Tragedy struck the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute & State University (Virginia Tech) and the nation last Monday when Seung-Hui Cho committed a horrifying series of murders, killing 32 of his peers and injuring 20 others. The incident has gripped the attention of people around the world and instilled fear in students around the country. The Quad was equally as disturbed, as we are sure our readers were upon hearing, reading or watching the news unfold, and we extend our deepest sympathies to everyone affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech.Mistakes were made at Virginia Tech which we are sure will be exposed. While the slayings of 31 university students is undoubtedly a tragic occurrence, the real tragedy lies in the fact that many of those killed and injured may have been able to escape danger had proper communication systems been in place and utilized.
An apparent assumption by Virginia Tech’s police department and University administrators that Cho had left campus may have cost lives. Classes continued and not a warning was dispatched to students. “The second shooting was totally unanticipated,” Virginia Tech President Charles W. Steger said.
Students, in fact, were encouraged by word-of-mouth to seek safe shelter in Norris Hall. Shortly thereafter, Cho returned to kill another 30 people in that very building. Am e-mail was only sent to students and faculty after Cho had killed himself. That’s over two hours after the first incident in West Ambler Johnston Hall that left two dead and minutes after 30 others were killed. Most students didn’t even know that they received an e-mail.
Everybody thinks it couldn’t happen here, but Blacksburg, Va. isn’t much different from West Chester. It isn’t much different from most college towns. This kind of stuff ‘doesn’t’ happen in West Chester either – but it could. And imagine if this were to happen here. Would we be sitting in class, unaware that a killer was walking down the hall towards us? It’s difficult not to play that situation out in one’s mind. Every student should be asking himself or herself: “If I was in danger, how would I know?”
Many schools use an affordable an readily-available technology that sends a text message from a command center – usually the campus police department – to every student, faculty member and administrator warning them of potential danger. At the University of South Florida it’s called “MoBull” and it’s used in conjunction with mass e-mails in the case of an emergency. Most students own cell phones already and, when traversing campus, place calls or send text messages. This should be the obvious method used to reach students and WCU should consider purchasing this technology now, before its use is needed to alert students of potential danger.
Most disturbing, however, is the light this disaster sheds upon the proven truth that all universities must try to combat: nothing can stop a psychologically troubled gunman 100 percent of the time. Police can’t be everywhere all of the time, thus leaving us vulnerable to an attack virtually anywhere or any time. All we can do is everything in our power to keep each other and our University safe. We have two recommendations – both of which may have been able to limit or prevent the loss of life at Virginia Tech:
-All classroom doors should be able to lock from the inside. The inconvenience of occasionally getting locked out of a room is superseded by the safety this would provide to students and professors looking to protect themselves from a gunman. Students at Virginia Tech had to shut out Cho by keeping their classroom door closed with their hands and feet.
-All doors in all residence halls should be equipped with deadbolts. Only a deadbolt is strong enough to withstand extreme force. Some residence halls already have deadbolts installed. The University should offer the same safety to all of its on-campus residents.
The tremendous pain inflicted upon the students, faculty, administration, and community of Virginia Tech is truly unthinkable. And while nothing can undo the actions of a troubled individual, similar tragedies can be prevented and future lives can be saved by learning from the mistakes that were made.