Obituary: Former APL Staff Member Among Virginia Tech Shooting Victims
description: Kevin Granata, who began his professional career at the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, was among those killed in the Virginia Tech shootings on April 16. A professor of engineering science and mechanics, he was considered one of the nation's top researchers working on movement dynamics in cerebral palsy. He was 45. Granata joined the Lab in 1986 and worked on low-frequency performance issues for long towed arrays in the former Submarine Technology Department (now the National Security Technology Department). His initial work helped to form the justification for the series of Doppler signal suppression experiments that were conducted by APL in 1990 and 1991. He was very interested in biomechanics and left the Lab in 1989 to obtain a PhD in biomechanics from Ohio State. "He was a bright young guy who came here from school, had a lot of energy and was very capable," Joseph S. Lombardo, his APL supervisor and now director of the Lab's Center of Excellence in Public Health and Informatics, told The Baltimore Sun. "Kevin had a very good scientific background and was able to do a substantial level of analysis." Granata, who had received his bachelor's degree in engineering physics and electrical engineering from Ohio State and master's in physics from Purdue, went on to an esteemed career in teaching and research, first at the University of Virginia and then at Virginia Tech. He lectured nationally and internationally and had numerous publications and research grants. A runner and cyclist, he enjoyed participating in biathlons and triathlons. He also loved reading and coaching his sons' lacrosse teams. Survivors include his wife, Linda; two sons, Alex and Eric; a daughter, Ellen; and his parents, Mildred and Joseph Granata. Memorials can be made to the Kevin P. Granata Memorial Trust, 1872 Pratt Drive, Blacksburg, VA 24068. -- Original Source: Johns Hopkins Gazette - April 23, 2007
creator: JHU Gazette Staff Member
date: 2007-07-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Lois Perschetz <lwp@jhu.edu>
language: eng

Of Shooters and Schools
description: Why must we pay the price For others sins and vice? As I lay dying here, I cry. I wonder, Why, why, why? ~Joseph M. Skipsey, April 23rd, 2007 Of Shooters and Schools Can video games make kids more violent? A new study employing state-of-the-art brain-scanning technology says that the answer may be yes. Researchers at the Indiana University School of Medicine say that brain scans of kids who played a violent video game showed an increase in emotional arousal - and a corresponding decrease of activity in brain areas involved in self-control, inhibition and attention. Does this mean that your teenager will feel an uncontrollable urge to go on a shooting rampage after playing "Call of Duty?" -Excerpt Taken from the MSNBC On the Level article, "Does game violence make teens aggressive?" It's the same tired old stories, over and over. These are but entertainment, without meaning. So, they make you more violent? No, I believe the article is suggesting that playing violent video games simply makes you more more "emotionally aroused." You can't blame games, the ESRB was put there for a reason. If you're unaware that video games are under a strict ratings system, you don't deserve to speak on such an issue. Movies don't have anything on the incredible vista of the ESRB. You can't find a medium of entertainment with a more defined set of guidelines than the ESRB, and the ratings are there for a reason, and deserve enforcement. Pardon me, but just because you can scan and find emotional arousal, does that mean positive emotion? Negative emotion? Neutral emotion? What exactly does this arousal mean? Until it can be discerned, all these statements are inaccurate. You need to prove then, that emotion is the link. Or, is it? After all, these killers are described as being cold and emotionless, right? What makes people do the violent acts in the first place? So far, most of these cases have shown mental illness, rage/anger issues, hate, race, and of course, suffering. Where are the …
creator: Joseph M. Skipsey
date: 2007-05-24
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5
language: eng

Officer Enabling
description: By: Editorial Board Posted: 4/19/07 With the tragedy that occurred on the Virginia Tech campus on Monday we are forced to ask hard questions about the safety of students here at UR. Surely, as statistics show, we live on a very safe campus, even given the large city to which we are adjacent. Students are kept safe by a very respected and well-trained team of Security officers and a very thorough Security system, which includes blue light phones, among other precautions. But given the recent violence, our placement as a University surrounded by a large city and our ever-expanding campus, which includes URMC and the Brooks Landing project in the 19th Ward among other areas, is the current level of security enough to protect the thousands at UR? Further, is the current level of training and certification that our Security officers have enough given the jobs we ask them to assume? Currently, Security officers are severely limited in the actions they can take by their current level of training and certification. They cannot make arrests, investigate crimes, set up traffic stops or access criminal records to check for warrants. They carry no offensive or defensive weapons with them, lethal or non-lethal - that means no guns, nightsticks, mace or stun guns. Rather, they are expected to carry out their duties with just handcuffs and possibly a flashlight. The jobs of Security officers often put them in harm's way. They deal with affiliated and non-affiliated people on the UR campus every day. This includes violent criminals at Strong Memorial Hospital along with other potentially violent people in all of their patrol areas, including Brooks Landing or even the Fraternity Quad on a normal social night. Yet, in the presence of violence, Security officers are expected to detain the person with just the handcuffs they carry and just wait for RPD to arrive. It is simply not safe for anyone affiliated with UR to have the first responders to any scene, violent or not, unprotected …
creator: Editorial Board
publisher: Campus Times
date: 2007-08-23
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Alexander Moeller <amoeller@mail.rochester.edu>
language: eng

Officers waiting for the President
description: Several police officers (both local and state) are visible and present during the convocation. Original source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndicken/464088526/ Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
creator: Nathan Dicken
date: 2007-05-30
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission Nathan Dicken http://www.flickr.com/photos/ndicken/464088526/ Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommerical-NoDerivs 2.0
language: eng

Officials examine ways to make school safer
description: By Joe Cressman Elmhurst Press Tue Apr 24, 2007, 04:35 PM CDT ELMHURST, IL - The April 16 tragedy at Virginia Tech has Elmhurst College officials looking at ways they can make their own campus more secure. One of those ways is to teach the community how to respond to danger signs among students, said Tony Leggett, director of campus security. "We've done a number of things," he said. "We sent out a letter to give students some of the warning signs, how to report if someone on campus they know (is) emotionally distressed." He also has been in contact with the Elmhurst Police Department. Sometime this summer, police will rehearse practice responses to an on-campus shooter, Leggett said. Charley Henderson, director of public relations, said the Virginia Tech massacre has everyone thinking about how safety measures can be improved. "This campus is essentially safe, but you never say never," he said. Original Source: http://www.chicagosuburbannews.com/elmhurst/news/x1910945457 Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 2.5.
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2007-05-19
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Old Navy
description: The Old Navy in the Roanoke Mall expresses its support to the Virginia Tech community. Orginial Source http://www.flickr.com/photos/kellybeth7/476245394/in/set-72157600091083431/ Photo courtesy of Kelly Harris
creator: Kelly Harris
date: 2007-07-06
contributor: Chad Newswander
rights: Permission: Kelly Harris kellybeth7@gmail.com
language: eng

Omagiu lui Liviu Librescu in Israel
description: Data publicarii: 21/04/2007 Profesorul israelian de origine romana Liviu Libreanu, ucis in masacrul de luni de la Virginia Tech, a fost inmormintat vineri in Israel. Zeci de persoane au asistat la funeralii in cimitirul din orasul Raanana, din centrul Israelului, pentru un ultim omagiu adus profesorului Librescu, supravietuitor al Holocaustului care a emigrat in Israel in 1978, pentru a se instala ulterior in Statele Unite. Librescu a tinut blocata usa incaperii pentru a le permite studentilor sa sara pe geam, in timpul conflictului singeros de la Universitatea Tehnica din Virginia din data de 16 aprilie. Ulterior, atacatorul a incercat sa intre in clasa si pentru ca nu a reusit a tras o rafala de gloante in usa. "Imi voi consacra viata mostenirii tale. Adio, tata", a spus fiul sau Joe. Trupul neinsufletit al profesorului Librescu a fost transportat cu zborul Elal nr. 2 de la New York la Tel Aviv, insotit de citiva reprezentanti ai unei organizatii religioase si de membri ai familiei. Profesorul Liviu Librescu s-a nascut in 1930 in Romania. Dupa ce a supravietuit Holocaustului, a refuzat sa se inscrie in Partidul Comunist si si-a pierdut slujba ca inginer aerospatial. In 1976, Liviu Librescu a publicat in secret o carte in Norvegia in care a emis o teorie revolutionara pentru tehnologia aerospatiala. In 1978, dupa ce mai multe grupuri din Israel au facut lobby, lui Librescu i s-a permis sa plece din Romania si s-a stabilit in Israel. La Virginia Tech a inceput sa predea din 1985. Librescu era membru al mai multor academii de constructii din Ucraina, Armenia si Statele Unite ale Americii si a fost distins cu multe premii de catre mai multe organizatii internationale. El avea peste 500 de materiale publicate in mai multe reviste de specialitate sau ca lucrari personale. -- Sursa Originala: http://www.ziaruldeiasi.ro/cms/site/z_is/news/omagiu_lui_liviu_librescu_in_israel_142568.html
creator: Ziarul de Iasi
date: 2007-06-11
contributor: Adriana Seagle
rights: Florin Nicula (florin.nicula@ziaruldeiasi.ro)
language: ron

Omar Samaha Speaks at Lie-In
description: Omar Samaha, brother of April 16 victim Reema Samaha, speaks at a student "lie-in" on the drillfield on April 16, 2008, A Day of Remembrance. Organized by Virginia Tech senior Alison St. Onge, the lie-in was designed as both a memorial to the victims and a protest against easy access to firearms. Family and friends of the victims spoke at the event before dozens of supporters laid down in silent protest and reflection. Photo by Brent Jesiek. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 3.0
creator: Brent Jesiek
date: 2008-05-07
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Brent Jesiek (bjesiek@vt.edu)
language: eng

On "terror"
description: Many Americans have once again been plunged into terror since a gunman massacred 32 people at Virginia Tech in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern US history, and a string of endless media reports, the gunman's cruel, merciless confessions and blood shed by 32 victims have further increased the fear of Americans. First of all, it is the fear of guns. As some American resolutely defend or safeguard their rights to own or possess guns conferred by the US constitution, other Americans cannot but have to live in a gloomy shadow at gun points. At present, 35 percent of the American families own their guns, with the existence of some 260 million guns (of which perhaps 60 million are handguns) in the United States. For scores of years, political rifts, rivals and even struggles centered on gun control have never ceased with the repeated occurrence of homicides or murder cases. As the National Rifle Association, or NRA, and other related organizations are so powerful that it was hardly possible for US Congress to pass a bill for the rigid control of guns. Secondly, it is the fear of people and, to be specific, the fear of alien immigrants. Right after the massacre at Virginia Tech, someone immediately came out to direct accusations against a student from the Chinese mainland in press and there was also a reference to a Pakistani. And all sorts of such conjectures and suspicions of Asian immigrants inundated all of sudden overnight in US media and society. Police identified the shooter in the campus killings as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a senior from South Korea who was in the English Department at Virginia Tech and lived on the campus. Then, the ambassador of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to the United States and ROK immigrant groups or societies openly and promptly made their apologies to the American people, and the ROK itself was, too, landed itself in a state of immense restlessness. Apparently, the South Korean immigrants in the U.S. and ROK residents have also felt terrif…
creator: People's Daily Online, China
date: 2007-07-18
contributor: Na Mi
language: eng

On behalf of Virginia Tech students
description: To the students and administration of the University of Virginia: On behalf of 30,000 students, administrators, and our Virginia Tech community, I cannot begin to express our gratitude for the outpouring of sympathy, support, and concern that U.Va. has shown us in the past two days. It is an understatement to say the aftermath of our losses has beenemotionally trying for us. The realization of losing 32 valuable livesin our Virginia Tech family is something that we are trying desperatelyto recover from ... But even in the most difficult day of our history, we have found strength. It is your university in particular thathas sustained us, far beyond what you will ever know. We thank you for your students and faculty that gathered to memorialize our victims and to share in our sorrow. We thank you for the initiative and commitment your student government made towards finding 30,000 candles for our grieving campus so that our student leaders could focus on healing and comforting instead. We thank you for the hundreds of Hokies who saw your painted bridge, and were moved to tears. We thank you for the way your students instantly put aside our infamous rivalry, to the point where the greatest measures of compassion from another institution have been from you. Your aid has had such a profound impact upon our students. Please know that what U.Va. is doing is being noticed, is making a difference and is nothing short of extraordinary. Thank you for being a testament to the best of collegiate student leadership and to humanity in general. In what we have been calling the darkest night Virginia Tech has ever seen, U.Va. is one of our brightest lights. The strong alliance that has been formed between our school and yours is part of our foundation in moving forward.From our hearts to yours, thank you for your noble efforts. May you alsofind solace and restoration as we grieve together as students and as anation. In or out of times of need, Virginia Tech will stand beside you as …
creator: Elizabeth Hart
publisher: The Cavalier Daily
date: 2007-07-31
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Meggie Bonner <meggiebonner@gmail.com>
language: eng

On Being A College Professor after the VT Massacre
description: Thursday, April 19, 2007 I had nightmares about the VT massacre last night. It was on a two day delay. I knew that eventually the horror of what had happened would start to eat away at me. In part, I think my dreams haunted me precisely because I didn't talk, or rather listen, to what students thought about this. I didn't check in to see if they were suffering, in shock, afraid . . . I had to think a lot about why I didn't, especially after the Provost sent us a thoughtful email encouraging us to do so. What it comes down to is that I didn't want to think about it. I didn't want to actually confront the horror of this event. I wasn't prepared for hearing any vitriol, anger or racist statements either (not that students would've made such statements, but I worried). I am scared and frightened by what happened, and in my selfishness, I didn't want to hear anything about it, or how it affected my students. I started to realize how frightened I was by the events yesterday while talking to my colleagues in the Philosophy lounge. I had been studying the faces of the dead at the NYTimes website. But, more importantly, I had been studying the faces of the dead professors. One of them, Jamie Bishop, looked like the sort of colleague I have here. He was young, married, and well-loved by his students. Don't get me wrong, I paused on pictures of young women and men, who could've been my own students, and found myself speechless over the loss. But, seeing the pictures of dead professors haunted me the most. And, it is precisely that which I dreamt: being hunted by a former student, being called to protect my class from an armed assailant. These are not tasks that one signs on for when he/she becomes a college professor. Kerry reminded me of a student we both had a few years ago, who I am convinced was schizophrenic. He was the right age and gender for the onset of schizophrenia. His papers were long, stream of consciousness writings full of references to disturbing sexuality. Th…
creator: Aspazia / Mad Melancholic Feminista Blog
date: 2007-06-09
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License
language: eng

On One Year Anniversary of VT, Many Move On But Remember
description: By Can Tran April 16, 2008 April 16, 2008, marks the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech massacre as Korean student Cho Seung-hui in a fit of madness and depression went on a shooting rampage as he took the lives of thirty-two students and teachers on the Virginia Tech campus, before turning the gun on himself. This day would forever be engraved as a moment of darkness in the history of twenty-first century American let alone for Virginia Tech. While a year has pasted with many working hard to move away from the dark incident, there are those that are still coping. Many have lost friends and family members in the Virginia Tech shooting. Bryan Cloyd lost his daughter Austin, in the VT shooting. "I won't be able to walk my daughter down the aisle at her wedding. I won't be able to bounce her children on my knee," Bryan Cloyd said. He added: "And I don't think it's helpful to dwell on that, because where that leads is just more sadness. I think what's helpful to do is to dwell on what can be. What can we do with what we have?" In the case of Cho, the one responsible for the shooting; there are no public memorials planned. In related news, eight months after the Virginia Tech shooting, 21-year-old Korean student Daniel Kim had taken his own life. His father, William Kim, said that the school was not taking the warning signs of suicide that serious. In the case of Daniel Kim, he fell into state of depression out of fear that he could be mistaken for Cho Seung-hui. The scars of the Virginia Tech shooting could extend towards South Korea, whose government had issued an apology for Cho's actions. On an interesting note, the one year anniversary of the Virginia Tech shooting comes on the same day as the Democratic debate in Pennsylvania between Democratic frontrunners Senator Hillary Clinton of New York and Senator Barack Obama of Illinois. On that note, the hot button topic could be gun ownership rights. In Pennsylvania, there are almost one-million licensed hunters. …
creator: Can Tran
date: 2008-04-19
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
language: eng

On the Ethics of Bad News
description: [This is a copy of my initial reaction to the media coverage of the VTech shooting, posted on my Wordpress blog. Unfortunately both links are now defunct - I wish I had saved a page of the "godblessvtech" blog, because it was to me a poignant illustration of the possibilities of the Internet for creating and reaffirming community. At the same time, however, I was disgusted by CNN's use of digital media - particularly video - to create what I saw as a voyeuristic experience of the event.] "On the Ethics of Bad News" Posted April 16, 2007 http://zozer319.wordpress.com/ I didn't really hear about this until late tonight, partly because all the people working out around me at the gym with TVs had them on stupid MTV the whole time. Anyway, I just wanted to share with you all two remarkable (for very different reasons) things I found online when doing a search for some overview of the shooting. I send them in particular because they are both temporary postings but say an awful lot: First, a striking example of a good use of the Internet, not only to share information but as a sense of non-physical community. I found this blog (probably just set up today, for this purpose only, so not actually a blog per se) on Wordpress - it's just a list of names and people asking for information on whether the individuals listed are okay. http://godblessvtech.wordpress.com/2007/04/16/hello-world/ Scroll down to read the progression of the information gathering and messages left. Also note the amount of information gleaned from Facebook. Second, a striking example of outright voyeurism disguised as comprehensive journalistic coverage. In browsing CNN's coverage of the story, I was disgusted by the amount of video - not of interviews and re-runs of news stories, but the amount of direct footage of the shootings/events themselves; http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/16/vtech.shooting/index.html There is no clear line between information and too much information, but that might be close. Thank go…
creator: Anna Brawley
date: 2007-05-23
contributor: Anna Brawley
language: eng

On the field
description: 2007.04.17. kids listening to the convocation speakers
creator: Ivan V. Morozov
date: 2007-08-31
contributor: Haeyong Chung
language: eng

On the field
description: 2007.04.17. kids listening to the convocation speakers
creator: Ivan V. Morozov
date: 2007-08-31
contributor: Haeyong Chung
language: eng

On the Forbidden Subject of Culture
description: April 19, 2007 UPDATE: Thanks for the various thoughtful comments, thoughtful commenters - I'm sure you know who you are. First off, I do acknowledge that I was a little snarky and "aha!" in the initial reaction to things, and I agree that it just puts people in a bad mood. But, I could have easily erased what I said, and not because I think it was wrong to have the thought, but because it distracted so much from the majority of the stuff I was really trying to say. Yet, I would somehow feel it dishonest to do so, and the reason I write is to organize my thoughts and logic for people to see; I just wish people in general, and not just over the past few days, could read this blog as one man's thoughts in motion, as opposed my final thoughts on matters. I have strong opinions, but those thoughts wend and weave according to other good opinions. That said, I also know I write a lot. Loooong posts. Opinionated posts. Wordy posts. And that's off-putting as well. I know that, but it would take me forever to get this stuff out if I had to condense it down, distill it, make it simpler. And since the vast majority of blogs out there write in short form, I don't feel like I'm adding to a trend in need of reversal - on the contrary, I wish there were more thoughtful people who tried to think carefully, put in the time to express their opinions fully, and really engage with difficult subjects. So I think that perhaps the blogosphere is better off with a few wordy fools who try to think aloud and in the sense of intellectual full-contact sports. As for race, I think the media is talking about it pretty minimally, as I assumed they would. And looking at this from primarily an American perspective. I'm inevitably looking at this from a Korean perspective, because it is here in Korea that I sit, live, and work. It's here that I have worked with a lot of kids who look just like Cho in background, culture, and personality. I thought that I'd be one of the few people talking not about …
creator: Michael Hurt
date: 2007-06-21
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Michael Hurt (kuraeji@gmail.com)
language: eng

on the VT massacre
description: 17 April 2007 The talking heads keep talking about the "VT Massacre", not that it doesn't deserve attention, but this is too much attention. And VT is getting a bad wrap unfairly on one specific point: the notification of students on campus as to what was going on. The media seem obsessed with the 2-hour gap between the first shooting and the campus-wide email. They think the whole campus should have been told immediately. This is a short-sighted and impatient assumption, and is definitely not appropriate in a time like this when cooler heads should prevail. First, when the first shooting occurred, no one knew what the hell was going on! As with any incident like this, the police responded immediately, and their first priority was to figure out what happened. From what the VT police have said, they had reason to believe the shooter had left campus. So, what good would it have been to lock the campus down? And even if they had, how would that have stopped the assailant from coming back, as this may have only added police officers to the list of the dead. My point is VT authorities didn't notify anyone immediately because they didn't know what to tell them! In this age of information and 24-hour TV news, many have been spoiled into thinking they should have answers immediately, and that someone has failed them if they don't. Spoiled is definitely the best word for that outlook. Answers aren't always available right away, and rarely is the complete picture seen even days after an event like this, if ever. So, why are some in the media out to vilify the very people who were trying to protect the public and figure this whole thing out? I can see no reason other than lack of understanding and sensationalism, neither of which is an acceptable answer. --- On a different note about the incidents of yesterday: As a life member of Kappa Kappa Psi Honorary Band Fraternity, as was receiving updates on the status on members of our chapter at VT. All were accounted for by midday a…
creator: Matt Collins
date: 2007-06-17
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License
language: eng

On Virginia Tech anniversary, Saugus mom lobbies for changes
description: By Mike Gaffney GateHouse News Service Posted Apr 16, 2008 @ 01:37 PM SAUGUS — A year after she lost her son Ross in the Virginia Tech shootings, Lynnette Alameddine is fighting for legislation that would require universities to issue campus emergency notifications in 30 minutes or less. Wednesday marked the first anniversary of the massacre at Virginia Tech. One of the 33 victims of the deadliest school shooting in this country's history was Ross Alameddine, 20, a Saugus resident and college sophomore known for his sharp wit and uncanny ability to make people laugh. In a recent interview, Lynnette Alameddine declined to reflect upon Ross's death and its affect on her family for personal reasons. But she found the courage during an emotionally draining week to talk about the causes she is championing so other parents do not have to experience the same heartbreak. Over the last few months Alameddine has been working closely with Security on Campus Inc., a nonprofit organization committed to improving student safety at institutions of higher learning. Security on Campus wants to strengthen the Jeanne Clery Act that requires colleges to warn their campuses about crimes that present ongoing threats in a "timely" manner. The problem with the federal legislation, Alameddine explained, is the act fails to define what "timely" means. As a result, warnings are sometimes issued many hours after a university becomes aware of an emergency, or even the next day. History shows that colleges do not always follow the guidelines of the Clery Act. Alameddine mentioned one particularly troublesome case at Eastern Michigan University when a coed was found raped and murdered in a residence hall, but officials issued a statement that no foul play was suspected in her death. Alameddine and Security on Campus hope Congress revises the Clery Act so universities must initiate a warning process within 30 minutes of an emergency being confirmed. Thus far Alameddine said a bill has been intro…
creator: Mike Gaffney
date: 2008-04-19
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
language: eng

On-campus mental illness issues unique
description: By Dick Durbin RRSTAR.COM Posted Apr 17, 2008 @ 10:59 PM This week, our nation marked the anniversary of the tragic shootings at Virginia Tech that took 32 lives and wounded 17 other people. Just two months ago, our state was stunned to witness a similar tragic shooting at Northern Illinois University in which 5 students were killed and 17 were wounded. I cannot imagine the magnitude of heartbreak and pain for friends and families of those killed or the trauma borne by those who survived these tragedies. As we mourn the loss of so many promising young lives, it is important also to learn from these tragedies. So what are those lessons? The first is to consider the tortured mind of the shooter. Mental illness is an illness, not a curse. It can and should be treated. Many who receive appropriate counseling and medication lead normal, stable and happy lives. But our laws ignore this reality. We have created legal and financial obstacles to appropriate care. This year, for the first time in a decade, the U.S. Senate has passed a bill to give mental health parity with physical health under the law. The House of Representatives also has passed legislation, and we are negotiating a compromise to fulfill the promise of health parity for millions facing mental health problems. But the challenge of mental health on our college campuses is unique. Many mental illnesses manifest themselves in this period when young people leave the security of home and regular medical care. The responsibility for the students' well-being shifts many times to colleges and universities struggling with limited resources. The situation is growing worse. Studies show that 10 percent of college students have contemplated suicide and 45 percent have felt so depressed that it was difficult to function. Colleges also are encountering students who 10 to 20 years ago would not have been able to attend school because of mental illness, but who can do so today because of advances in treatment of such illnes…
creator: Dick Durbin
date: 2008-04-19
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
language: eng

One Hokie
description: It's scary really, when you're truly thankful for your life and the well being of the ones you love every single day, yet you still slip up and take all of that for granted for just one second. It happens to all of us; sometimes we just get caught up during the hectic grind of life and forget all the wonderful things we are, except for that moment, gratified to have. And in that second, when an occurrence takes you and suddenly you realize this terrible, tragic error-the world stops. The thing that makes this unbearably painful though is that for everyone else, life keeps moving forward, and you now suddenly have so much to say and do about what WAS, it becomes impossible to catch up and cope with what IS. I know my final exam reflection has a suggested word count of 800 words; I am however, not going to make that requirement in hopes that you will understand why... I, like thousands of other Virginia Tech students, have had an experience of the events that occurred on April 16, 2007. My experience was a fortunate one because of the fact that I did not lose a loved one on that day. Of course, I felt a lot of emotions that day, starting with anger. The following day, I attended the ceremony at Lane Stadium, and like many of us Hokies, my thoughts were temporarily distracted by all the media sharks looking to record peoples pain for money. I was selected out of a group to talk to a man because he wanted to put me on T.V. with Katie Couric, I declined. Blacksburg was so strangely unwelcoming and depressing to me after that ceremony because many people had left and the only people who remained were locals obviously shocked with tragedy or media who seemed to not care. I had to get out because everything was so surreal it was slowly eating me from inside every time I tried to grasp the full weight of what had happened. When I returned for classes, I don't know if it was just me but I felt like the entire campus was dead silent for the entire day. My anger was finally rep…
creator: Jacob Stowers
date: 2008-04-22
contributor: Jacob Stowers
language: eng