Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 11:25:23 -0400 From: Provost@vt.edu To: Multiple recipients <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.VT.EDU> Subject: Provost Update August 17, 2007 August 17, 2007 Dear Faculty and Staff Colleagues: You are probably noticing that the students are moving back to Blacksburg this week. (It is a good time to stay away from Washington Street.) The start of the fall semester is always an exciting time and we will be welcoming over 5,000 freshmen in the great new class of 2011. We will also be welcoming approximately 100 new faculty colleagues across all eight colleges. The first day of class will be a memorable adventure. Many departments and colleges have been busy this week with pre-semester retreats, planning sessions, and orientations. I realize that you are receiving multiple forms of communication about ongoing and new activities. I am going to highlight a few key issues and events recognizing that you have heard or will hear more about each of these items in different ways. 1. The three internal reviews requested by President Steger will be presented soon. James Hyatt chaired the group looking at infrastructure and security; Erv Blythe chaired the group looking at networking; and Jerry Niles chaired the group looking at the relationships among the academic, judicial, counseling, and legal systems. Each group will provide an overview of existing structures and programs and will make recommendations for enhancements. Some of the relevant items have been or are being implemented already (such as VT Alerts), and a comprehensive summary and outline of additional security enhancements was prepared by Executive Vice President James Hyatt. A note of immediate relevance to faculty instructors: the general assignment classrooms are being fitted with hardware that will allow rooms to be locked from the inside with automatic unlocking features when exiting. 2. The dedication ceremony of the memorial on the Drillfield will be held at noon on Sunday. All members of the university and extended community are invited. Faculty and student representatives will provide brief comments. 3. Human Resources and the Cook Counseling Center are coordinating efforts to provide counseling support to faculty, staff, and students next week. There will be two primary sites staffed by trained professionals: a tent on the Drillfield and Squires Student Center. Counselors will be able to travel to other locations as needed. In addition, counselors will be specifically assigned to a few key locations (including Norris Hall). In April, faculty members implemented a plan to invite a faculty colleague to attend class on the first day. The colleague was available to provide collegial support and to be available, if needed, to help with any issues that came up. The college deans' offices are helping to promote and encourage a similar system next week. Last spring we relied on the good judgment of faculty members to decide how best to address and respond to the events of April 16. We will do so again. I anticipate that most students and faculty in the classroom will be eager to focus on what we do best: teaching and learning. CEUT held some sessions for faculty this week and will have follow-up sessions over the next few weeks. Your feedback about your experiences and the experiences of the students will be helpful. 4. You have received advice about media attention early in the week. You are free to talk with the media, but you are under no obligation to do so. Also, you can decide what issues you want to discuss. You have control over who is admitted to your classrooms. 5. The "Concert for Virginia Tech" on Thursday, September 6 is going to have an impact on classes that evening. As of now, we are planning to cancel classes beginning at 5 p.m. so that all faculty, staff, and students may attend the concert if they wish. Unlike the situation with football games, the parking lots are open to regular use and no one will be expected to vacate spaces in specific lots. As provost, I am never thrilled when the regular academic schedule is affected by non-academic events. We are going through an important phase of the healing process and I hope you will embrace the positive features of this unique contribution to the Virginia Tech community. 6. One of the highlights of the academic year will be a special program that brings emphasis to our commitment to the unique responsibilities and opportunities that come from being Virginia's senior land-grant university, as well as highlights the Student Engagement component of our Strategic Plan. The program, which we are calling VT-ENGAGE, is a university-wide initiative that reaffirms our motto, Ut Prosim, by facilitating and leading opportunities for students, faculty, staff, alumni, and community members to participate in community service, service learning, and volunteerism. During its inaugural year 2007-2008, VT-ENGAGE will honor the victims of the tragedy of April 16 and the commitment to service they demonstrated within their communities worldwide. A Steering Committee, which includes broad representation of faculty, staff, students, administrators, and community leaders, is working diligently on the planning for VT-ENGAGE. The committee has established a goal of at least 300,000 hours of service/service learning. Each member of the university community will be challenged to commit at least 10 hours during the academic year. We hope that each of you will choose to participate and that you will find creative ways to include the spirit of VT-ENGAGE in your teaching, research, and outreach. A major event will be held on the Drillfield the evening of October 16 to kick-off VT-ENGAGE. Community organizations are being invited to have displays and to sign-up volunteers. The event will be festive and feature stories of how Virginia Tech students, faculty, staff, students, and alumni make a difference in communities around the world. Much more to come. We believe VT-ENGAGE will send another positive message that Virginia Tech is a very special community with a spirit that does indeed prevail. Best wishes for a successful start to the new academic year. Mark McNamee University Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs
Counseling and Support Information for Students and Employees
Date: Fri, 17 Aug 2007 13:34:30 -0400 From: Virginia.Tech.news@vt.edu To: Multiple recipients <LISTSERV@LISTSERV.VT.EDU> Subject: Counseling and Support Information for Students and Employees August 17, 2007 Counselors from Cook Counseling Center and ValueOptions will provide drop in counseling services from two locations, a tent on the Drillfield and in Squires Student Center: Sunday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, August 20 and Tuesday, August 21 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Cook Counseling Center, McComas Hall, will also be open Sunday, August 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday, August 20 through Thursday, August 23 from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday, August 24 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. For additional counseling support for students please contact Cook Counseling Center at 231-6557 or 231-6444 after hours. For additional counseling support for faculty or staff, please contact Employee Relations at 231-7772. Counseling and Support Resources for Faculty and Staff Tom Brown, Dean of Students, and Christopher Flynn, Director of Cook Counseling Center, will be offering a series of seminars on "Identifying and Referring the Distressed Student" tentatively scheduled for Wednesday, Sept. 5 from 4 to 6 p.m., Thursday, Sept. 6 from 6 to 7:30 p.m., and Monday, Sept. 10 from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Registration is not required. Participation is open to everyone the Virginia Tech community. Locations to be announced. The Center for Excellence in Undergraduate Teaching is sponsoring a workshop on Thursday, August 30 on "Pathways to Resilience - From Surviving to Thriving". The workshop will be led by two clinical psychologists from James Madison University. Sessions will be held from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m. at The Inn at Virginia Tech and Skelton Conference Center. To register, visit www.ceut.vt.edu. Registration is open to faculty and staff. Faculty, staff, and dependents covered by Virginia Tech health insurance always have full access to counseling referral through ValueOptions, our EAP provider. Call 866-725-0602 anytime, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Callers will be referred to a local counselor for an appointment. Counselors are available to meet with departments and workgroups at their offices or other convenient locations by appointment - contact 231-7772 to request this service. Counseling Resources for Students Cook Counseling Center, McComas Hall (231-6557): There is no charge for counseling services for graduate and undergraduate students. Individual and group psychotherapy services are available. Groups are forming for students coping with trauma; call for information. The after hours emergency number is 231-6444. Web Resources Additional resources and information for the university community are available at http://www.virginiatech.healthandperformancesolutions.net/ and www.hr.vt.edu/supportresources. Additional resources and information for students are available at www.ucc.vt.edu. Other Counseling Resources Mental Health Association of the New River Valley (540-951-4990) provides referrals to local counselors (no student services). New River Valley Community Services Board (540-961-8421, no student services). Psychological Services, Department of Psychology (540-231-6914) provided non-emergency counseling/therapy to students and to faculty, staff and/or family members (there is a fee for service). Family Therapy Center, Human Development Department (540-231-7201) provides non-emergency services to students, faculty, and staff (there is a fee for service). Upcoming Events for Employees The annual CommonHealth and Benefit Fair will be held Wednesday, October 31 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Squires Student Center in the Commonwealth Ballroom. In addition to vendor's booths, there will be wellness and stress management seminars. Watch for information coming in early fall. For more information contact Human Resources and Benefits(231-9331 or www.hr.vt.edu); Employee Relations (231-7772); Work/Life Resources (231-3213 or www.worklife.vt.edu); ADA Services (231-4638); Cook Counseling Center (231-6557 or 231-6444 after hours); Dean of Students Office (231-3787); Office of Recovery and Support (231-0062); Virginia Tech Police Tip Line (231-6411).
I was in college in the 1960s. During that wild decade, there were so many acts of violence that it felt like a time never experienced before and in many ways, it had never been known before. The assassinations, the war in far-off Viet Nam, the demonstrations against the war, the Kent State killings by National Guard troops, the murders on college campuses happened over and over like a horrible wave of increading disorder. With each event, we felt a sense of impending disaster build. On April 16, I had finished the very ordinary task of getting my hair cut and was paying at the desk when I noticed a silent tv screen behind the receptionist. Cutlines spilled across the images and I was so shocked that I had to ask the young woman if she knew what had happened. She reponded that there had been shootings at VA Tech. I was so stunned that I couldn't move, I wanted to watch and I wanted to leave, but I could only stand there transfixed and horrified. Because I am older and the mother of now grown daughters, I reminded myself that these were two young women the same age as those in peril on the campus in Blacksburg and I wanted to be reassuring. But shock overcame maternal instincts and I must have showed it. The other girl turned to her computer and quickly dialed up information. The other turned away from the screen and looked busy. It took me back to the shootings at the University of Texas and all of the other shocking events of the 1960s that came with less coverage but the same announcement on television...my first feelings were the same-- a sense of shock and disbelief --that I had felt then. I couldn't protect these two--or myself--from the television images and it made me deeply sad. Sad for the innocence of the students and faculty on the campus that day, sad for the parents who must have been in agony, and sad for all of us who remembered this cruelty from a time long ago. My sympathy to the Virginia Tech family. Claudia Smith
Sometimes I can be really eloquent. Giving a toast at a wedding, a briefing at work; I can really hit the post. I've been wanting to write about how I feel here for two days. But I haven't, stopped by disbelief, the taxes I couldn't bring myself to finish on Monday, and the belief that I wouldn't adequately be able to put together words to explain what Blacksburg and Tech have meant to me. That picture, http://farm1.static.flickr.com/5/6929893_3276db6dfb_m.jpg, is of a couple of my old room mates Jeff (in glasses) and Donnie tailgating at the Tech - USC game in August of 2004. I graduated from Virginia Tech in 1986, with a Bachelor of Arts in International Studies. 20 plus years later, we are still close friends. Probably closer than we were in school. We vacation together, are godparents to each others kids, and watch football obviously. Blacksburg is a special place. When you're there, you might not realize how special. It's beautiful, peaceful and even knows how to have a good time. I have idyllic (and therefore heavily filtered) memories of my time at school. I think that's why all of my old room mates and I are still such good friends. When you leave Blacksburg, you realize that the real world isn't so beatiful, isn't so peaceful, isn't so special. And you reach out and hold on to whatever can give you a little of that Blacksburg feeling again. After 20 years you'll still see most of the alumni I know dressed pretty much like the kids you've been watching on TV this week. Virginia Tech Sweatshirts and Hats are ubiguitous. Returning to Blacksburg, was to drink in that atmosphere, to rejuvenate the energy that the real world has sapped from you. Coming around the 460 bypass and seeing the mountains rise up beyond campus elated me. A burger at Mike's, a pitcher at Hokie House, a walk across campus returned me to the man of my youth. And now that bastard has let so much of the real world into Blacksburg, where it doesn't belong and isn't welcome. It's amazing the lasting ties that we have to Tech. One old college friend is an agronomy professor there now. I spent Monday morning exchanging emails with him as he was locked in his office. Today I can't help but think about all the students that I met at his tailgate last Fall. Jeff, I'm sure, knew Dr. Librescu. Three or four of the victims so far have been international studies majors. The statistical improbability of that I can't explain. I graduated in a class of 6,000 with only 12 other international studies majors. Soon the news vans will leave, hopefully the TV movie vans won't come right behind them, and we can all hope that the ugliness of the real world ebbs back out of town. God bless the victims, the heroes, the students, everyone. Ut Prosim. posted by Paulie @ 07:02 April 18, 2007 Permalink: http://paultrumble.blogspot.com/2007/04/where-do-we-go-now-sometimes-i-can-be.html
University enacts many campus security measures
By: ELI DILE Staff Writer Posted: 5/22/07 The Virginia Tech massacre in late April was a shocking reminder of the importance of campus safety. Pitt, which spends more than $9 million annually on security measures, has many organizations and programs that promote safety on campus. First and foremost, the Pitt police department safeguards the lives of students every day and represents the third largest police force in Allegheny County. In addition to officers on foot, bicycle or motorcycle, the department includes 74 commissioned police officers and has a minimum of four cars patrolling Oakland's streets during each shift. There are four Pitt police stations on campus. They are located at Sutherland Hall, Sennott Square and two locations on Forbes Avenue, one between the Barco Law Building and David Lawrence Hall. The other is the new Public Safety Building located at 3412 Forbes Ave. Students can report crimes by calling the Pitt police at (412) 624-2121 or by dialing 4-2121 on a campus phone, going to one of the stations or by using the anonymous tips portion of the Pitt police's website at www.pitt.edu/~police. More than 500 emergency phones, which students can use to contact Pitt police in case of an emergency, are located across campus. Exterior and garage phones are easily identifiable by their blue lights. In addition, nearly 300 surveillance cameras are spread throughout the campus and are monitored 24 hours a day. The University also maintains many other safety measures beside the University police. In the event of a campus-wide emergency, the communications center at the Public Safety Building is equipped to lock down 80 percent of Pitt's buildings. Also, the University can send emergency e-mails to students, faculty and staff and make emergency announcements over the public address systems in campus buildings. Pitt's Office of Sexual Assault Services provides counseling and medical services for anyone who has been sexually harassed or abused. Students can reach OSAS at (412) 648-7930. Each term the University offers a one-credit personal-defense course, which teaches students to defend themselves and escape from an attacker. Security guards control access to all residence halls. Students must present their student IDs, which are then swiped through an electronic system by the guards, to gain access to their residence halls. Guests wishing to enter a residence hall must first have a student who lives there sign them in. Guests must also be signed out or the resident may face a fine. Each residence hall has a resident assistant on every floor. Their duties include supervising fire evacuations, resolving roommate disputes, and handling vandalism, disorderly conduct, medical and psychological emergencies. RAs are on duty every evening, including weekends and holidays. Each residence hall has a resident director to supervise the RAs. In all residence halls, dorm-room doors can only be opened with either a key or the occupant's student ID followed by a four-digit code. The University also urges students to practice common sense when traversing the campus. Students should stay in well-lit and highly-traveled areas. When running or walking, students should travel with someone and carry a whistle. Students should also familiarize themselves with emergency phone locations. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - May 22, 2007
By: KONRAD KLINKNER Columnist Posted: 4/23/07 The intricacies of the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech are proving to be very enduring media fodder, with NBC lapping up Cho's media package and the investigations probing deeper and deeper into the background of the gunman, savoring every juicy drop of sordid drama. It's been so lasting because, as the act of an irrational psycho, it's riddled with questions that will never be answered - and that always keeps an audience. Almost grudgingly, one of the few concrete issues that the tragedy has forced back into the national spotlight is one of America's least favorite debate topics: gun control. One might think that the massacre naturally lends itself easiest as an example of how guns are too easy to acquire here in the States. But, pro-gun rights advocates are already quick to turn it into a case for more self-defense. Indeed, some gun-rights proponents are even suggesting that Virginia Tech's campus policy of prohibiting the possession of firearms on campus should be reviewed. A fair number of students are quoted as saying they wished somebody had a gun with them on that day. Larry Pratt, executive director of Gun Owners of America, said, "All the school shootings that have ended abruptly in the last 10 years were stopped because a law-abiding citizen - a potential victim - had a gun. The latest school shooting at Virginia Tech demands an immediate end to the gun-free zone law which leaves the nation's schools at the mercy of madmen." So Pratt is suggesting here that allowing guns on campuses would be a big step toward curbing shooting outbreaks. Really? Who thinks to bring a gun to class on a regular basis? Beyond making a strong case for having more vigilant background checks, though, it's very unlikely that the Virginia Tech tragedy will spur any significant gun control initiative within the United States. It's not like any previous mass shooting has. To many people elsewhere in the world, the recent tragedy is yet another bloody stain on America's generally ugly reputation. European critics, as to be expected, particularly express their never-ending bafflement that Americans never seem to do anything about their gun laws. And well they may wonder. But as much as I don't care for guns and identify more with the ethos of gun-control advocates, I can't believe that gun control alone is going to fix things. Serious gun control legislation, like what Europe has, is doomed to fail in the United States as it is today, and that's because guns are just too embedded in American culture for laws alone to make lasting changes about it anytime soon. History has shown us that prohibition laws are rarely ever effective when they run up against big cultural institutions. A real attempt to bring our gun control laws anywhere near the standards of Western Europe would be disastrous today. If someone ever miraculously pulls off an outright ban on general gun ownership in the United States, that person will probably get shot, and I'd fully expect ferocious, widespread defiance of the law across the entire nation. You'd have to pry those guns from America's cold, dead hands. Before law reform can be used effectively to curb guns, our gun culture must first undergo reform. Gun ownership is often trumped up in the United States as a testimony to the hallowed virtues of individualism and self-sufficiency. The civilian's gun embodies vigilante security and is about as literal as "power to the people" gets - this harkens all the way back to the Revolutionary days when militias actually mattered, which is indeed where we got this Second Amendment from in the first place. It was an assurance to those suspicious of the new federal government that they'd always have their guns to protect them should the feds ever get too tyrannical. Even today some pro-gun rights people will talk about a civilian's firearms as the last line of defense against governmental tyranny, which really can't be anything more than just a psychological comfort, since I can't imagine today's citizenry armed with handguns and hunting rifles having any chance against our government's tanks and bomber planes. But of course it's naive to say that gun enthusiasm in America mainly comes from a militant devotion to liberty. On a more simple level, people just like shooting things, and having guns makes you dangerous and therefore potentially cool. I get somewhat torn when it comes to this, because on one hand, I'm not a fan of real guns, but I honestly also think guns are quite awesome when kept to the realm of fiction, as in video games. Most U.S. politicians tend to take an inverse stance, being way more comfortable supporting restrictions on the mere depiction of guns rather than restricting guns in real life. Personally, I would rather there not be necessary restrictions on anything, and that American culture could just chill out with the guns out of its own volition. That, I think, will bring more peace than any law will bring about, but it will be a long time in coming. -- Original Source: The Pitt News - April 23, 2007
Students show support for Virginia Tech with photo
By: KAY OYEGUN Staff Writer Posted: 4/23/07 Colleges all across America have come together to show support to the Virginia Tech students after the shootings that occurred there on April 16. Pitt organized a student support group photo outside the Petersen Events Center on Friday April 20 at 4 p.m. "The university came behind SGB, traditions committee, greek life and Student Alumni Association and helped spread the word for this event," Nora Duncan of the Athletics Department said. An estimated 300 students dressed in Hokie orange and maroon and gathered in the Petersen lobby before getting the group photo taken. At exactly 4:02 p.m., the crowd of supporters, which included Petersen Events Center staff and members of the Athletics Department, collectively made their way outside to the panther statue by the event center. "I am here just to support the Hokies. The whole thing affected my life," junior John Hollenberger said. "We are college students and that could have happened anywhere. I think its good that everyone pulls together to support those schools states away." Although the reason for the gathering was a tragic one, there were smiles and playful chatter all across the crowd as they took their places for the photo. Students climbed up on the University panther, crouched together at its side and sat on the pavement in front while the rest stood close by. The cameraman gingerly climbed to the top of his ladder and coached the students on how to pose. More and more students in orange and maroon shirts flowed in to join the picture. "Are we supposed to smile?" a girl from the crowd called out. The crowd was then instructed to smile for the photo and say "Hokies" instead of the classic "cheese." The coordinator counted down from three, the crowd yelled "Hokies" in unison, and he took the photo. In fact, this process was repeated five or six times. Those who gathered for the group photo decided to come out and show support for various reasons. "I am used to this sort of tragedy," Josh Wander, a graduate student in the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs, said. "I am from Israel, so things like this happen all the time. I was especially touched by the Romanian professor - Liviu Librescu - and Holocaust survivor who risked his life to save his students." Some supporters made their way to Pitt's campus from other schools and decided to join in. There was no shortage of students willing to wear the orange and maroon for the Virginia Tech Hokies. "My school is 45 minutes from Blacksburg. Liberty is showing support even though we are athletic rivals with the Hokies," Jennifer Trujillo, a Liberty University grad, said. "We really are just one family, supporting and praying. It hit home especially being so close." A campus-wide vigil will be held on Monday, April 23 at 8:30 p.m. on the Cathedral lawn. Students and faculty are encouraged to attend this event to show support, share condolences and say prayers for the families and community affected by the Virginia Tech tragedy. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 23, 2007
By: JARED TRENT STONESIFER Assistant News Editor Posted: 4/20/07 Pittsburgh Police responded to a report of a bomb in a Carnegie Mellon University parking lot yesterday and later deemed the area safe. Forbes Avenue was closed for more than an hour yesterday afternoon after someone called 911 and allegedly saw a person putting a bomb in a white car. Police later spotted the reported car and pulled it over in a parking lot on Carnegie Mellon's campus. After inspection the device was rendered safe, according to Pittsburgh Police Zone 4 spokesman Matthew White. "Someone called in what they thought may have been a bomb," White said. "The car was inspected at CMU, which does a lot of work with the Defense Department, so it was a call we had to take seriously." Forbes Avenue reopened around 2:30 p.m. yesterday after the Allegheny County bomb squad found a cylinder in the back of the car and deemed it not to be dangerous. The driver was detained for questioning and an investigation is pending. White admitted that the recent incident at Virginia Tech has people more anxious and that more precautions than usual are now needed. "Virginia Tech has everyone on edge," he said. "This week is also the anniversary of the Columbine shootings and the bombing at Oklahoma City." -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 20, 2007
EDITORIAL - Media exploits killer's manifesto
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/20/07 Just days after the tragic shooting at Virginia Tech, NBC made the inappropriate decision to release videos of killer Cho Seung-Hui angrily ranting about the reasoning behind his crimes. Cho had sent a package that contained 43 photos, 28 video clips and a 23-page letter directly to NBC headquarters in New York during a break in his shooting spree on Monday. After NBC first released the shocking "multimedia manifesto" on the NBC Nightly News broadcast, 24-hour news networks quickly followed suit, constantly showing the disturbing video excerpts and photo clips. The media's release of Cho's photos and diatribe gave a deeper look into the mind and motivations of the killer, a decision that has had a great ripple affect across the country. While NBC stands by its decision to release the material, we believe the choice was made too hastily, without much thought or sensitivity for the families of the victims of the shooting, who have only had days to handle the emotional effects of losing their loved ones. Forensic psychiatrist and ABC News consultant Michael Welner appeared on "Good Morning America" yesterday to discuss the troublesome consequences. "This is a social catastrophe," Welner said. "This is perversion...[Cho] needs to create and produce his own picture in order to give himself a sense of power. Nobody saw him that way...that's why he set this up and he did this to achieve immortality." Welner's argument is logical. This footage does not present the public with any deeper knowledge about the crimes and, for that reason, it is not at all newsworthy. Instead, showing the video is a disrespectful and insensitive action toward the Blacksburg victims. Furthermore, the broadcast footage gives the fame-seeking Cho an audience and a stage where he can attempt to justify his crimes. In other words, it gives him exactly what he wanted. The problem is that 24-hour news networks have the unsettling habit of overeagerly reporting breaking news before having time to reflect upon the consequences of their coverage. NBC and other media outlets are pressured to constantly search for exciting and stimulating material to put on the air and as a result, they neglect to spend time on research and deliberation. That's what went wrong here. Cho's video collection was treated as news gold and was broadcasted without enough forethought. NBC and the other news networks had an obligation to act more responsibly. The videos and photos should have been carefully investigated before they were broadcast. Someone should have sat back and reflected upon the material and the negative repercussions that could follow. Unfortunately, our media tends to do this kind of thing all the time. As soon as we turn on our televisions, we are bombarded with news tickers, terror alerts and breaking stories that are blown up and emphasized to the extreme. Networks play on fear and paranoia to attract viewers, giving us shocking and reactive spurts of material that only serve to rouse our emotions. Instead of focusing on being the first to get the scoop, NBC and other media outlets should concentrate on thoughtfully investigating material before putting them on the air. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 20, 2007
Police chief says campus safety to undergo change
By: BETH OBERLEITER Staff Writer Posted: 4/19/07 When the identity of gunman Cho Seung-Hui was released yesterday, an integral part of the Virginia Tech shootings investigation fell into place. Immediately, his image was plastered over media outlets across the country, and experts and acquaintances analyzed his psyche, looking to explain his actions. But the time gap between the two shooting incidents continues to raise questions about why students had little warning about the impending danger. Pitt Police Chief Tim Delaney said that notifying students of an emergency can become a complex situation that involves careful thought and planning. He said each situation is case-specific and should be handled within context. "You have to be flexible in your planning. Things that may apply in another campus may not apply here," he said. Delaney said Pitt students would be notified by a mass e-mail if there were an emergency involving the University. Through this, they would hope to reach students who could access their e-mail from cell phones, as well as professors and administrators who would filter the information down. Pitt sophomore Suzie Culhane didn't find out about the shootings at Virginia Tech until Monday evening and was shocked that the campus didn't shut down after the first shooting. Even though she said that she felt safe in class on Tuesday, she thought a lot about how random and senseless the act was. "You can't ever be completely safe," she said. "That's how the world is today. You just have to deal with it." Delaney said he would use the annunciator on the fire alarm system to alert students to stay in a safe and secure location if there was a violent act on campus and the suspect had not been found. "I'm constantly thinking about the worst-case scenario," Delaney said, adding that he is constantly thinking up new solutions for evolving situations. Pitt has 300 cameras functioning throughout the University as well as electronic locks on 80 percent of campus buildings. The buildings can be electronically secured from the communications room with as little as the click of a mouse. The electronic locks allow for people to exit the building in compliance with fire codes. Every Pitt Police officer is also trained in "rapid deployment for active shooters," which is practiced in case they need to infiltrate a building. The Pitt police are part of the emergency response unit in Pittsburgh, and they work directly with the city's response team. The Department also has the ability to block traffic from Forbes and Fifth avenues using 15 traffic control points. This method was installed after the events of Sept. 11, 2001. In this case, only emergency vehicles traveling to and from the hospitals would be allowed on the roads. The situation would be monitored by a "unified command post," Delaney said, which would be made of the administrative heads of each University department. This group would make informed decisions based on the development of the crisis. Although he said Pitt's campus safety is very progressive, Delaney will have a staff meeting with his supervisors this week, where they will discuss hypothetical emergency situations and solutions. He predicts campuses will probably make revisions to their safety plans to recognize warning signs that a student may be mentally or emotionally disturbed. Social and academic issues can pressure students into irrational thinking, and he said the Pitt police meet habitually with the housing department and residence life to discuss potential problems in students. Even people who were not directly affected by the incident are feeling the weight of its effect. "It's saturating people," Delaney said, "and they're starting to become affected by it emotionally." Pitt freshman Kelly McCabe can relate to this feeling, and she said that she was in shock when she found out about the shootings on Monday afternoon. "That could happen anywhere. It's scary because you think you're safe," she said. Originally from a more rural area, McCabe said that it was hard to shake the "small-town feel" of thinking this these types of situations won't affect her. The shooting forced her to realize that anyone could become a victim. She now has more appreciation for the everyday safety procedures she encounters, such as signing in guests at her dormitory. "I definitely think I have to be more aware and more cautious," she said, but added that she feels safe on campus because she has never had any problems. Culhane said that, in her opinion, campus is safe from preventable disasters, but she has a harder time grasping the reason behind the Virginia Tech shootings. "Something like this just makes you think, because there's not really an explanation," she said. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 19, 2007
EDITORIAL - Va. shooting cause for reflection
By: STAFF EDITORIAL Posted: 4/17/07 Many news outlets are calling it "the deadliest shooting rampage in U.S. history." For us, yesterday's shootings at Virginia Tech were a horrible tragedy, and they're also a reminder for all of us to examine our own campuses. We join college students across the nation in extending our condolences to the families and friends of the Virginia Tech students who died yesterday. Certainly those students were in the forefront of our thoughts and in the background of our actions today. Shock will diminish and the bleak reality of this heinous event will become clearer in the days to come. It's too early to know many of the important details of the shooting, but we do know that this will have an effect on college campuses across the country for years to come. Many students watch or read the news and wonder if their own campuses would be able to handle a similar situation. We also wonder if the communication methods in place now are capable of keeping us abreast of developing situations on campus - not all of us have PDAs and BlackBerrys. Certainly, entire university communities are going to be looking for answers from their own administrators about safety measures that are in place and how they'll be augmented to better handle potential future emergency situations. In the hours after the shootings, it seems as if many are quick to blame Virginia Tech for the shootings. After a thorough investigation into Monday's events is completed, Tech might receive criticism for its handling of the shootings - it might not. But as is the case at most campus, you do the best you can - universities and colleges aren't necessarily responsible for the actions of disturbed people. They certainly can't check every single person at every single door in every single building on their sprawling campus. They have to maintain security on campus while striking a careful balance with civil liberties. Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg, in a statement to The Pitt News, said "We offer our heartfelt condolences to the friends and families of the victims and stand ready to be of assistance to members of the Virginia Tech community in any way they would find helpful." And we hope that the college community in Blacksburg will be able to find solace in the offers of condolences from people across the world and be able to recover from an event that has already affected so many, from the victims to their families and to all of us who watch the television and read the stories online and ask: Why? There has never been an act as violent in college history, and we hope that the future does not hold anything more tragic, but instead a chance to work with members of the community to make sure that we minimize the chances of this ever happening again. -- Original Source:The Pitt News - April 17, 2007
By Marissa Camilon Staff Writer Amidst the midterms, papers and parties, college students can find it hard to believe that just a 20-minute period can actually make our lives stress-free and easier. This was the message that was emphasized during the Art of Living Organization's talk, "Creating a Violence-Free Society." With guest speaker international humanitarian Swami Pragyapad, this event strived to reach out to the UC Irvine community in order to establish a more peaceful and more harmonious environment for students and faculty. While the talk was open to the public, it proved to be an intimate atmosphere for the organization and event-goers. Sitting in a simple white chair in the front of the room, Pragyapad comfortably addressed real life issues that we struggle with in our everyday life. According to Pragyapad, we begin our lives as children constantly being told that we are to be calm and quiet, but never told how. If that wasn't enough of a predicament, it is also human nature for us to constantly think about the things that we are told not to think about. These inner conflicts can cause us to feel immense stress and when the mind is disturbed, the effects can be seen in all aspects of life. Pragyapad went on to explain the four factors that affect our state of mind. The type of food we eat can be very important. As a "gas" for our bodies and brains, eating the wrong kind of food can alter our behavior. Secondly, the quality of sleep that each of us receive can have a heavy impact on our lifestyle. Also, our breathing pattern can change our mindset. It is for us to recognize that when we are in a state of fear or anger, we can breathe a certain way. We should also recognize that intentionally taking calm, deep breaths can help change our attitudes. In addition, our understanding of what our lives are about and who we are can have an effect on our state of mind. The more we feel we have a grasp on life, the more our minds can be at ease. Just as a disturbed mind can cause unwanted side effects, a calm mind can make everything seem just that much better. With a clear mind, one can make decisions, study and even play better. Pragyapad's key tip to getting a good night's rest is simply to work hard. Another technique to having a stress-free mind is meditation, which he defined as the "art of doing nothing." In 20-minutes of meditation, someone can get the same amount of rest as four hours of sleep. When asked what he thought about during meditation, Pragyapad replied that he would simply "observe whatever happens in the body." So why don't more college students take advantage of the benefits from a simple meditation? "Because they think meditation is anti-enjoyment," said Pragyapad, who insists that this is far from the truth. For Pragyapad, a calming mind allows him to handle his frustrations and even help his grades, while studying less. Meditation doesn't even require you to necessarily go anywhere exotic, as was evident from our group meditation in a classroom. He does warn, however, that first-time meditation can lead to a sensation of sleepiness from the calming of the mind, which "passes in a few minutes." In regard to the recent "epidemic" of violence on high school and college campuses, Pragyapad sees meditation and other stress-relieving techniques as a means to help promote a stress-free university environment. To curb the violence, Pragyapad believes that we have to do two things. First, we all have to accept responsibility for the violent overtones in society and stop pointing fingers at each other. In accepting responsibility, we can all contribute to the change that needs to be done to better the community. The second step is to reach out to those people who don't know how to handle their emotions. Pragyapad says that "most of us can curb our violence tendencies; others cannot." Realizing this, we must reach out to everyone, because as Pragyapad says, it "doesn't require many to make hell for all of us." Using the methods of stress relief and meditation that is promoted by the Art of Living Organization, these individuals can learn how to deal with stress and find alternatives to such violent tendencies. Since the shooting at Virginia Tech University and suicide on the UCI campus, Matthew Scharpnick, a student at the Paul Merage School of Business and participant in the Art of Living Organization, says that the "whole foundation is putting forth an effort in the university [setting]." Scharpnick continues that "with things like the Virginia Tech shooting, you can't say for sure, but maybe, if he had the tools [of meditation and breath exercises], things could've been different." The Art of Living course is a six-day class that teaches a combination of yoga, meditation and breath techniques called Sudarshan Kriya. This course gives participants the skills to deal with stress and negative emotions. -- Original Source: New University - May 21, 2001
Letter to the Editor: UCI Student's Suicide Ignored
I am writing with some reactions I had to three pieces in the New University of April 30, namely Anam Siddiq's front-page article on UC Irvine's vigil for the Virginia Tech community members who died on April 16, their families, and the survivors; Emilie Doolittle's article on under-funded counseling services at UCI; and Philip Grant's open letter to Chancellor Michael V. Drake on his message to the UCI community in response to the Virginia Tech events. Grant asks why the chancellor would send a message about 32 dead in Virginia, instead of any number of dead on a given day in Iraq. There is probably no answer, or too many, to that question. I have a different question: Why have the murders of 31 and the suicide of another on a campus in Virginia warranted a campus-wide message and vigil, while the March 30 suicide death by gunshot in a social sciences stairwell of a member of UCI's own student body goes unmentioned, save a lede in the OC Register and a similar one at the beginning of Doolittle's article? Did this student's life mean less than any one of the victims at Virginia Tech? Does the proximity of his death, and his membership in our UCI community, before we get to questions of "our nation," as Grant mentions, not make the event of his suicide perhaps more important, in terms of a public announcement and vigil? We were called upon to cope openly with the Virginia tragedy; is there no need to cope with the death of a fourth-year undergraduate who must have had human connections here—roommates, classmates, professors and friends? Or did the distance and sensationalism that marked the Virginia events call more for a public response than a largely unnoticed nighttime end to a UCI student's life in a quiet stairwell? I believe that a community response to this young man's death would do more to remind us of the pressures of university living, and to produce awareness of treatment options, than a response to a series of deaths thousands of miles away. Perhaps his family would benefit, as well. I do not know his name, and perhaps we should not. I mourn for him in some way, nevertheless, and in another way, I mourn for the loss of a memorial from his, our, community—a memorial that would have afforded us a moment to consider some of the values that Chancellor Drake sets out: respect, empathy, appreciation, or at the very least what Vice Chancellor Gómez described at the vigil for others as "stunned sorrow and common grief." Perhaps these can be shown in silence, but can they be shown in ignorance? Brook Haley Ph.D. Candidate, Department of Comparative Literature
Letter to the Editor: Asians, Parents Should Not Be Blamed for VT Tragedy
I was appalled by the commentary titled "VT Killer Needs Closer Look" (April 23) that sought to explain Cho Seung-Hui's motives in the Virginia Tech massacre. Overall, I got the sense that the article was trying to pin the blame of the Virginia Tech tragedy on the "typical" Asian-American immigrant household as somehow having stunted Cho's emotional development and ultimately his judgment in making the decision to take the lives of 33 people. The author makes sweeping generalizations about Asian-American families that show a severe misunderstanding of East-Asian culture. Many parenting practices of some Asian-American immigrant parents may seem backward from the Western point of view and may be misinterpreted as stern and unaffectionate. However, we can't discount these parenting styles just because they're different and don't always fit the Western norm. There are thousands of people who have grown up in immigrant families, and many of them have had difficult experiences adjusting to life in the United States. It doesn't make them any more likely to become emotionally traumatized and commit mass murder. Secondly, just because UC Irvine has a large Asian population does not necessitate the sudden need to worry about a UCI student becoming the next perpetrator. This is precisely the kind of dangerous mentality that sets in during times of crisis: that because one person of a racial group committed an atrocity, all the other members of that group are suddenly "on notice." Lastly, it is absolutely ridiculous to speculate that Cho might have not ended up the way he had if he'd had better presents as a child. Most parents do the best to provide for their children but it is impossible for them to satisfy every single one of their children's material wants. At a certain point, people should wise up and recognize the difference between needs and wants, and that material gifts are not the same thing as a parent's love. Perhaps the author should have thought about what sort of inferences he was making about the children of the Asian-American immigrant experience before making these ill-conceived assumptions about Cho's background. Hannah Sung fourth-year cognitive sciences and political science double-major -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007
MOURNING: At the official UC Irvine vigil for Virginia Tech administrators offered support to students. By Anam Siddiq Staff Writer In a vigil hosted by the Cross Cultural Center and UC Irvine Student Affairs, candles were passed out to hundreds of students, faculty and friends who had gathered on April 23 to give a final salute to all those killed and injured at the hands of one unstable man. Exactly one week earlier, the sun rose in Blacksburg, Virg. on a truly unfortunate scene. By the next week, the tragic events that had occurred at Virginia Polytechnic Institute were common knowledge, and although students across the campus had already held numerous vigils, UCI felt compelled to officially honor the victims in a formal ceremony. The event, advertised by the CCC, was also publicized by e-mails sent by Chancellor Michael Drake and included speakers from UCI administration, including Vice Chancellor Manuel Gomez and Dean of Students Sally Peterson. Irvine Mayor Beth Krom and Orange County Human Relations Representative Ken Inouye were also asked to speak at the vigil, as well as two student representatives, ASUCI President Stephanie Johnson and Korean American Student Association Rep Rheela Kim. At 6:45 p.m., student musician Andrew Heringer began the ceremony with penetrating music played on his acoustic guitar. At the end an uncommonly serene silence befell Ring Road as the chattering crowd delved into quiet contemplation. Peterson was introduced, and emphasized that the program was one of remembrance. As she listed the names of the victims, the wind rustled through the crowd and blew out the candles. Gomez then read a message from Drake, who was in Washington, and assured the crowd that in the aftermath of this terrible event, the administration would "redouble [its] efforts to confirm the safety of the students and faculty on this campus." Gomez continued, saying that even though Irvine is one of the safest cities in the world, UCI and Virginia Tech shared many similarities, including "stunned sorrow and common grief." He further reminisced upon some of the heroes of the Virginia Tech shootings and requested the crowd to pray for killer Cho Seung-Huis' family who was said to be feeling "helpless, hopeless and lost." Krom expressed her belief that "sometimes it takes a tragedy to bring a community together," and as proof she brought a family who worked for the Kids Who Care Club, a foundation that makes quilts for kids who have undergone major surgeries. The children who made a beautiful quilt with patches for each victim which was going to be sent to the university from the City of Irvine. Inouye verbalized the importance of refraining from letting the actions of a single individual reflect an entire ethnic community, reminding the students that despite everything "today, and for every tomorrow, we are all Americans." After the student speakers had expressed their sympathy for the tragedy and rallied the students to work together as a community, Associate Dean of Students and Director of the Cross Cultural Center Ana Gonzalez related the rest of the week's events, which included emotional distress, relief and open discussions about the Virginia Tech shootings. She also urged everyone present to write on the two boards set up for the students to express their thoughts, sentiments and prayers. By the end of the day, the boards were covered with such things as personal notes from students to artwork by sororities and fraternities. The vigil appropriately ended with Diedre Butler's "In the Arms of an Angel," the most heart-rending part of the entire ceremony. Some people were moved to tears and sought comfort in the arms of friends, while others sat in deep reflection. Blair Hollingsworth, a first-year drama major attending the proceedings, described the entire vigil as "beautiful and well-planned." The deaths of 32 people tragically killed on that terrible day brought a community together. Members of the crowd were drawn closer to each other as a group and all race, ethnicity, gender and religious differences were forgotten as students left their identities as UCI Anteaters and became one with the Virginia Tech students. As Gomez so rightfully put it, "This evening, we are all Hokies in spirit." -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007
VT Vigils Make Us Ignore Other Tragedies
Commentary By Philip Grant Dear Chancellor Drake, My most heartfelt sympathies are also with those affected by the terrible events of last week at Virginia Tech. I write to you nonetheless not merely to share my sympathies with you, but to express my anger. I am deeply disturbed by the message you have sent to the community of UC Irvine. My misgivings lie at two levels. Firstly, I do not understand why the victims of the massacre at Virginia Tech are alone deemed worthy of special e-mail messages from the chancellor of the university, of candlelight vigils and so on. Consider the following statistics: Wednesday, April 18, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq: 200 dead in six separate bombings. March 6, 2007, Hilla, Iraq: 90 dead in two bombings. Feb. 3, 2007, Baghdad, Iraq: 130 dead in a single bombing. Dec. 2, 2006, Baghdad, Iraq: 50 dead in a single bombing. Nov. 23, 2006, Baghdad, Iraq: 200 dead in a series of bombings. These are only the major "incidents" of losses of civilian life in Iraq in the eight months since I have been at UCI. I do not recall any e-mail messages inviting us to candlelight vigils on their behalf. I do not recall that they were even considered worthy of a single second of serious reflection on any of our parts. Perhaps we are overcome by a surfeit of suffering: Whether one Iraqi dies or 100 is all the same to us, since there are just too many deaths for us to comprehend. What need solidarity, therefore? Yet the "families and friends of the victims" of the more than 60,000 Iraqi civilians (Iraq Body Count, reported deaths only) or the 100,000 to 150,000 Iraqi civilians (Iraqi Ministry of Health), or the 655,000 Iraqi civilians ("The Lancet") that have been killed since the beginning of the war - could we but speak with them face to face - might have something to teach us concerning what it means to be confronted with suffering on an unimaginable scale. Perhaps we can no longer muster the humility required to look on them and listen in attentive silence. What happens to our sense of solidarity, our compassion, our shared humanity, when we turn our attention from Virginia to Iraq? No doubt: The candle-flame of our sympathies is quickly extinguished by the chill currents of the Atlantic. Secondly, I am astonished that I am being told that "our nation" is in "stunned sorrow," that "everyone at UCI and across the nation" is affected by this tragedy. I remember being very impressed during my TA training when I first came to UCI by the instructors who taught us of the importance of being sensitive as teachers to the great diversity of the UCI community, to the wonderful variety of origins and backgrounds of the people we would be teaching or with whom we would be interacting during our careers here. I hope I have taken this lesson to heart and that I practice it during every waking hour of my time here. Yet I find that the chancellor of the university is appealing to my sympathies as part of "our nation," and I do not know how to react, except with sorrow. I am not of your nation! If I were in a minority of one, then perhaps I would shrug my shoulders and let these words pass. But I am not: There are hundreds, perhaps thousands of students, staff, and faculty at UCI who are not of "our nation"; we are grateful for the opportunities we have here, and we strive as hard as anyone to contribute to this community. Have you forgotten this? Am I - are we - not part of this community too? May we not express our sympathies and solidarity for the victims of the Virginia massacre, not because we are members of "our nation," but because as human beings we know that those who died in Virginia had faces like us, because we can imagine ourselves as others who are like us? "We are, on a fundamental level, all members of one community," you write. Does this truly mean "all" of us, or only those of us who are part of "our nation"? The answer must be the first: "Our nation" has no role to play in how we commemorate and mourn this tragedy. Why is it, in this community that is so palpably diverse, in this country where people have as many origins as there are stars in the sky, that we have to resort to the exclusionary rhetoric of "our nation"? Why mourn those who died and commiserate with those who remain on the grounds that they too are part of "our nation," when we could instead speak in a spirit so much more generous and hospitable, so much more open and humane: We mourn those who died not because they were like us and of us, but because they were like us and yet different from us. Surely ethics starts not with ourselves, but with others. I remember only too vividly how, after Sept. 11, young people in Iran poured into the streets and held spontaneous candlelight vigils for those who died in New York, Washington, D.C. and Pennsylvania, without it ever occurring to them that they should only mourn those who were of "their nation." Strange thought! It is the "Axis of Evil" that teaches the "land of the free" respect for others, and not the other way round, whatever we might expect. We know what follows, and perhaps now at last, however obscurely, we begin to glimpse an answer - a troubling answer - to the question a very great man posed nearly two millennia ago: "What father among you, if his son asks for a fish, will instead of a fish give him a serpent; or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion?" I did not attend the candlelight vigil on Monday, April 23, not because I do not wish to express my solidarity with the victims of the massacre in Virginia, but because I cannot express my solidarity with them while excluding those who are not of "our nation," those who die like cattle in the streets of Baghdad and elsewhere. However, from the time I went to bed that Monday night until the time I woke up on Wednesday morning, I abstained from all food and drink except tap water, as part of what the French call a "jeûne d'interpellation," an untranslatable phrase that means something like a fast designed to call people's attention to a problem. I wish to call our attention to the selectivity of our solidarity and compassion, to ask us all not to quench our candlelight in the sea but to bear it aloft in memory of all those who die a violent death anywhere, just as the young women and men of Iran have taught us. I am not expecting to change the world by this one tiny action; perhaps all I can hope for is to make people stop and reflect, if only for a second, on the fact that our community extends well beyond Virginia. Philip Grant is a graduate student in the department of anthropology. -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007
My youngest son, Travis Miller graduated from Virginia Tech in 2006, and my experiences goe back gto my early teens. As a woman, a Mom, and a researcher, the events of April 16, 2007, grabbed my full attention, and still do. You see, since 1993, I have been treated for a condition, called Bipolar/Manic Depression. My losses have been many, and severe, as in those 14 years, due to the disease, I had no judgment, no sense of reality. I have all my charts, and I now know I was very over medicated by my EX Dr of some 12 years. Life altering changes occured, for myself, and my 3 sons [who were not educated, nor had therapy] which resulted in Dad walking away, after 5 years. Treating mental illness, as something one chooses, or can "snap out of" is extreamly uneducated. The past 3 years, I have dedicated myself to research, and to understanding the past, as to understand the present, and hopefuly simplifly the future. Including my sons somewhat in the exploration, led to estrangement, and Family Protective Orders. I was not included in my son's graduation of 2006. Isolation, since 1993, continues from my family, but I now have a better understanding, throught my faith, Buddhism. I accept my part, and thankfully, injoy a full remission, which requires no prescriptive medication at present. But there is still fall out, and I am fighting the good fight, to bring awareness to Virginia, the Nation on the subject of Mental Health. Trying to understand April 16, 2007, I did know perhaps better that most, how Cho might have acted out his terror, his emense anger, at his perceived rejection, his isolation. I think he fell through the many "cracks" as it were, and that as a state with a D- rating by Nami, [mental health ass.] we have the chance for change. I wrote a Letter to the Roanoke times, on a bill before Congress, up in September for vote, on teaching K-12, good mental health. Yes, we need the tools, we need the education, to demistify, what is baseicaly a "chemical imbalnce", widely unreported, and over or undermedicated, and yes, ignored by too many. It is up to each of us to know, and to be aware of the very real symtoms, of mental illness. And I personaly want to do all I can to help, as I council freely in my hometown, happily 2 friends have also seen the "root' of their depression, and no longer take prescription medication, and are doing great. It is a process, and that is called life.
Media Coverage of VT Tragedy Irresponsible
By Tammesia Green Following the massacre that occurred at Virginia Tech University on April 16, many have come to question their own safety at universities across the country. The profile of a school shooter, once narrowed to a lonely white male high-school student with a fascination with and open access to guns, was quickly re-examined as we discovered the shooter to be 23-year-old Cho Seung-Hui. But before the news had been released that the shooter was Asian, the question on everyone's mind was whether this catastrophe could have been prevented. This question is a good one, and should be debated, but reflecting on the length of time the press devoted to this subject was unsettling for me. I remember going to class the morning of the shooting and hearing news reports that two people had been shot at a Virginia Tech dormitory. Upon my return five hours later I was shocked to see the death toll had escalated to 33. Immediately, I wanted to know what had happened and if the killer had been caught. Watching the news, all I could find were reporters asking questions like, "Why wasn't the school placed on lockdown? What time was the first e-mail sent to students? Why wasn't more done to prevent this tragedy?" It became clear that I would not learn anything about what actually took place on the campus that could account for the casualty numbers rising; I had to resort to the Internet to try to make sense of all that was happening. After getting a clear account, I was upset at the amount of time the network news channels devoted to placing blame on officials at Virginia Tech—only, the "placing blame" was not seen for what it was. Instead, it was promoted as good investigative journalism. I understand that it is the job of a journalist to ask the hard questions and uphold a level of accountability toward officials. However, I found that the questions posed by reporters in press conferences regarding Virginia Tech were not necessarily out of line, but a result of constant criticism of their inability to question authority in high-stakes situations. Past disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the logic behind going to war with Iraq played their roles in the types of questions posed to Virginia Tech President Charles Steger. These questions were simply a ploy to preemptively avoid any backlash from the public for not addressing accountability. Following the invasion of Iraq and never finding weapons of mass destruction, the public began to demand that journalists not be afraid to question authority and command answers from high-ranking officials. Hurricane Katrina allowed for reporters to regain some credibility by analyzing slow relief efforts and the lack of preparation from the government. It is no surprise that in order to keep credibility and uphold the public's faith in reporters, journalists continued to grow a backbone and demanded answers from those in power. The word "accountability" is ultimately what forced the media to focus on how administrators screwed up and not the shooter. But accountability is not to be placed on school administrators and campus police when the act was really the work of one man, and only he can be blamed. Real investigative journalism would have been to expose the motives of Cho, not debate whether an e-mail should have been sent earlier or been more detailed. Even as students from the Virginia Tech campus were being interviewed and asked if their administration at the university should have done more, the look of "Are you really asking me this now?" ran across most of their faces. They, like me, could not understand why their administrators were being harassed as if they made the events unfold, and not Cho. There is no way administrators at Virginia Tech could have predicted that a domestic dispute incident would be cause for the closing of an entire university. Anyone who thinks they would have had the notion to suspend classes and not think of the first attack as an isolated incident is thinking in the context of hindsight. Colleges enroll large quantities of students, equivalent to the population of some U.S. cities. Just like a city, Virginia Tech did not shut down when evidence of a homicide was discovered. It is nice to want to believe that our college campuses are the last step before entering the real world, and are therefore void of the many threats society holds. But evil does exist and it knows no bounds. This evil of one individual is the only factor that should matter in evaluating who is accountable for the Virginia Tech massacre. -- Original Source:New University - April 30, 2007