American universities experienced one of the saddest events in their history. On April 16, 2007, a student named Seung-Hui Cho at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and Virginia State University, known as Virginia Tech, killed 32 people and injured 17 others in two separate attacks about two hours apart before committing suicide. While it was a fatal and unexpected incident, the consequences for the institution were even more devastating. Since then, the lack of communication between university administration and the student body at the time of the incidents has been criticized. Some students reported that they were not informed until more than two hours after the first shots were fired, leaving many unaware of the potential danger on campus at the time.
Following the shooting that claimed the lives of so many promising students, VT implemented several security measures to increase safety and improve communication in emergency situations. An emergency alert system was established to notify students and staff of potential safety threats via email, text message, and desktop. Additionally, the number of security personnel on the VT campus was increased and mandatory safety training was implemented for all first-year students. The same massacre led to legislative changes in the Virginia General Assembly requiring institutions of higher learning to establish “threat assessment teams” to identify and respond to potential campus safety threats. Subsequently, the federal government placed the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 2008, which requires health insurance companies to provide the same mental health benefits as they provide for all other patient health needs.
The Virginia Tech massacre was a stark reminder of the potential for future campus violence. Nevertheless, the university made significant changes that served as a starting point for a nationwide overhaul of campus policies. The Virginia Tech community has driven a conversation of these urgently needed steps forward, but has also demonstrated remarkable solidarity by supporting one another and reaffirming its commitment to ensuring that April 16, 2007, never happens again. We honor this memory and the names of those affected.
Ross A. Alameddine, Christopher James Bishop, Brian R. Bluhm, Ryan Christopher Clark, Austin Michelle Cloyd, Jocelyne Couture-Nowak, Kevin P. Granata, Matthew Gregory Gwaltney, Caitlin Millar Hammaren, Jeremy Michael Herbstritt, Rachael Elizabeth Hill, Emily Jane Hilscher, Jarrett Lee Lane, Matthew Joseph La Porte, Henry J. Lee (Henh Ly), Liviu Librescu, G.V. Loganathan, Mamora Halomoan Lumbantoruan, Lauren Ashley McCain, Daniel Patrick O’Neil, Juan Ramon Ortiz-Ortiz, Hiralal Panchal, Daniel Alejandro Perez Cueva, Erin Nicole Peterson, Michael Steven Pohle, Jr., Julia Kathleen Pryde, Mary Karen Read, Joseph Samaha, Waleed Mohamed Shaalan, Leslie Geraldine Sherman, Maxine Shelly Turner, Nicole Regina White. All victim names were a suggested source of an AI overview.
This underscores the importance of investing in preventative measure for any emergency that could result in a similar outcome to that of April 16, 2007. In addition to these efforts, Virginia Teach held a conversation with the City University of New York (CUNY) Research Scholars Program of Kingsborough Community College. The conversation focused on the events since the tragedy, which suggests this brief overview and perspective by Moïse-Léna Jean-Louis, arts and culture diem editor. A former student, enrolled at Kingsborough Community College in 2017 and completed her associate degree in Business Administration two years later. Through her participation in Virginia Teach’s Conversation Week through the CUNY Research Scholars Program (CRSP), she gained firsthand experience conducting scientific research in nanoscience and geoscience. This culminated in winning the Best Poster Award at the 2018 Annual Symposium, held at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and sponsored by the STEM Department of Kingsborough Community College. The research, conducted in collaboration with Virginia Tech, provided valuable insights into the implementation processes of nano-science techniques currently used at Virginia Tech and supported the discussion of future fatal prevention, during a week-long trip to Virginia Tech.
Discussion about this post