The Virginia Tech Massacre this Monday has shocked the nation in another instance of an isolated student using violence as a solution to their problems. But the question arises on how such incidents are able to occur in a large scale institution such as Virginia Tech and why Cho Seung-Hui was able to continue with the shooting in two separate episodes.
Students and parents are most aghast over why the police response was so delayed. According to the New York Times, the Virginia secretary of public safety, John W. Marshall has said that ‘Steger and Chief Wendell Flinchum of the campus police ‘made the right decisions based on the best information that they had available at the time.’ ‘
Response and awareness to the incident has been widespread among colleges through the use of their media, and online outlets, including Facebook and MySpace.
According to Stony Brook University Media Relations officer, Patrick Calabria, if a similar situation occurred here, ‘Campus-wide alerts are sent when there is a perceived threat to the campus. These decisions are made based on the information developed by University Police in conjunction with other University departments.’
In an e-mail sent earlier today, President Shirley Strum Kenny wrote ‘In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech, is it important that our campus community is informed about what efforts are being made to ensure the well-being of our students, faculty, and staff.’ The meeting was held in the Union auditorium from 1:00 to 2:00 PM with senior administrators present to discuss safety measures and outreach services.
When asked about what can be done to improve safety, Calabria said, ‘The University maintains an Emergency Operations Center which serves as the operations and communications center in the case of an emergency. Once an emergency arises, the Emergency Management team comes together to assess the situation, communicate with students, faculty, and staff, and respond to the issue. Communication is done through a multi-media platform, including campus-wide e-mail alerts, web site announcements, campus TV and radio, and external media. Students, faculty and staff can also register for alerts to go to their cell phones.’
He added, ‘There has been more concern about security since 9/11 and the establishment of the EOC was a response to that concern. The University Police is a professional police force, armed and trained. University Police work cooperatively with local police authorities in the investigation of crimes where appropriate. The University also focuses on preventive measures, such as the Counseling Center and other student support services, and the training of staff to identify students who may need support.’
SBU’s crime statistics are posted annually at http://ws.cc.stonybrook.edu/police/stats.shtml. There have been no reported homicides in the past 4 years and the crime rate has dropped consistently.
Thousands of students and staff gathered Tuesday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum, Virginia Tech’s basketball arena, for a solemn convocation. President George W. Bush and Laura Bush attended the gathering. ‘This is a day of mourning for Virginia Tech, and it is a day of sadness for our entire nation,’ said Bush.
