Sour Memory Disturbs Va. Tech Students
description: By Kang Shin-who Staff Reporter Virginia Tech (VT) students didn't want to think about the massacre incident any more during the press conference with Korean media. Eighteen students and two professors of the school visited Konkuk University on Tuesday where they will attend summer school programs for a month. When it came to the shooting rampage by a South Korean immigrant student, they were firm in not talking about the past, saying none of them personally knew the killer or were at the scene of the crime. ``We do not judge Korea on the actions of one. We really ask that the media respect our grieving process,'' said Adnan Barqawi, 19, who is studying accounting and information system at VT. ``I personally lost two friends during the incident, I think that being on my own and being with my friends is what is going to help me.'' ``Coming to Korea happened because this is a part of my education. We have an increasing participation of the people of this world. My intention is not to stop my education because of adversity. I am here to learn and pursue my education,'' Adnan added. All students were wearing maroon and orange ribbons on their shirts. Asked the meaning of the ribbons, Cheryl Tait, 22, said that they represent the support of VT from all the universities in the United States. ``The ribbons symbolize our hope and all the support for one another,'' she said. Instead, VT members were excited about their new experience in Korea and wanted to talk about the programs they are scheduled to take part in here. ``This study abroad program was planned before the shooting. The students signed up and although they could have cancelled their decision to come, none of them did,'' VT professor Devi Gnyawali said. ``The study abroad program is a joint one with Japan and Korea. To learn about the culture and to tour various Korean companies for example Samsung and Hyundai, we came here.'' Lastly, they confirmed that the brutal incident will not affect Korean people at all. …
creator: Kang Shin-who
date: 2007-10-09
contributor: Haeyong Chung
language: eng

Virginia Tech: Laying The Blame
description: Karen Harper 22 Apr 2007 There will be a lot of blame dished out in the aftermath of the Virginia Tech massacre. But one element will be missing and that is the system itself. Capitalism and the society it nurtures will remain unscathed in the big business press. In the aftermath of another school shooting in the US, many will be asking why and some will be trying to lay blame. The shooter's parents will be blamed for how they raised him; the school will be blamed for how it dealt with his mental illness; and his schoolmates past and present will be blamed for how they teased and ostracized him. However, the blame will mostly not be laid where it appropriately belongs; on the head of capitalism and the social values that it has nourished. No individual can be looked at out of context of the larger society, and this young man and what he became cannot be understood without first looking at the society he came from. Unfortunately, the "angry loner" type that has done these sorts of shootings in the past is not the product of an isolated genetic mutation that happens unpredictably and that cannot be prevented. Such people are a real product of their environment and the direct result of capitalism's impact on personal development and mental health. This society promotes individuality, self-absorption, and competition over solidarity and collective struggle. Is it any surprise that some young people are so incapable of not only identifying with the group and its larger good, but also of even, in severe cases, forming any kind of meaningful relationship with another individual? These people after years of painful experiences can come to the conclusion that they are completely unloved and unlovable. Because we are social beings, this conclusion makes life difficult to continue. Capitalism is daily bombarding our self-esteem; we are never good enough under capitalism. There is always some drug to make us happier, some surgery to make us thinner, some car or house or job tha…
creator: Karen Harper
date: 2007-06-10
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication
language: eng

In Honor and Remembrance
description: Memorial to nine student victims from Virginia Tech's Department of Political Science and International Studies Program.
creator: Karen Nicholson
date: 2007-04-26
contributor: Brent Jesiek
language: eng

Gun licenses safe choice
description: By: Karl Spaulding Posted: 5/7/07 When Florida liberalized its restrictive and disjointed system of concealed carry laws in 1987, many states followed suit. In each case, naysayers predicted everything from "blood in the streets" to "parking lot shootouts." Just as regularly, after each state changed the law to allow more law-abiding citizens to carry concealed handguns, the results were peacefully anticlimactic. Within a year or so after a law changed, a law enforcement or political figure would be quoted in an article admitting they were surprised that there had been no major problems. Now after the Virginia Tech shootings, there are those wanting concealed carry to be allowed on college campuses. I've wanted this for ages, not as an "answer" to mass shootings (there is no single answer), but because it would further improve the safety of individuals who are legal to carry elsewhere in Ohio. Predictably, the naysayers are still at work. They claim the same tragic consequences as they always have, aggravated by our youthful population and the abuse of alcohol. One of the arguments that keeps popping up is that "everyone will have a gun." They expect us to believe that the most irresponsible students will start carrying guns while drunk, wreaking havoc in our residence halls and classrooms. What they don't mention is that in Ohio the minimum age for a concealed handgun license is 21. Plus, applicants have to take a 12-hour training course. At most, only around 4 to 5 percent of state populations obtain gun carry permits. Plus, schools could still be allowed to ban guns from their residence halls. I could state that these predictions are balderdash, but there is a better way to show this: real life results. "Campus carry" already exists. Utah is the only state that specifically allows licensed gun carriers on college campuses. Until just recently, the administration of the University of Utah banned legally concealed guns, but a decision from the Utah Supreme Court fo…
creator: Karl Spaulding
publisher: The Lantern
date: 2007-08-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: GERRICK LEWIS <lewis.1030@osu.edu>
language: eng

Shooting raises questions of safety
description: Is UM prepared for a similar emergency? By: Karyn Meshbane // Assistant News Editor Posted: 4/20/07 Monday morning's shooting rampage at Virginia Tech, the deadliest such incident in American history, has forced colleges and universities around the country, including the University of Miami, to reevaluate on-campus security. Once news broke of Monday's events, UM's Police Department and administrators reacted within hours. President Donna E. Shalala sent out a statement on Monday afternoon to all students concerning the Virginia Tech tragedy and spoke of a crisis plan, while David A. Rivero, director of public safety, increased police presence in order to avert a possible copycat incident. "We immediately communicated with everybody that's on our emergency response plan so that everybody knew what was happening," Rivero said. "We increased our force by doubling the amount of cops, and we hired extra security guards to give students, faculty and UM employees an extra sense of safety." Rivero traveled to Tallahassee on Monday for a meeting with all police chiefs from the ACC schools to discuss security concerns and plans at the other universities. Officers from the Coral Gables Police Department have also been hired to patrol campus. Security Response Three weeks ago, Rivero met with SG President Danny Carvajal and decided to create the University of Miami Police Advisory Board. Rivero said the advisory board would revolve around student participation to offer an alternate perspectives on possible security vulnerabilities. Carvajal appointed Matthew Shpiner, vice president of operations for the 'Canes Emergency Response (a organization comprised of students who assist the university in times of disaster preparation and recovery), as the chair of the University of Miami Police Advisory Board. Shpiner plans to have an official meeting this week to discuss the board's goals and plan a response to the Virginia Tech shootings. Alan Fish, the vice president of Business Serv…
creator: Karyn Meshbane
publisher: The Miami Hurricane
date: 2007-08-09
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Greg Linch <greglinch@gmail.com>
language: eng

https://april16.vtlibraries.net/items/show/1963
description: This day was supposed to be the best day of the year for me. It was my 14th birthday and when I found out about the shootings I did not care about my birthday. I was at school in Pennsylvania when the principal announced that there were shootings in Virginia. We had a moment of silence the next day at school at the exact time the first person was shot the day before. It was a borthday that I will never forget.
creator: Kasi Pick
date: 2008-03-29
contributor: Kasi Pick
language: eng

Examining Safety at State, Local Levels
description: BHE takes a look at campus security By: Kate Davies Posted: 4/20/07 The Board of Higher Education, during its meeting that was previously called to clarify the fine print on Massachusetts's policy toward allowing undocumented immigrants to receive in-state tuition, said it plans to review universities' security policies in wake of this Monday's shootings at Virginia Tech. Taking time to reflect on the shootings, in which 32 Virginia Tech members were killed by a gunman who then took his own life, Board officials said although universities already have adequate crisis response plans in place, it is important to review such policies and possibly seek more statewide funding for the schools. "We have strong plans in place to secure a safe learning and working environment that we can go to everyday," said Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts President Mary Grant. "We always have to prepare for the worst and hope for the best." The BHE announced it will meet in June at the University of Massachusetts with public and private universities and state police to review existing response programs. In a BHE press release yesterday, Secretary of Public Safety Kevin Burke said the schools' existing plans are extensive. "The Department of State Police review of these plans is designed to ensure that the plans continue to reflect best practice standards," he said. After further work with universities, schools may adopt more high-tech communication methods, including automated voice and text-messaging systems and better counseling services for students, the BHE press release states. When the Board turned to its original agenda, it released a "fact sheet" detailing the fine print of the in-state tuition system as it applies to undocumented immigrants. BHE chairman Aaron Spencer said the fact sheet is meant to clarify two bills filed separately by the Senate and House that would each allow undocumented immigrants to attend state institutions at the same price other state residents pay.…
creator: Kate Davies
publisher: The Daily Free Press
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Matt Negrin <editor@dailyfreepress.com>
language: eng

Remove cause of violence by ending social divide
description: By: Katherine Paster Posted: 4/18/07 Another school shooting has claimed the lives of more young victims, and we are left wondering why so many of our peers had to die. In all, 33 people were killed at Virginia Tech on Monday in what officials are calling the most deadly school attack in U.S. history. As we begin to grieve this substantial loss, college campuses around the nation are struggling to figure out how to prevent such senseless acts of violence from occurring in the future. While some students are looking to their university administrators to address safety concerns, it may not occur to them that they could also play some role in keeping tragedies of this nature from reoccurring. The most alarming part of the tragedy is not the record-breaking number of casualties, the warning signs leading up to it, or the university's unprepared response. It is that the gunman was neither a misguided Marilyn Manson protégé nor a terrorist as we may have assumed. Instead, Cho Seung-hui was a 23-year-old English major who lived in the dorms on campus like countless other undergraduate students around the nation. "He was a loner, and we're having difficulty finding information about him," said Larry Hincker, Virginia Tech's associate vice president for university relations, in a press release. From the little information available, it appears as though Cho was not unlike many college students who struggle to fit in with the white, upper-middle class group of elite students who often dominate the social scenes of universities around the country. Cho poured his hatred and resentment for this exclusive group of socialites into a lengthy note found in his dorm room on Tuesday morning. His passionate disdain for the "in" crowd calls attention to the dangerous divide that exists between the popular students and social outcasts. As we walk carelessly around campus, Syracuse University students never expect to encounter an armed gunman in our classrooms or dormitories. Yet the un…
creator: Katherine Paster
publisher: The Daily Orange
date: 2007-08-23
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Peter Waack <pwaack@dailyorange.com>
language: eng

The tragedy of Virginia Tech is partly a tragedy of bureaucracy
description: From the Editor May/June 2007 by Kathrin Day Lassila '81 The tragedy of Virginia Tech is partly a tragedy of bureaucracy. I don't mean the sort of complaint people usually make about bureaucracy -- too much paperwork and red tape. I mean the opposite. Too few records. Too little discussion and sharing of information. Too few staff, perhaps. I'm not blaming the state of Virginia or Virginia Tech for failing to stop a determined murderer. But enough bureaucracy, of the right kind, would have given them a chance. The gun salesman would have known Seung-Hui Cho had a history of mental illness and wasn't entitled to buy guns. The associate dean who told a worried professor last fall that she hadn't heard of any previous problems would have known about the two complaints to the police and the judge's ruling that Cho was a danger to himself. The competing needs for privacy and protection can't be perfectly balanced. Colleges and universities serve a vulnerable demographic. Usually, "major mental illness first shows itself somewhere between the ages of 17 to around 25," says Lorraine Siggins, chief psychiatrist at Yale Health Services. Against those rare but terrible events, universities need discreet and careful systems. If a student has trouble and the trouble is resolved, the university has to leave the student alone to live the ordinary turbulent life of a young adult, in privacy, without stigma. But if trouble recurs, the right administrator has to be able to find out fast that this isn't the first time. The competing needs for privacy and protection can't be perfectly balanced. After VT, says Betty Trachtenberg, dean of student affairs at Yale College, university officials everywhere thought, There, but for the grace of God . . . But it's easier to have good systems and enough staff at a wealthy, relatively small private institution than a large public institution. Siggins speaks of a "web" of people at Yale who act as a safety net. Medical privacy rules prevent her s…
creator: Kathrin Day Lassila
date: 2007-06-11
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Permission granted by author Kathrin Lassila, kathrin.lassila@yale.edu
language: eng

ribbons of remembrance
description: Maroon and orange ribbons remained on trees on the drillfield over the Memorial Day weekend.
creator: Kathryn Kuhn
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Kathryn Kuhn
language: eng

SLU supports Tech
description: Students at Saint Louis University sent nearly a dozen message board to Tech in the weeks following the tragedy. SLU also hosted a memorial mass in honor of the Tech students and professors who died.
creator: Kathryn Kuhn
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Kathryn Kuhn
language: eng

https://april16.vtlibraries.net/items/show/1081
description: Over Memorial Day weekend flowers, ribbons and condolences continued to occupy the drillfield in front of Burruss Hall
creator: Kathryn Kuhn
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Kathryn Kuhn
language: eng

A Child's Support
description: This letter was part of one of the 32 memorials. The tragedy affected people of all ages.
creator: Kathryn Kuhn
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Kathryn Kuhn
language: eng

Memorial Day on the Drillfield
description: The drillfield monuments drew many people over the Memorial Day weekend.
creator: Kathryn Kuhn
date: 2007-08-14
contributor: Kathryn Kuhn
language: eng

Campus security reacts to shootings
description: Saint Mary's reviews security protocols, does not anticipate changes changes Katie Kohler Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News Saint Mary's students may feel safe on their quiet residential Indiana campus, but until Monday, students in Blacksburg, Va., felt the same way. In the aftermath of the Virginia Tech shootings, members of the Saint Mary's community have began asking, "Are we safe?" College President Carol Ann Mooney addressed those concerns in an e-mail to students Wednesday, asking them to take steps to protect each other. "Saint Mary's is a secure place, but that does not mean we have been lulled into complacency," she said in the e-mail. "We must remember that college safety and security is everyone's responsibility." In an e-mail Tuesday, Vice President of Student Affairs Karen Johnson told students to keep their eyes open and report any suspicious activity on campus - especially near the residence halls. "Don't let people 'tailgate' into the residence halls behind you," Johnson said. "If anyone tries to do so, report them to the desk attendant or College Security." Current emergency protocol While the events at Virginia Tech are making colleges across the nation question their current safety procedures, Saint Mary's is simply working to improve the security protocols in place. Saint Mary's is trying to improve the existing standard operating procedure in the event of a gun crime or shooting on campus, said Saint Mary's Director of Security David Gariepy. But rather than a reaction to Monday's Virginia Tech bloodbath, Johnson said these upgrades are always on the administration's agenda. "This is not something we just started working on," she said. "Security is always of utmost importance, and so we are always working on making it better." The administration and members of a security planning committee, she said, are currently reviewing a new duty manual. The Saint Mary's Security Web site has a detailed emergency response plan for chemical or biological th…
creator: Katie Kohler
date: 2008-02-25
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Christopher Hine <chine@nd.edu>
language: eng

UNC to get phone alerts
description: Text messages can notify police By: Katy Doll, Staff Writer Posted: 4/20/07 UNC officials are implementing a phone system that alerts campus police when students are in danger. Beginning this fall, the University will offer the Rave Guardian program, which uses a Global Positioning System timer to notify police of students' locations when needed. "You can set a timer on your phone that says: 'If I don't reset this timer, I want you to send a signal to campus police,'" said Larry Hicks, director of the Department of Housing and Residential Education. When the time expires, the phone alerts the student, and if it's not turned off, Rave contacts campus police, who can locate the phone using GPS technology. In the wake of the Virginia Tech shooting, campus security is on everyone's mind, but UNC officials were planning to implement Rave Guardian before Monday's shootings. UNC officials are in negotiations with different providers and do not know the exact costs associated with purchasing the program. Hicks said the housing department plans to offer a reduced price on GPS phones to all on-campus students next year. There will be a push for incoming freshmen to buy the phones, which will be promoted at C-TOPS. The program is part of the Rave Wireless system, an existing service that allows students to receive text messages about Blackboard updates and bus routes. The service also has an emergency broadcasting system. "We could basically send out a broadcast message to all the users of the Rave system," said Brian Payst, director of technology and systems support for the division of student affairs. Students whose phones aren't equipped for the GPS program can use Rave's other features, such as emergency text messaging. Students can sign up at www.unc.edu/rave. Rave was established as a pilot program at UNC last summer with a group of about 20 students and now has 364 students, Payst said. The emergency system never has been used, but officials said they have completed tes…
creator: Katy Doll
date: 2007-07-16
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Kevin Schwartz <kschwartz@unc.edu>
language: eng

Campus creates major issues
description: April 24, 2007 By KATY MATLOCK Contributor Before April 16, the topic of stress at Baylor University could have provoked yawns in its predictability. With final exams, social pressures and looming career goals as the ingredients, stress was an inevitable dish served up to college students across the nation. Occasionally, some deaths that are stress-related suggested a deeper problem stalking the shoulders of students. But in general, the consensus seemed to be that stress is a fact of life on college campuses. On April 16, Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old English major at Virginia Tech University, killed himself and 32 of his fellow "Hokie Birds." The university shooting shocked the nation and threw a new stressor onto students' plates. Over the next few weeks, students on the Baylor campus at the least will be coping with passing final exams, starting summer jobs and accepting a tragedy that shattered a fellow university's campus bubble. In addition, students may be facing difficult situations at home, financial struggles or post-graduation uncertainty. As trite as it may seem, there are some helpful ways that students can persevere and even embrace life during the stress of the next few weeks. Rachel Farris, a graduate student from St. Louis, includes a section on stress management in her Health and Human Behavior classes. She encourages students to include short, fun activities in their schedules. "Some of my students schedule times in their day to have a stress break where they might color, listen to music, work on art, read or write," Farris said. Farris also applies these practices in her own life. "I try to take regular breaks in my schedule to do things that I enjoy," she said. In these breaks, she said, she may read, write, exercise or listen to music. She limits her breaks to less than an hour so that the break itself relieves rather than compounds her stress, she said. Corpus Christi sophomore Patrick Roberts allows himself a break one day a week. "If I don't…
creator: KATY MATLOCK
date: 2007-10-02
contributor: Haeyong Chung
language: eng

Campus creates major issues
description: April 24, 2007 By KATY MATLOCK Contributor Before April 16, the topic of stress at Baylor University could have provoked yawns in its predictability. With final exams, social pressures and looming career goals as the ingredients, stress was an inevitable dish served up to college students across the nation. Occasionally, some deaths that are stress-related suggested a deeper problem stalking the shoulders of students. But in general, the consensus seemed to be that stress is a fact of life on college campuses. On April 16, Cho Seung-Hui, a 23-year-old English major at Virginia Tech University, killed himself and 32 of his fellow "Hokie Birds." The university shooting shocked the nation and threw a new stressor onto students' plates. Over the next few weeks, students on the Baylor campus at the least will be coping with passing final exams, starting summer jobs and accepting a tragedy that shattered a fellow university's campus bubble. In addition, students may be facing difficult situations at home, financial struggles or post-graduation uncertainty. As trite as it may seem, there are some helpful ways that students can persevere and even embrace life during the stress of the next few weeks. Rachel Farris, a graduate student from St. Louis, includes a section on stress management in her Health and Human Behavior classes. She encourages students to include short, fun activities in their schedules. "Some of my students schedule times in their day to have a stress break where they might color, listen to music, work on art, read or write," Farris said. Farris also applies these practices in her own life. "I try to take regular breaks in my schedule to do things that I enjoy," she said. In these breaks, she said, she may read, write, exercise or listen to music. She limits her breaks to less than an hour so that the break itself relieves rather than compounds her stress, she said. Corpus Christi sophomore Patrick Roberts allows himself a break one day a week. "If I don't…
creator: KATY MATLOCK
date: 2008-02-05
contributor: Kacey Beddoes
rights: Julie Freeman (Julie_Freeman@baylor.edu)
language: eng

Students show support for Virginia Tech with photo
description: 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 sor…
creator: KAY OYEGUN
date: 2007-08-19
contributor: Sara Hood
rights: Annie Tubbs <annietubbs@gmail.com>
language: eng

Guns Don't Kill People, Kids Who Play Video Games Kill People...
description: April 18, 2007 I apologize in advance for the tone of this piece. I thoroughly appreciate the devastating gravity of the situation, and I extend my heartfelt condolences to those families and friends affected. Blacksburg, Virginia. Less than a week ago, nothing would have sprung to mind. In fact, many would not even have known this small town existed. Now, for obvious reasons, it's on the map. The events of April 16 serve as a reminder - a reminder that society is imperfect; that society is unpredictable; and that society is unprepared. In fairness to those involved, the events at Virgina Tech could not have been predicted with any ease. What happened was not a commonplace, run-of-the-mill, every-day happening. I won't even go so far as to say that what happened could have been prevented - there is no reasonable way of knowing that. What I will do, however, is take a few quick shots at the aftermath. Everyone has their own concocted theory on how to respond to this type of situation. Pat Brown, for example, argues that whoever was the owner of the weapons used in the attack should be held accountable for the deaths of each and every student and professor on Monday. She believes that somehow, this would prevent a psychopath from acquiring the weapons they would choose to employ for such causes. The real world begs to differ, Pat. What we need to take away from the Virginia Tech Massacre is very simple - there are people out there that need help. Guns didn't kill those students; the Asian man didn't kill those professors; what transpired at Virginia Tech is exactly what happened at Columbine, Taber, Montreal, and every other mass shooting. These people were neglected. Do I believe in any way that whatever circumstances the shooter may have been put through justify his actions? No. Reciprocity, particularly when it involves violence, solves nothing. With that said, however, how do we take ownership of Monday's events? Do we pretend that this was an isolated incident - …
creator: keh619 / Tales of a Back Seat Prime Minster (blog)
date: 2007-07-09
contributor: Brent Jesiek
rights: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 1.0
language: eng