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
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
Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 Generic
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
LYONS: The impact of sports during tragedy
By:Chris Lyons Posted: 4/19/07 Originally, I was planning on writing a column about the debauchery that is Marathon Monday. As one of the biggest days here at our school, it only seemed right to dedicate an entire column taking a look at the day many students compare to Christmas. Everything started out according to plan. As the day began and the race went off with minimal rain. It seemed as though all would turn out OK. It's amazing how things can change in a blink of an eye. Since coming to school here at BU, I've stressed over numerous "problems" that all college students go through when they arrive in a new environment. Making friends, meeting girls (or boys) and rooting for athletic teams that give everyone stress at some point or another. Education, of course, can be thrown into this category as well. None of those seemed to matter when I went to check my computer Monday morning while taking a break in the Marathon action. As I went to ESPN.com as I always do, the breaking news at Virginia Tech put everything into perspective. All the things I constantly worry about as a sports fan were irrelevant once again. Suddenly, the marathon didn't matter. The Red Sox game being played down the street didn't matter. The wins and losses of Boston University athletics that I've worried about for the past three years didn't matter. Feelings reminiscent of those I had when I first heard of the Columbine High School shootings and the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks rushed into my head. It seemed as though the death toll continued to rise each time I refreshed the page until the number reached 32 killed by a crazed gunman. Trying to talk about athletics at the time of a tragedy of this magnitude almost seems senseless. No matter how much passion we put into supporting or playing sports, they are just games at the end of the day. But somehow, sports always help play a huge role in the recovery process in situations like these. Columbine's football team's success the season after the 1999 shootings was a feel-good story about a community coming together after tragedy. I still get goose bumps every time I watch New England Patriots lineman Joe Andruzzi - brother of two New York firefighters - run on to the field at Gillette Stadium holding American flags in each hand when the NFL came back after Sept. 11. Sports seem to offer our country an escape from tragedy and a way of coming together as a group with a common bond. They give us something to rally around. At no level is this more evident than in collegiate athletics. A team can bring a school together. Here at BU, hockey is a borderline religion for many. Our campus is stuffed with students from all over the country -- world, even -- who are as diverse as can be. But every Friday or Saturday night in the fall and winter, Agganis Arena fills to root on the common bond that we all share. While watching the images of Virginia Tech students in mourning the past few days, one thing stood out to me. First, the "Let's go Hokies!" chant at the memorial service on Tuesday. Cheers that Virginia Tech students use at sporting events are now being used to bring their campus together during these trying times. And it's spreading beyond their campus, too. Similar to "U.S.A." chants following Sept. 11, "Everyone is a Hokie" is being heard on campuses throughout the nation. Athletic pride is turning into a nation's pride for a campus in Blacksburg, Va. that experienced the worst shooting in U.S. history. So while we always say sports are just games and have little meaning, they clearly offer us comfort in times of tragedy, at least in some sense. On a small scale or large, they have helped our country survive some of our saddest moments. And they will now be part of an effort to move on at Virginia Tech. On Friday, Virginia Tech's baseball team will be the first Hokies squad to step onto the playing field since Monday's shootings, and several other teams will continue their seasons this weekend. I don't think I'll be alone in rooting for all of their athletes in their effort to help the campus move forward. America's Team has found a new home in my mind. Let's Go Hokies. Chris Lyons, a junior in the College of Communication, is a weekly columnist for The Daily Free Press. He can be reached at cjl@bu.edu. -- Original Source:The Daily Free Press - April 19, 2007
The university community gathered in remembrance of the violence at Virginia Polytechnical University in a candle vigil last Thursday. Faculty, staff and students from Hamline's various colleges were all present. Over 120 people were in attendance, including multiple university administrators. The vigil included members of the religious community including university chaplain Theresa Mason, Rabbi Esther Adler and Bishop Rosalyn Carol. Bishop Carol said her goal is a world where no "people are dying because we do not live and love each other." Carol also said that the community at the university needed to celebrate the fact "that we are truly brothers and sisters." Poems in Hebrew and English were read, as well as psalms from the Christian Bible, Torah and Qur'an. Communication professor Suda Ishida performed a traditional Buddhist ritual, asking all present to link arms with the person beside them as water was poured from a basin unto the base of a tree. Adler spoke of a Virginia Tech professor and Holocaust survivor Liviu Librescu, and questioned his destiny. "Was April 16 his appointed purpose or just a cruel irony?" she said. CLA Sophomore Emily Hager-Garman led the choir in a version of "Oh, Jerusalem" and a faculty member from the Graduate school sang parts of the African national anthem. President Linda Hanson was visibly moved by the display of student and staff solidarity. Many in attendance were moved to tears as the names of the departed were read aloud and a bell on loan from Hamline United Methodist Church was tolled as each name was said. In addition, the student who led the Tibetan Buddhist invocation invited the community to create Tibetan prayer flags which were to be hung up outside Bush Library. The Tibetan prayer flag is a piece of cloth with a message for the living and departed. Many of the messages included words of hope, forgiveness and mourning. The service ended as the clock tower on Old Main ominously tolled 5 p.m. Compiled by Chris Matter and staff reports -- Original Source: Oracle Student Newspaper, Hamline University http://www.hamline.edu/oracle/archives/2007/04/24/index.html Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0.
Chris Matter / Oracle Student Newspaper Staff
Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 1.0
UNL has no plans to re-examine its gun policy
By: Chris Rosacker Posted: 4/24/07 In light of the Virginia Tech shootings, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln's 1992 failed campus shooting and Friday's bomb scare at UNL's Othmer Hall, some people are calling for a re-evaluation of the university's security policies. Aaron Brown, a graduate student in the College of Law, exchanged several e-mails with UNL Chancellor Harvey Perlman on the subject of the ban of firearms on campus. Brown wrote in his e-mails last week that he wants UNL to change its policy on concealed weapons. Although the state of Nebraska has passed a concealed weapons law, UNL does not permit its students to carry weapons - concealed or on display - on both UNL campuses. Earlier this semester, signs were posted around campus reminding visitors and students, faculty and staff members of the no-guns policy. But not everyone agrees with the ban, especially after the tragedy at Virginia Tech. "Unless you are willing to assure me that you or someone else will be there to protect me, let me take a gun to school," wrote Brown in an e-mail Perlman. Brown forwarded the e-mails to the Daily Nebraskan. He referenced an instance on Jan. 16, 2002, at the Appalachian School of Law in Grundy, Va., where a failing student shot and killed three people and wounded three others before being subdued by armed fellow students. The 42-year-old Nigerian student, Peter Odighizuwa, dropped his .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun when Tracy Bridges and Mikael Gross, both students, approached him in front of the building he was exiting after the shooting; Gross was armed. With the help of two unarmed students who tackled and handcuffed Odighizuwa, the rampage was brought to an end. Many Second Amendment proponents pushing for the legalization of concealed weapons have used that incident as an example of a situation where concealed handguns could be beneficial. Brown wrote that allowing students to carry concealed weapons could prevent something like the Virginia Tech shootings from happening at UNL. "Thank you for your suggestion," Perlman replied to Brown. "However, I respectfully disagree with your proposal. Nor do I think there is any anecdotal or empirical evidence that suggests that widespread possession of firearms reduces the risks of events like Virginia Tech or reduces the overall level of violence in our society. "We intend to stay with our 'no guns on campus' policy." Perlman was unavailable for comment over the weekend and on Monday. Juan Franco, the vice chancellor for student affairs at UNL, said that to his knowledge, the university would not be re-examining its gun policy. "We feel very strongly that we do not want guns on campus," Franco said. "I don't think we're going to budge on that." Brown said that it was "insulting" that Perlman disavowed knowledge of studies and anecdotal evidence supporting a reduction in crime when citizens lawfully carry concealed weapons - especially when many states have passed legislation allowing people to carry concealed weapons. Owen Yardley, the chief of University Police, said allowing students to carry firearms would make his force's job "much more difficult," and he is opposed to such an action. "My concerns would be in a university environment where there is a (large) amount of alcohol consumption; mixing alcohol and firearms is a bad idea in any instance," Yardley said. "From my perspective, I would rather have people call us in a situation that is escalating than have them deal with it (themselves) and escalate the situation further." But Brown said he would "bet the farm" that the UNL administration wouldn't be able to come up with a better alternative to protect students from shootings. And with no better alternative, the administration will do nothing but hope no incidents occur at UNL. "It boils down to protect me or let me protect myself," Brown said. "They can't say they won't protect us and that we can't protect ourselves." But the administration stands firm on its anti-firearms policy. "We just feel the campus is safer without guns," Franco said. -- Original Source:Daily Nebraskan - April 24, 2007
Josh Swartzlander <jdwriter19@yahoo.com>
ASUN to host Virginia Tech candlelight vigil
By: Chris Rosacker Posted: 4/18/07 Students will gather tonight in remembrance of the school shooting that shocked the nation on Monday. A candlelight vigil will be held tonight at 8:30 p.m. at the Nebraska Union Plaza to honor the victims and survivors of the Virginia Tech University shooting that took the lives of 33 people, including the gunman. The ceremony is being hosted by the Association of Students of the University of Nebraska at no charge to students. It is going to be open to anyone in the community, not just University of Nebraska-Lincoln students, staff and faculty members. "We won't be exclusive - anyone who wants to come and show support for Virginia Tech is more than welcome," said Greg Gifford, a human sciences graduate student and ASUN senator. "We'll have candles for everyone who comes." Speakers at the vigil will include ASUN president David Solheim and Vice Chancellor for Student Affairs Juan Franco. Will Velander, chairman of the chemical and biomolecular engineering department and a former faculty member at Virginia Tech, will also speak about the impact on the community of Blacksburg, Va., as well as Lincoln, Gifford said. "Students have to do what they think is the right way (to pay their respects), and we're providing one outlet in a simple and straightforward way," said Solheim, a senior economics major. "The idea is to provide a way to express how they (students) feel and connect with their peers in Blacksburg." Gifford said he expects about 200 people to attend the vigil, but didn't want to guess the magnitude of response the community could have. "We can point fingers in the weeks to come," Solheim said. "But this is about the students and how their lives are now affecting our lives." -- Original Source:Daily Nebraskan - April 18, 2007
One of the 33 Hokie Stone memorials on VT's drill-field Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/502619831/in/set-72157600298230023/ Photo Courtesy of Chris Thomas
Permission: Chris Thomas http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/502619831/in/set-72157600298230023/
All eight placards sent by UVA Students in support of Virginia Tech now displayed in Squires Student Center Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/499326674/in/set-72157600298230023/ Photo Courtesy of Chris Thomas
Permission: Chris Thomas http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/499326674/in/set-72157600298230023/
One of eight large placards sent by UVA Students in support of Virginia Tech. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/499375257/in/set-72157600298230023/ Photo Courtesy of Chris Thomas
Permission: Chris Thomas http://www.flickr.com/photos/killfile/499375257/in/set-72157600298230023/
Shootings don’t call for unreasonable security
Tuesday April 17, 2007 Section: Editorial Section Christian Alexandersen, Senior Staff Writer As I write this column, I, like most people in the world, am in disbelief of the terrible shootings that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus that claimed the lives of at least 33 people. First and foremost, I want to say that the thoughts and prayers of everyone at West Virginia University go out to everyone affected by the shootings at Virginia Tech. Words cannot begin to describe the pain and sorrow all college students are feeling on the worst day in our college careers. While this is now the worst public shooting ever to occur in the nation's history, it is the responsibility of college students, faculty and staff everywhere to act responsibly following these tragic events. Directly after the shooting at Columbine High School in April 1999, schools all over the country began instituting extremely strict policies to deter future acts of violence in American schools. Growing up in the post-Columbine school system, students today remember the heightened security measures that were taken. Superintendents everywhere were no longer allowing students to carry backpacks around schools or go out for lunch. While it is impossible to know if those new precautions actually deterred anyone from shooting people in school, one of the most important lessons to take from both the Columbine and Virginia Tech shootings is that no matter the security precautions you take, nothing can stop a killer. It is crucial for WVU as well as all other colleges and universities around the country to act accordingly following the Virginia Tech massacre. However, higher learning institutions should not make unnecessary and costly security upgrades because of an isolated incident at Virginia Tech. During a press conference, Virginia Tech President Charles Steger said, "(We) can't have an armed guard in front of every classroom." When asked if the campus had enough security to protect their students, Steger said, "It's very difficult because we are an open society and an open campus." Other than the shooting that occurred at the University of Texas at Austin in 1966, there has not been an event that can compare to the one that occurred on Monday. Hopefully, school presidents will comprehend that placing metal detectors, instituting increased security or having people rummaging through our belongings is not the answer. Unfortunately, there are no remedies for tragic events like this. The only thing universities and colleges can do is take minor precautions to protect their students, faculty and staff. If Sept. 11 has taught us anything, it is that people who want to cause violence will find a way to do it. Wasting thousands or even millions of dollars on security upgrades is not going to solve anything. I am not saying, however, that precautions should not be taken at all; I am simply saying that adding SWAT teams to patrol campuses is unnecessary. ID scans and similar campus precautions are good ideas and should be considered by all institutions. Though the shootings at Virginia Tech are tragic and terrible, we have to remember to act sensibly and not rashly. Being prepared for situations like this is important, but we have to remember that this isolated incident is not an excuse to allow college presidents to overreact and start spending money on frivolous security measures. Once again, I want to say that the thoughts and prayers of every West Virginia University student, faculty and staff member are with the people at Virginia Tech. -- Original Source: The Daily Athenaeum http://www.da.wvu.edu/show_article.php?&story_id=27552
Blacksburg, diocese seek shalom after April 16 shootings
ERD provides a $20,000 grant for counseling By Christie M. Wills They're calling it a "Hokie Cry." It's described as a wave of emotion that washes over people in the Virginia Tech community, sometimes out of the blue, sometimes when they thought they were doing just fine. Christ Church, Blacksburg, parishioner Bob Miller remembers one Hokie Cry on a Sunday morning. "It was the day when one of the lectionary readings ended with 'and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.' The layreader had to collect herself to get through it and lots of us cried along with her," said Miller. Although Blacksburg was clearly the epicenter, people across the diocese felt the pain of the events of April 16. Most churches in the New River convocation have parishioners who are employed at Virginia Tech. Even parishes too far away to have Tech employees often have parents or grandparents of current Tech students. So on Saturday, April 21, Bishop Neff Powell called a diocesan meeting to provide guidance on how the Church might respond, especially on the first Sunday after the shooting. On several days' notice, over 40 clergy and lay leaders across the diocese attended a daylong gathering at St. Thomas, Christiansburg, to pray and gain strength for the journey. New York psychologist Dr. Karen Binder-Brynes, a trauma counselor for the Episcopal Church who has worked with Katrina survivors and firefighters at the World Trade Center, led the program. "You have my deepest respect for all you've been through," said Dr. Karen, who spoke to the group via speakerphone. She explained that the closer people are to the site of a traumatic event, the more affected they are. She said that it was normal to swing between feeling numb and feeling overwhelmed, as well as feeling sadness, loss, hopelessness and anger. "Senseless tragedies like this render us feeling out of control which is often a shameful feeling. That's one reason why we may have found ourselves glued to the TV, looking for answers," she said. "A Mary Tragedy" By late afternoon on April 16, many diocesan parishes had made plans for evening vigils and prayer services [including St. John's and St. Elizabeth's, Roanoke, and St. Stephen's, Forest]. Throughout the week, more parishes held services of remembrance and many noted a moderate number of visitors in their midst. At the same time, the staff at Christ Church, Blacksburg, had determined that while no Episcopal parishioners were among the killed or injured, the web of connectedness within the parish and the Tech community was intimate. Some parishioners eventually attended three or four or more funerals for friends, colleagues and students. All week, the parish phone rang frequently. According to secretary Judie Marsh, the majority of calls were either reporters or folks from outside the parish who called to offer condolences or assistance. On Tuesday, April 17, interim rector Elizabeth Morgan started her day by doing a live interview at 7 a.m. with a cable news anchor outside the parish office. She said one of the more bizarre phone calls she fielded that week was from a filmmaker in New York who wanted to arrive the next day and follow her around with a cameraman to produce a documentary. Morgan turned him down. Canterbury chaplain Scott Russell was en route home from a trip to Germany and did not learn what had happened until he passed through customs late on Monday. He returned to Blacksburg on Tuesday evening in time to join the Canterbury Club at the candlelight prayer vigil on campus. In his absence, the diocesan office dispatched two trauma-trained clergy, the Revs. Stephen Stanley, Christ Church, Roanoke, and Fran McCoy of St. Mark's, St. Paul/All Saints, Norton, in response to a request for additional chaplains by the campus student activities office. Stanley, McCoy, Hollins Chaplain Jan Fuller and Russell all reported spending a portion of their time on campus shielding grieving people from media cameras and from "the howling evangelists with the bullhorn calls for campus repentance echoing across the drill field," according to a sermon that Stanley later wrote. As the days passed, it became clear that while the tragedy was intense in Southwestern Virginia, even life-changing for some, there was very little that people could do in response, except pray. In his column for "Connections," Bishop Neff Powell assured all that "prayer will come into the locked rooms of fear in our hearts and begin to restore a measure of shalom." As Elizabeth Foster, Director of Christian Education at Christ Church, wrote in an email on April 19, "The most helpful thing at this point is to pray. That is kind of frustrating for those of us who are Marthas, but there is little we can do. We are depending on the Marys to pray for our strength and wisdom." World Response As the news spread, Episcopalians across the country and Anglicans around the world reached out to share their grief and support. Bishop Powell said one of the first emails he received was from Bishop David James in Bradford, England. Two particularly humbling emails of condolence were received on behalf of the diocese: one from the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Seoul expressing the shock and sorrow of Korean Catholics and one from the Rev. Bol Deng, a protégé of the late Rev. Marc Nikkel, in war-torn Sudan. Several dioceses, including Delaware, Colorado, Western Washington and Utah, made response to the tragedy on the front page or within their diocesan newspapers. The Diocese of Delaware opened their annual convention with prayerful silence for the murder victims and for all young people. Their convention keynote speaker, George Packard, Bishop Suffragan for Chaplaincies, had also met with Bishop Powell in New York (where Powell had been on sabbatical) to plan the April 20 gathering for leaders in this diocese. Utah Bishop Carolyn Tanner Irish wrote a poem which she read at an interfaith service of remembrance at the University of Utah. Bishop Marc Andrus of the Diocese of California wrote about the event in his online blog. Andrus is a Virginia Tech alumnus and credits the Christ Church Canterbury Club as his gateway to the Episcopal Church. Visits to the diocesan website quadrupled over normal daily traffic, peaking at about 2,000 hits per day in the first week. Within 36 hours, the diocese created an online presence to serve as a streamlined clearinghouse for up-to-date information. It prominently featured two buttons: one to request help and the other to offer help to others. Thanks to a small Episcopal Relief and Development (ERD) grant, the site will be a permanent feature of the diocesan website. In times between emergencies, it will be a place to find resources on disaster preparedness. Visit dioswva.org/respond Moving Forward In a late May interview, campus chaplain Scott Russell said that looking back, much of the first week was a blur. For the most part, he spent the days on campus, running on adrenaline. Then, over the next few weeks, he and the rest of the Christ Church staff called on those they had not yet seen at church. "Some people process grief differently. Some get very quiet or retreat, which is okay, but we're checking on them," said Russell. In the last remaining days of classes, the core group of the Canterbury Club spent a lot of time together. "Many folks donated food so we had plenty to eat and often ate together. When we went out for a meal, we saw the look of recognition in other people's eyes; that they were touched in the same way," said Russell. Russell thanked those in the parish, in the diocese and around the world who prayed for the students and wrote letters to them. Youth from across the country including San Francisco and Arizona sent prayers written on colorful fabric in the style of Tibetan Buddhist prayer flags. The campus ministry at Christ Church also received many donations, such as from the youth of Grace Memorial, Lynchburg who sent $539 from a sub sandwich fundraiser. In all, about $5000 in donations was added to the newly formed Christ Church campus ministry endowment. On the last Sunday before graduation, Katie Stanhagen, the president of the parish's Canterbury Club thanked the congregation for their support of the students. Russell said she told parishioners that they had modeled for her what it meant to be in a loving Christian community. The vestry of Christ Church has appointed a committee to implement an approximately $20,000 ERD grant that was given to support counseling efforts for the wider public. Since the area was well-supplied with grief counselors in the first weeks of the tragedy, the parish committee has focused on using the grant to reach out to the community in the summer and into the school year. Among the options being considered: an ongoing, ecumenical series of community events such as films and lectures to provide a place to work through grief together; construction of a community labyrinth; specialized "care-for-the-caregiver" support, particularly for Tech faculty and staff. Russell expects to have a busy summer as he is leading the parish since interim rector Elizabeth Morgan was called to a parish in South Carolina. He'll also begin to contact incoming Episcopal students and will rotate with other campus ministers in staffing an information table during the orientation season. And he is looking forward to preaching at the increased number of weddings to be held at Christ Church this summer. "Our parish is a very organic place; we're able to take what comes. But I'm looking forward to the sense of joy that these weddings will bring," said Russell. // To read updates of the events as they were posted and first-hand journal entries about the tragedy, as well as find information on disaster preparedness, visit dioswva.org/respond -- Archived with permission of author. Original Source: The Episcopal Diocese of Southwestern Virginia http://www.dioswva.org/news/2007/jun/blacksburg-diocese-seek-shalom-after-april-16-shootings
Media Credit: Christina Parrish Members of the SMU community came together for a prayer service for those who were lost in Monday's Virginia Tech massacre. The service was to be held outside at the Flagpole but was moved inside due to inclement weather. -- Original Source:SMU Campus Daily - April 18, 2007
"Norris, Mark William" <mnorris@mail.smu.edu>
Mariacristina Blog Archive for Virginia Tech
Arms Control Begins at Home April 29, 2007 at 3:28 pm · Filed under Virginia Tech, compassion, meditation, violence I need to be hit with a ton of bricks for a message to sink in. For a long time I've spoken about gun control, nuclear disarmament, and crisis prevention, but it took the VT massacre to finally get the message. I know this must appear selfish to the millions of people across the globe who wake up to gunshots on a regular basis, but since my own personal life is relatively peaceful, I didn't do anything overt to help stop violence. Until now. I used to think that all I could do was to practice a non-reactionary life by not exploding in anger toward those who cross me. Even though anger management and meditation on a worldwide scale to me is the answer to violence, I now think political activism must also be added to my list of solutions. No more cheering from the sidelines. My voice will be heard beyond the walls of my comfortable home. -- Making sense of slaughter April 20, 2007 at 7:17 pm · Filed under Virginia Tech, violence At the Virginia Tech memorial service, Nikki Giovanni gave a moving and memorable speech. Her words were poetry in motion, urging the students to "embrace their mourning". She reminded us that no victim ever asked to be rubbed out, citing examples of atrocities from Africa to the Appalachians. As an individual, I can shape what I want my life to be by acting on my dreams. That's what the students and teachers at VT were doing. But somehow their dream got tangled up with a madman's nightmare. Caught defensless and unaware, they were slaughtered as if they were still targets on a shooting range. Easy to mark. No, this guy wasn't insane. He chose to commit evil. But a long time ago a shift had taken place in his mind that separated him from the rest of the human race. He wasn't born evil. He had to become the monster. Something or someone shaped him into what he was. Where does evil begin? How do I reconcile the opposing images of slaughter with the fact of my own continued existence? I don't think there's enough time left in my life to figure out the answers to these questions. In the meantime, I act. I embrace the mourning, and also wait in awareness to feel a moment of joy. -- Where were you when it happened? April 19, 2007 at 3:06 pm · Filed under Virginia Tech, violence On Monday, the day of the shootings, I went to a yoga class, unaware of the violence unfolding in Blacksburg. The class was serene. Before raising our arms in salutation to the sun, the teacher had us fold our palms over the sternum, then place our hands over the third eye, fingertips touching. We repeated these motions throughout the class, while flowing in and out of the various postures. I went home, worked for a few hours, and then made lunch. I sat down at the table and reached for the remote. I watch CNN during lunch because I eat alone, and I'm also a glutton for punishment. When I looked at the remote, something surged inside of me. It was a thought, or a sense, that as soon as I turned on the TV I would learn of something catastrophic, something worse than the typical bad news. It was a thought that made me pause. This strange intuition wasn't like my usual fears. I worry about imagined events about 50% of the day. It wasn't fear, it was simple certainty. When I turned on the TV a nano second after that flash of thought, it was like stepping into a nightmare. Twenty-two shot dead, then thirty-two! Later, in the evening, I went for a walk. The air was softer and sweeter, the leaves on the trees more vibrant, the sky more blue than I've ever seen it. And I thought, this is so beautiful, how happy I am to be walking along this road, enjoying the evening sun reflected off the tops of the live oaks. And all the while I thought about the students and professors, who in this place and time will never again witness a walk down a country road. Their loved ones will never again enjoy the pleasure of their company. Their parents will grieve the loss of their special child until the end of their days. -- Original Source: http://mariacristina.wordpress.com/tag/virginia-tech/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0.
Prior to the 2007 Virginia Tech football season opener, 32 balloons are released as part of a ceremony commemorating the victims of the April 16 tragedy. -- Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipherswarm/1484158996/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Orange and maroon balloons released at a Hokies United drillfield memorial service on the morning of Monday, April 23, 2007. -- Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipherswarm/1484015158/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
Satellite Trucks at the Virginia Tech Inn
Photo taken April 18, 2007. -- Original Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cipherswarm/1483116677/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
By:Christopher Rodgers Posted: 4/19/07 Guns, when put in the right hands, can be a good thing This mass murder at Virginia Tech is a perfect example of how important an armed populace can be. Before you fly off the cuff, I am not promoting giving every child in America a gun. Well-trained, thoroughly background checked, responsible adults with concealed weapons can prevent a lot of damage. If this guy in Virginia had met with some well-armed resistance would he have killed 32 (at the moment, at the time of this writing there are some people still in critical condition) people? Remember also that a majority of guns used in crimes are illegal, so regulating legal guns to law-abiding citizens will do nothing to stop these crimes. Adolf Hitler is quoted as saying, "This year will go down in history. For the first time, a civilized nation has full gun registration. Our streets will be safer, our police more efficient, and the world will follow our lead into the future." Proponents of gun control favor taking guns from citizens because they fear an informed and armed populace; Hitler is a perfect example of this. Before he started his "changes" in Germany, he made sure that no one had the ability to stop him by insuring that the only legal guns were in the hands of the military. Guns are not inherently bad. When used responsibly, they are a tool that can help a lot of people. How many could they have helped at Virginia Tech? Christopher Rodgers Junior computer science and math major -- Original Source:Daily Nebraskan - April 19, 2007
By Claire Readhead Apr 30 2007 The paradox of mental health services, generally, hovers around the issue of consent. Most mental health services require voluntary participation from the patient, except in extreme cases. Thus, the question becomes, how can someone suffering from mental illness possess the wherewithal to seek help? Even those who are not clinically ill, but just unstable, may feel that the stigma attached to mental health services is a huge repellent. In light of the Virginia Tech Massacre, all educational institutions should begin to reconsider old notions surrounding mental health and seek to make services more accessible to students. Issues of mental health are sorely misunderstood in this country, and not all medications and treatments are covered under insurance — emphasizing the cultural and political neglect of these matters. The fact that Cho Seung-Hui could fall through the cracks of a well-structured institution, such as a university, should be a Big Red Flag to all academic administrators to seriously address issues surrounding counseling services. The reality is that most students suffering from mental health related problems will not turn into Cho; however, they may fall through the cracks without such a "bang," if you will. Counseling services at universities should not be reserved for the deeply troubled, but should be open and generally administered like the flu shot. Clearly, just as with the flu shot, counseling must be voluntary on the part of the students. Students should feel free to visit a counselor without fear of censure from peers. Hmmm ... this isn't so easy. In terms of Gannett specifically, the first item of business should be that of privacy. For instance, I went in for a routine physical, and as I was walking away from the counter, the lady yelled out, "Oh by the way do you want to be tested for HIV today?!?!?!?" Wow, now that everyone in the lobby is staring at me, I really feel comfortable answering that question. I meekly replied, "Not today, thanks." I did go back to get tested by the way, because I am vigilant about taking care of my health, and the HIV form was bright orange with "HIV testing" written in huge black letters. Cool, then for a normal exam there is a paper with a giant diagram of a vagina ... excellent. So clearly I just had to run into some guy I was vaguely interested in, clutching my vagina diagram and bright orange HIV testing form to my chest. Yeah, as if that's not obvious. Then to get the results, you have to go back to Gannett and have a long chat about sex with a nurse, or better yet, a peer-advisor — who you can run into at the bars (not a bright idea, Gannett). Dude, testing is the reality of any sexually active adult, and in my opinion, the less fuss made of it, the better. In addition, Gannett ought to work on ensuring the privacy of its patients and should recognize that this issue is exceedingly important given that universities function socially like small towns, i.e. everyone is in everyone's business. Perhaps, for instance, you shouldn't have to give your name at the counter, but rather just the time of the appointment and the doctor's name. That's an itty-bitty step I know, but it would help. Also, don't play obnoxious rock music in the lobby — the students are either sick or feeling emotionally shitty. They need something soothing (damn it, I need something soothing). Okay, I'm getting distracted by details ... soon I'll be asking for lattes to be served with my therapy session. Hey, not a bad idea. Okay, and then we have Counseling and Psychological Services ... ohhhh CAPS — this is located in the basement of Gannett. The actual counselors and doctors are generally good. I just find that the process is bad. Even at CAPS — and yes, I see a shrink and I'm proud of it! — there is absolutely NO privacy in the waiting area. The receptionist asks for your name really loudly over horribly peppy music. But to assuage feelings of inadequacy and depression, they have lots of lollypops, hot chocolate and inspirational posters! Plus, CAPS is omnipresent. For instance, when I had pneumonia last winter, someone at CAPS found out, which led to an anonymous member of the clinic repeatedly calling me and asking, in a chirpy voice, "Do you plan on killing yourself today?" Yeah, that wasn't helping — an anonymous person calling to check to see if I had offed myself was not particularly comforting ... but enough about me. Really, university administrators (or whoever is in charge of this sort of thing) have got to do something to minimize the stigma associated with counseling in order to encourage students to seek help ... even if it is just to talk about the pressures of beer pong. Seriously, seeing a shrink is chic. I can talk about seeing a shrink openly because I'm from L.A. and it is considered weird not to go to therapy. My mom had a brilliant idea — a personal trainer/shrink. But I shouldn't trivialize this matter, because the lack of empathy and support surrounding mental health is an extremely serious problem. Unfortunately, mental health issues are not well understood, even by professionals, and treatment is still in the embryonic stages. But seeing as universities may not be able to a) stop the NRA b) install metal detectors in every classroom or c) change mental health care globally, they may as well start by reanalyzing their own facilities. Also, professors should be informed as to how to spot unhealthy behaviors and how to successfully refer students to counseling services, as students often look to faculty for help before consulting a trained therapist. Granted, the Virginia Tech Massacre is an anomaly, but there are plenty of students who suffer from mental illness. They will not go to the extremes that Cho did, but may end up harming themselves in some way. Universities should step up and address issues surrounding mental health and lead the way for acceptance, understanding and treatment. Claire Readhead is a junior in the College of Arts and Sciences. She can be reached at clr39@cornell.edu. Silk Blue Stockings appears alternate Mondays. -- Original Source: Cornell Daily Sun - April 30, 2007
Jonny Lieberman <jdl46@cornell.edu>, <lieberman.jonny@gmail.com>
April 24, 2007 By CLAIRE ST. AMANT Staff writer In the wake of the Virginia Tech tragedy, questions of "why" are rivaled only by those of "what if." What if counseling centers where Cho Seung-Hui was referred could've done more? What if complaints filed by students had been taken more seriously? What if, what if, what if? Dr. Jim Marsh, director of counseling services, said the situation in Virginia reflects a very small percentage of mental health concerns at the college level. "Dealing with something like that is not the norm," he said. "These situations are extremely rare and impossible to predict." Marsh said it's important not to "lump everything together" because most of the students who receive counseling are not threats to the safety of themselves or others. "What we want to avoid is suddenly tabbing people for being dangerous when they aren't," he said. "If people are worried about being labeled in that way, we could have a backlash where people who need these services wouldn't want to come to counseling." Students can receive up to 12 counseling sessions a year, with the initial assessment and subsequent six sessions free of charge. Sessions seven through 12 are $10 each. Marsh said even though students are offered 12 sessions, most attend only five or six. "Our capacity is to provide short-term counseling," he said. "If the student requires more specialized or long-term care, we will refer the student to a center in the community." Marsh added that when a "worst-case scenario" occurs and a student is in "serious danger of hurting themselves or others," the staff psychologist is only allowed to alert law enforcement and medical personnel, according to Texas state law. "I can't tell the administration, the student's parents or professors what a patient has told me," he said. The policy on threats or harm to self or others in the student handbook states that students who "demonstrate an intent or desire" to inflict harm to oneself or others will be removed from university residential facilities and academic programs. Bethany McCraw, associate dean for judicial and legal student services, said the student is then evaluated by a mental health professional and must be cleared by McCraw before being allowed to return to campus housing and academics. "Depending on the situation, the mental health professional would determine whether or not the student might need to be hospitalized," she said in an e-mail to the Lariat. In addition to questions surrounding the quality of mental health services offered on campuses nationwide, some are pointing to the effects of Cho's childhood and family structure as the cause of his mental health problems. The Barna Group, a Christian research organization, released a statement calling what happened in Blacksburg, Va., "a wake-up call to parents." George Barna used his previous research on parenting and child development to offer insights related to the Virginia Tech situation in a report released Monday. Barna pointed to a heightened exposure to violence through the media as factors that "diminish the dignity and value of human life." Barna said much of the responsibility for "raising healthy and confident children" falls on parents. Dr. Joyce Nuner, assistant professor of family and consumer sciences, agreed with Barna. "Parents are very much responsible for guiding a child's behavior, especially in the younger years," Nuner said. While Nuner said every year is important for development, recent attention has been given to years 0 through 3. "That's when a lot of learning and brain development occurs," she said. Another key time period, Nuner said, takes place in years 0 through 8, when a child learns basic skills such as sharing, getting along with friends and general socialization. According to the Associated Press, Cho's family immigrated to northern Virginia from South Korea when he was 8 years old. "Up to age 8 is a very important time to learn how to function in a group setting," Nuner said. "Positive interaction between adults and children is an important aspect of that development." Nuner stressed that the "window is never closed" for an individual to learn social skills, but it does get more difficult in the later years. Young children can also be affected negatively during the developmental years by "too much structured time" and "too much exposure to television," she said. "That's not to say increased media is to blame for everything that's wrong with children," she said. "It's just one of the factors." Nuner added that trying to shield children from every adverse form of media is "impossible," and instead suggested parents focus on trying to "teach children how to filter things out." "Children are exposed to so much at a young age and that makes parenting very difficult," she said. "There are a lot of outside influences on children because of the accessibility of technology and media." Barna found the "issue of media management" as crucial to successful parenting. His studies showed parents who "limited, monitored and mediated the media content to which their children were exposed" also had discussions with their children about the content of media they consumed. The American Academy of Pediatrics doesn't recommend any television for children age 2 and younger, and suggests only limited exposure for ages 3 to 5. However, Nuner said parents cannot always foresee how a child will mature and develop. "Sometimes you can do all the right things and they still don't turn out the way you want them to," she said. -- Original Source: Baylor University http://www.baylor.edu/Lariat/news.php?action=story&story=45463