way. "It certainly wasn't intended to deal with what happened at Virginia Tech, but it can deal with that as well," said James Alty, director of facilities services. Hicks said safety issues have been at the forefront of UNC's concerns. "It's basically taking a little bit more emphasis as a result of Virginia Tech," he said. "People want to expedite the plans." -- Original Source:The Daily Tar Heel - April 20, 2007
Will examine campus security By: David Reynolds, Staff Writer Posted: 4/20/07 In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech tragedy, school systems across the country are discussing new security measures to ensure that such a harrowing event never could be duplicated. Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine announced Thursday that an independent review panel has been formed to analyze the circumstances surrounding Monday's shooting. Retired Virginia State police Superintendent Col. Gerald Massengill will be the head of the panel, which also will include Tom Ridge, the former U.S. secretary of homeland security. N.C. Attorney General Roy Cooper also has called for a special task force in conjunction with the State Bureau of Investigation, the UNC system, the N.C. Community College System and the N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities to look for improvements in campus emergency plans. "We'll be looking at issues such as guidelines for when to declare a campus lockdown, how to better communicate with students and faculty in a crisis and more ways to identify a potential shooter, along with many others," he said in a Wednesday press conference. Hope Williams, president of N.C. Independent Colleges and Universities, said school administrators will choose a task force during the next 10 days. She said this task force will release a report within six months containing suggestions for the 2007 fall semester. The task force will not mandate changes, Williams said, because a one-size plan cannot fit different universities' needs. "I think the major question is one of modifying and adjusting existing emergency response plans as institutions feel it is necessary." Jeff Davies, the chief of staff for UNC-system President Erskine Bowles, said discussions already had begun concerning improvements in security before the Va. Tech incident, but the event has added impetus to the debate. "The decisions have been made to ensure that all residence halls will have card access, alarms and cameras," he said. "We are trying to wrap our arms around a very big issue in a very short amount of time." Davies said the UNC system likely will ask for state funding for the changes. And like many other schools nationwide, UNC-Chapel Hill has looked critically at its security measures. UNC-CH officials said their campus police have completed annual active shooter training and will work with local law enforcement in the case of an emergency. UNC-CH has the ability to contact students through radio broadcast, housing fliers and campuswide informational e-mails. E-mails sent to the University community take roughly two hours to reach all intended recipients. -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 20, 2007
By: Amanda Younger, Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Ardent UNC men's basketball fans stood aghast at a January defeat at the hands of Virginia Tech, cringing at the sight of any reminder of their Virginian foes. But for one day, students traded their Tar Heel blue for Hokie maroon and orange. "Today we're all Hokies," senior Liz Oden said while donning Va. Tech colors Friday as part of National Orange and Maroon Effect Day. Organized by the Virginia Tech Alumni Association, the day was designed to honor the 32 victims of the April 16 campus shooting and to provide a sense of community for those attempting to return to normalcy after the tragedy. "It's one of the littlest things you can do," said Whitney Pilson, a sophomore communications major. "I was really proud of our community for binding together." Support will continue at noon today as students across the nation plan to commemorate the one-week anniversary of the tragedy with a moment of silence. Student Body President Eve Carson is encouraging UNC students to gather in the Pit for a moment of reflection. Chicago maroon and burnt orange - Va. Tech's school colors for more than a century - have become synonymous with the university. Orange and Maroon Effect Day began as a tradition to support the school's athletic teams, but Friday it became a way to unite alumni and students across the nation. "I have a lot of friends that go to Virginia Tech, and I felt that it was the least I could do," said Emily Bisker, a sophomore biology major. Carson said the tragedy has impacted the UNC community significantly on both a personal and institutional level. She said that the similarities between Va. Tech and UNC, including both schools' rabid sports fans and size, make the tragedy hit much closer to home. "The tragedy at Virginia Tech was so affecting for students across the nation because it could have happened anywhere," Carson said. Freshman George Drometer, whose friend was asleep in West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall when the first shooting took place, said it's important for UNC to be active in helping Va. Tech students. "I really feel we need to step it up and show our support," he said. Having attended Wednesday's candlelight vigil in memory of those affected by the tragedy, Drometer said he felt a sense of community emerging on a campus fewer than 300 miles away from Va. Tech. But this proximity also has led many students to feel a tangible connection to the plight of Va. Tech. "It opens people to the perspective that we're very fortunate it didn't happen here," said Princeston Crisp, a freshman business major. As those affected by the events at Va. Tech seek solace, Jessi Kemp, a junior sociology major, said she is confident that every effort to raise awareness and show support to Va. Tech is important. "It's a subtle, 'We're thinking about you.'" -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 23, 2007
New leader reaching out to Va. Tech By: Meghan E. Woods, Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Not even three weeks into her term, Student Body President Eve Carson has found herself trying to console both the UNC and Virginia Tech campuses. Hours after learning of the Va. Tech tragedy, in which 32 people were killed by a suicidal student gunman, Carson, along with student body presidents from other schools in the Atlantic Coast Conference, formed an e-mail listserv to send messages of condolence to Va. Tech student government leaders. "Hearing the news was just so incredibly shocking," Carson said. "The listserv was a way of reaching out. In a moment of need, there's nothing like having someone to reach out to you." Carson said she hopes to expand the communication between the schools by encouraging UNC student leaders to reach out to their counterparts in Blacksburg. "We're asking people to send their counterparts an e-mail or a letter," Carson said. "Just something to let them know you're thinking about them. We thought it'd be important to show that we were caring about the Virginia Tech community." Carson said that the matchup program is a collaborative idea and that she has been motivated to reach out because of her experiences with the death of Jason Ray, the UNC senior who portrayed Rameses for three seasons . "When Jason Ray died, I received a number of letters from people expressing their sympathy," said Carson, who took office the week after Ray's death. "I thought it was so incredible. It's nice to know that others are with you and thinking of you." Carson also is talking to UNC athletics officials about putting Va. Tech emblems on baseball helmets and working with other ACC schools to coordinate a full-page advertisement in the Collegiate Times, the Va. Tech student newspaper, expressing support during the wake of the tragedy. Former Student Body President Seth Dearmin said communication among students was the path toward healing last March when nine people were injured after UNC alumnus Mohammad Taheri-Azar drove a rented sport utility vehicle through the Pit. "After the incident, communication was positive and crucial," he said. "As a result, we brought panels together and councils to talk about what had happened and what it meant on a larger scale." James Allred, who was student body president-elect at the time, said finding outlets for students' feelings was also important in handling the incident. "We really focused on how to help students express the shock and concern they felt," he said. "As president, I think the first duty is to make sure the student body has a way to cope." Dearmin said that even though the Pit incident was different than the Va. Tech tragedy, being student body president during any significant event is stressful. "It's a lot of pressure that gets thrown on you," he said. "It's pressure that comes out of nowhere for an event that you have no control over. It comes out of the blue, but it does provide a good learning experience." Carson said she hopes communication will help foster better ties between UNC and Va. Tech. "It's important to show our commitment to Virginia Tech," she said. "We want to be in personal touch and personal communication with people at Virginia Tech. Hopefully, we'll be better connected in the future." -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 23, 2007
Few mention Va. Tech during Sunday sermons By: Allison Nichols, Assistant State & National Editor Posted: 4/23/07 The Rev. Ruth Stevens, whose son graduated from Virginia Tech in 2004, was one of few ministers of Franklin Street churches to address in a sermon Sunday the deadliest shooting in U.S. history. "The most vulnerable were not the 32 students who were shot," she said at University United Methodist Church, linking the week's events to Christian teachings. "The most vulnerable was the one who did the shooting." Stevens said some of her parishioners have felt out of step with society at large because they feel empathy for Seung-Hui Cho, the Va. Tech senior who shot 32 others before killing himself, in addition to their compassion for his victims. She and other area religious leaders said no one has come to them in the past week for help coping with the tragedy "I think the University really counsels itself," said Rabbi Ben Packer of the Jewish Experience Movement of the South, a UNC student organization. "It's amazing how the University community has come together to deal with it communally, whether it's religious or in other ways," he said, adding that the Va. Tech shootings were a main topic of conversation at Shabbat meals on the Sabbath. Packer said the reactions of students with whom he's spoken about the tragedy were neither uniquely religious nor uniquely Jewish. "Everybody's hurting from it," he said. "Everyone kind of feels the same pain." The Rev. Bob Dunham of University Presbyterian Church said that for people within any faith tradition, there is an element of basic personal compassion for the pain of others, as well as a responsibility to intervene whenever possible. He said the most important thing people can do now is to listen to those most affected by the deaths at Va. Tech. "It's too early to talk about forgiveness," he said. Rabbi John Friedman of the Judea Reform Congregation in Durham said he's talked to his congregation about gun control laws and mental health care in America in the aftermath of Va. Tech. "Part of the spiritual reaction that is normal in human beings is to look for ways to address the underlying causes or lack of prevention," he said. "It helps us spiritually to feel more secure." Agape Campus Ministry did not address the shootings Sunday in its Christian service in the Student Union, nor have students approached the organization's ministers for help dealing with the week's events. "The University as a community has done such a good job of coping together," Packer said by way of explanation. "It's really been very helpful with the candlelight vigil, with all the different Facebook groups." -- Original Source:The Daily Tar Heel - April 23, 2007
More gun control doesn't infringe on right to bear arms By: Editorial Board Posted: 4/23/07 It took little time for the journalists and political pundits to start talking gun control. This editorial is not just about last week's Virginia Tech shooting. It's also about the North Mecklenburg High School student who brought a gun on campus last Wednesday, threatened two other students and then left and shot himself. It's about the rumors of a planned shooting that circulated around Orange County High School last Friday and about the student who killed his father, then injured two others at that same school last fall. This editorial isn't about the Second Amendment or taking away Americans' right to bear arms. It's about how to keep guns away from those who are unfit to use them. It's about taking away an easy means of suicide for the roughly 16,000 Americans who killed themselves with a firearm in 2004. It's about limiting the 14,000 murdered by guns in 2005 and the 650 fatal accidents the year before. One reason to study history is to avoid making the same mistakes as in the past. Stricter gun control laws might not prevent tragedy from striking, but they can make it far less likely. Even simple regulations such as background checks can make a huge difference. If somebody has a history of mental illness, that should certainly show up in a background check and prevent that person from buying a gun. And there is no sense in destroying information gathered during those checks after 24 hours, as is mandated by national law, when, in some states, that person can return to buy another gun 30 days later. A comprehensive registration system of gun owners would not hurt anyone but criminals. In Texas, residents do not need a permit to own a gun and do not have to register their firearms. The authorities don't even know how many guns are in the state. In addition, 80 percent of prisoners who own guns received their gun from family or a friend or bought it on the street or illegally. These person-to-person transactions go unrecorded. Automatic and semiautomatic weapons - for instance, a 9 mm Glock - only are available to police in almost every other country. You can buy an AK-47 online for $379.99, and nobody in their right mind - and certainly nobody not in their right mind - needs one of those. The assault-weapons ban, which expired in 2004, should be renewed. Gun-related crime has fallen since the mid-1990s, but rose sharply again in 2005. Unfortunately, the rates are still exorbitantly high. The gun-murder rate in America is more than 30 times that of England. Tighter gun control won't necessarily bring that down. If somebody has a strong enough inclination to kill another, that person likely will find a gun regardless of how strong the restrictions are, but it sure won't hurt to conduct thorough background checks and ban automatic weapons. We're not trying to take away Americans' rights to hunt or own a gun in case anyone feels the need to start a militia and revolt against tyranny. But nobody should complain if America is a safer place. -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 23, 2007
Some students able to forgive By: Erin France, State & National Editor Posted: 4/24/07 BLACKSBURG, Va. - The first day back to class for Virginia Tech students began with a morning ceremony honoring the 32 students and faculty killed by senior English major Seung-Hui Cho. Thirty-two white balloons were released with the strike of a bell in front of 33 small stones placed in a semi-circle on the wide expanse of the field known as the Drillfield. The 33rd marker, placed between Matthew Gwaltney's and Dan O'Neil's, was for Cho, who killed himself at the end of his rampage; it was removed later Monday. There still is a sizable showing of flowers and notes in the place where his stone lay. "He was still a person, too," junior Matthew Quinn said. "He was still a Hokie." In this community of more than 25,000 students, there are signs of forgiveness toward the gunman, but it is not a consensus. There were not many on campus willing to talk to the media Monday, and while the campus population spiked from last week, it was far from a normal spring day. "There are a lot of students back, but this is pretty sparse," graduate student Amy Tanner said. "I think it will be just a slow, long week." Instructors received e-mails from the Va. Tech administration encouraging them to mention last week's events in their classes. Ting Cai, a graduate student, is teaching a general chemistry class today and said he cannot predict how many of his students will attend. "We're only going to meet for 15 minutes," he said. "I think I'll probably start with a moment of silence." Teachers are using Monday and Tuesday to assess the grades and conditions of their students before finishing the semester. Exams are optional in calculating students' final grades. Andrew Blando, a junior oceanic engineer, said he still is debating the different options. "I don't want to feel like I'm taking advantage of the situation," he said. The students remaining on campus Monday were searching for normalcy. Many students experienced abbreviated classes along with reminders of the last week, such as signs on the outside of all academic and residence halls curtailing the media's presence. "I know in my first class there was quite a bit of awkward silence," Quinn said. "Being able to go back to class helps, though." The somber atmosphere is punctuated by requests for media interviews, many of which were turned down, although Quinn acknowledged the importance of broadcasting information. He said he just found out Sunday that he knew one of the victims when he saw her picture on CNN. "I was just in shock for, like, five minutes," he said. Authorities have named Cho the gunman in one of two university shootings last Monday. The first incident occurred about 7 a.m. at the West Ambler Johnston Residence Hall, where a resident adviser and a female student were shot. Police have identified Cho as the gunman in the second shooting two hours later that left 30 people dead at Norris Hall, an academic building. Cho then committed suicide. One of the guns used in the second shooting also was used in the first. There is a heavy police presence on campus as the investigation continues. Campus tours resumed Monday, although guides had to detour to avoid the police tape surrounding Norris Hall. "This is a great school," was repeated to prospective students and their parents by professors and current students. And the decreased numbers in the student body this week might not indicate next semester's trend. "I don't know many people who weren't coming back," Blando said. For the Blacksburg community, it will be a long time before they can walk through campus without thinking about the 33 dead students and faculty. "It's always going to be in the recesses of my mind," Blando said. -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 24, 2007
By: Alexander Trowbridge, Staff Writer Posted: 4/25/07 The shooting at Virginia Tech last week put the gun control issue back in the national public forum. While Virginia Gov. Tim Kaine dismissed taking political advantage of the incident as deplorable, both pro-gun groups and those advocating gun control rallied for change. Barbara Hohlt, executive director of States United to Prevent Gun Violence, said stricter gun laws could have saved lives at Va. Tech. "We do a very poor job in this country at doing adequate background checks." Pro-gun advocates attacked gun-free safe zones such as the Va. Tech campus, which they claim prevented victims from protecting themselves. Carl Abbe, the owner and president of Calibers Indoor Gun Range in Greensboro, said gun-free zones let criminals know that no one is there to stop them. Abbe said Va. Tech should consider arming and training select members of the campus community to defend their fellow classmates. "If that one professor who blocked the door had had a handgun, he would have been able to do more than just block the door," Abbe said. "He would have been able to stop that man." The N.C. House passed a bill on Thursday that would allow judges to carry concealed weapons. Rep. Walter Church, D-Burke, sponsored the bill and said it was a response to the shooting of a judge in a courtroom in Atlanta last year. "The judges that I've talked to thought it was a good idea," Church said, adding that even those who don't carry guns appreciate the attention to their security. The passage of the bill just days after the shooting at Va. Tech concerned some N.C. residents. Lisa Price, executive director of the North Carolinians Against Gun Violence Education Fund, said courtrooms already are protected. "In general, we dislike putting guns in more places," Price said. The issue of gun control is complex, and in North Carolina it is not always divided along party lines. Though Church sponsored the bill allowing judges to carry concealed weapons, he said he supports gun control and restrictions. He said the lack of a waiting period to purchase hand guns in Virginia is ridiculous. "I would support someone having a waiting period, especially those with mental cases." Rep. Verla Insko, D-Orange, voted against Church's bill. However, she said she would oppose restricting everyone with a history of mental illness from purchasing a gun. "That is a very broad category of illnesses," she said, adding that while those at risk for violence should not be eligible to purchase handguns, not everyone with a mental illness is violent. -- Original Source:The Daily Tar Heel - April 25, 2007
By: Kellen Moore, Staff Writer Posted: 4/25/07 With last week's Virginia Tech shootings still fresh in the minds of many, UNC officials are looking to evaluate residence hall safety as one area of emphasis. With about 7,700 students living on campus, resident advisers often are the first line of defense in emergencies. At Va. Tech, Ryan Clark, an RA in West Ambler Johnston Hall, was one of the first of 32 victims killed in last week's shooting rampage. He was investigating a loud noise when he met the gunman in a hallway. Kyle Jordan, coordinator for student leadership and programming and a member of the committee responsible for training RAs to deal with emergencies, said that while the training RAs receive is extensive, it deals only with situations within the confines of everyday life. "We don't train them to deal with any type of assailant that might have a weapon," Jordan said. At UNC, RAs are responsible for a section of a residence hall, and they are placed throughout 14 campus communities. Training is held two weeks before the semester starts, and it includes preparation for emergencies such as fires, medical accidents and sexual assault, among others. RAs also are instructed how to deal with roommate conflicts and how to approach students who they suspect might be experiencing emotional problems. "Really, it is a top-down process from the highest administrators living in a building down to the RAs," Jordan said. "Everybody is a part of crisis management, and we do it very well." But despite his confidence in those guidelines, Jordan said there has been talk about UNC reviewing safety procedures more. "There's no time that we're going to say our policies are 100 percent," Jordan said. Kareemah Lewis, a former RA in the Olde Campus Upper Quad Community, said the training she received came in handy. "We were prepared because we had specific training in that area, in dealing with a crisis - not specifically somebody coming to shoot, but students hurting themselves," she said. Lewis also said the training informed her of resources that most residents are not aware of, especially how to contact public safety officials directly. But she said there still is room to tweak the training. "I think we could improve on communication. ... Maybe creating new technology-savvy ways to communicate other than e-mail," she said. One focus of the training is explaining that RAs should be aware of their surroundings and report anything out of the ordinary. "I think Virginia Tech was a wake-up call to a lot of RAs that when we do see suspicious people ... to take it more seriously and that unexpected things can happen," said Laura Lilly, an RA in Kenan Community. Gay Perez, associate director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education, said methods used to respond to emergencies vary. "Sometimes you might stay in place; sometimes you might evacuate. Housing will take its cues from first responders, police or whoever is in charge," she said. "Everyone thinks they're prepared until something like Virginia Tech happens. ... You can only plan so much." -- Original Source: The Daily Tar Heel - April 25, 2007
Take time to reach out to someone at Virginia Tech
Posted: 4/26/07 TO THE EDITOR: In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, we have the opportunity to reach out and touch the lives of the students affected by this tragedy. Eve Carson made the suggestion to find someone at Virginia Tech to "adopt". For student groups, search for a "sister organization." Student leaders, look up your counterparts in Blacksburg. Then, make some contact with them. Let them know they are in our thoughts. Need somewhere to get started? Get a shoe box, throw some candy and some pictures in it, and then write a letter. Be creative. Be genuine. Be yourself. If you need any help, we are personally available and extremely willing to do anything we can. We are not experts, but we will call upon what resources we have. We are available by e-mail, Facebook and phone. We also urge you to call upon your fellow students here in Chapel Hill and take advantage of this opportunity to grow closer to those in the UNC community as well. As the school year draws to a close, keep in mind that time is of the essence. This is a call to action. We know many people feel helpless, but this is simple, cheap and easy yet personal way to positively affect the Virginia Tech community. James F. Eby Carolina Advocacy, Executive Branch Logan Liles Carolina Advocacy, Executive Branch -- Original Source:The Daily Tar Heel - April 26, 2007