VA - Virginia Tech Shooting, 32 murdered, 23 injured, 16 April 2007

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Virginia Tech's English department offered a new course last fall -- Contemporary Horror -- and Seung-Hui Cho enrolled.
The course description for English 3984 warned students that the course was not for the faint of heart and described films they would study and analyze, including "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It described a new genre of horror films in which lead characters could no longer count on surviving "the invasion of zombies, homicidal maniacs and vampires."

<snip>

Stevens said then that as the public has become more accustomed to seeing blood and gore in the news, horror films have become increasingly violent. The goal of the class was to get students to think analytically about the books and films they reviewed. Students were encouraged to keep a journal about their personal fears.

more at the link http://www.roanoke.com/vtreactions/wb/114133
 
Colin Goddard had called 911 and then dropped the phone, the line still open to the dispatcher. A bullet hit him in the left leg, breaking his femur. He, too, lay motionless, and the gunman left.

I wonder if they will release the 911 tapes?

I like the idea of the bullet proof doors Taximom. There needs to be good sturdy locks on the doors too. The classroom doors at Va Tech did not lock .
 
<Virginia Tech's English department offered a new course last fall -- Contemporary Horror -- and Seung-Hui Cho enrolled.
The course description for English 3984 warned students that the course was not for the faint of heart and described films they would study and analyze, including "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It described a new genre of horror films in which lead characters could no longer count on surviving "the invasion of zombies, homicidal maniacs and vampires."

<snip>

Stevens said then that as the public has become more accustomed to seeing blood and gore in the news, horror films have become increasingly violent. The goal of the class was to get students to think analytically about the books and films they reviewed. Students were encouraged to keep a journal about their personal fears>

geez... of all the things they could be studying in a university... is that *really* necessary.......?? don't people have enough saturation of gore and violence every day, with those stupid games, or just turning on the news, in movies, TV, extc etc etc etc etc... without having to study about it in school, too? give me a break.
 
cheko1 said:
Seems Cho went on quite a spending spree. Even rented a Van from Enterprise Rent A Car for a month. Must of been no end to his deep pockets for a college student.

Investigators piece together Cho's spending spree
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It appears this spending spree was all done on a credit card. So, in the end, he is stiffing his parents for the bill. I am sure they provided the card for him based on their good credit. He never was employed or at least that we know of at this time.
 
Taximom said:
That's truly a horrific account. I can't imagine how long it will take for those students to recover...or will they?

I suggest that new schools be built with bullet-proof doors and desks/tables.
:(
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It would help if the existing doors could be locked and there was some new legislation passed for more extensive background checks on potential gun buyers, and to enforce the laws that are already in place such as no sales of firearms to those with mental instability/illness.
 
Shadow205 said:
Virginia Tech's English department offered a new course last fall -- Contemporary Horror -- and Seung-Hui Cho enrolled.
The course description for English 3984 warned students that the course was not for the faint of heart and described films they would study and analyze, including "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It described a new genre of horror films in which lead characters could no longer count on surviving "the invasion of zombies, homicidal maniacs and vampires."

<snip>

Stevens said then that as the public has become more accustomed to seeing blood and gore in the news, horror films have become increasingly violent. The goal of the class was to get students to think analytically about the books and films they reviewed. Students were encouraged to keep a journal about their personal fears.

more at the link http://www.roanoke.com/vtreactions/wb/114133
Click to expand...
Of all the ridiculous things to offer as curriculum. If this class is still being offered they won't need to use films of the horror genre as the subject matter. The horror film became reality last Monday. :mad:
 
panthera said:
It would help if the existing doors could be locked and there was some new legislation passed for more extensive background checks on potential gun buyers, and to enforce the laws that are already in place such as no sales of firearms to those with mental instability/illness.
Click to expand...

The classroom doors on the campus where I teach do lock, but only with a key. The custodial staff goes through the buildings unlocking the doors in the early morning and then locking them up in the evenings. As a instructor I have no control over the locking of the doors. I think that there are good reasons for not having lockable classroom doors on university campuses. In the case of an emergency, it could be dangerous to be accidentally or intentionally locked into the classroom. The drawback to locked doors on a daily basis outweighs the benefits in the remote case of a mass murderer, IMO.
 
angelmom said:
I also wonder if some of the timing has to do with the school year being almost over. Two years ago my son was being bullied at school, and we didn't even realize it until about February or March. We were working through it and helping him cope, talking with the school, and things were going along okay until about April when he just couldn't cope anymore. He was crying every day, exploding at the least little thing, to the point that we almost pulled him out of school for the last 6 weeks.

Even though he was only ten, he tried to explain it to me. The basic gist was that he knew he had to get through each day. As the end of the year got closer and closer, it actually got harder to put up with, and the more he wished he could get even (in his mind, saying something mean back to them) just once before the year was out.

Spring break was the tipping point when we had to have a huge conference with the principal and counselor and all of his teachers. Luckily we recognized how bad it was getting and they did a great job of stepping in and putting their thumb down on these boys. :mad: The rest of the year went fine and it has never been a problem since, but I wonder how many parents, especially of older kids, would have just tried to tough it out to the end. :(
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Angelmom,
thanks for sharing that. Has your son seemed to come through that hard time without lasting effects that you can tell?
My son was being picked on/bullied on his school bus. Get this!!--- When I requested a meeting with the principal and told her this kid was picking stuff up off the bus floor and jamming it into my son's mouth, she said (after hearing the mean child's name) "OH I know him. He is definatley not a bully". :banghead:
I have driven him to school since then. Very frustrating. I also don't want to over-intervene. I don't want to create adults out of my chlidren who have this modern day attitude that "I don't have to put up with this!" and can't hold a job. THat's another discussion another day. But bullying is a huge issue for parents.

I also agree with what someone else said here - If I knew my parents would be notifeid of my seeking counseling in college, I wouldn't have went to a counselor. Maybe the difference should be if the student is seeking it or if they are being made to go.
 
panthera.. i SO agree, and i'm sill waiting for someone to pipe in and defend it... LOL. i mean, what a WASTE of university money!!! don't kids see ENOUGH violence today?? i hope VT rethinks this stupid class after this event.
 
and yeah,, who was paying for all that stuff?? did his parents even care what he was spending all their money on?? is this how it is today, kids just get a FREE credit card, to just go crazy buying whatever they want...?


again i sympathize with his parents, and maybe they were not close.. maybe deep down they even wanted him out of their lives. but surely, they knew SOMETHING was terribly wrong with him. i find it very revealing that the grandfather said "i'm glad he's dead- he was an SOB" (or whatever it was-- that is, if he really did say that!) i wonder what terrible things he did to make him say that.....?
 
laini said:
Angelmom,
thanks for sharing that. Has your son seemed to come through that hard time without lasting effects that you can tell?
My son was being picked on/bullied on his school bus. Get this!!--- When I requested a meeting with the principal and told her this kid was picking stuff up off the bus floor and jamming it into my son's mouth, she said (after hearing the mean child's name) "OH I know him. He is definatley not a bully". :banghead:
I have driven him to school since then. Very frustrating. I also don't want to over-intervene. I don't want to create adults out of my chlidren who have this modern day attitude that "I don't have to put up with this!" and can't hold a job. THat's another discussion another day. But bullying is a huge issue for parents.

I also agree with what someone else said here - If I knew my parents would be notifeid of my seeking counseling in college, I wouldn't have went to a counselor. Maybe the difference should be if the student is seeking it or if they are being made to go.
Click to expand...

The principal's reaction was wrong, pure and simple. Tell her that it doesn't matter what she thinks, you expect your child to have a safe environment for his transportation to school, and if she cannot ensure that, you will take the next step and go to the next level.

Nobody wants to overprotect their children, but we also need to remember that our children are looking to us for protection when the world doesn't make sense. I've come to realize there are times when I have to intervene to show my child she is worthy of intervention.

However, the VT shooter had other emotional issues that started not so much at school, but before then (who knows how or why at this point.) He refused to talk. Being a selective mute is a sign of personal trauma (I had a student who was very close to this--her parent was killed--it took great effort to help the child come to a point of wanting to communicate) or other emotional issues.

Sadly, the way the system is now, if the parent does not agree, the child does not receive any kind of intervention. This means that the very people who are part of the problem (sometimes unwittingly, they truly do not mean to emotionally mess up their children) then decide that the child gets to just "get along."

I don't know all the answers, but I can tell you that for sure, this is part of th problem.
 
Cypros said:
The classroom doors on the campus where I teach do lock, but only with a key. The custodial staff goes through the buildings unlocking the doors in the early morning and then locking them up in the evenings. As a instructor I have no control over the locking of the doors. I think that there are good reasons for not having lockable classroom doors on university campuses. In the case of an emergency, it could be dangerous to be accidentally or intentionally locked into the classroom. The drawback to locked doors on a daily basis outweighs the benefits in the remote case of a mass murderer, IMO.
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Yes that makes sense. I was just trying to brainstorm for something that might have prevented Cho from getting inside the classrooms.
 
reb said:
panthera.. i SO agree, and i'm sill waiting for someone to pipe in and defend it... LOL. i mean, what a WASTE of university money!!! don't kids see ENOUGH violence today?? i hope VT rethinks this stupid class after this event.
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I certainly agree and hope that this class is no longer offered. It's going to be bad enough for the students to put this tragedy out of their minds that they don't need to be reminded of it as part of curriculum.
 
How bizarre is the purchase of the rubber duckies?! They are so cute. Did his suite have a bathtub? :waitasec:

Maybe he used them for target practice in the woods somewhere.
 
Taximom said:
How bizarre is the purchase of the rubber duckies?! They are so cute. Did his suite have a bathtub? :waitasec:

Maybe he used them for target practice in the woods somewhere.
Click to expand...

My first thought was target practice!
 
Taximom said:
How bizarre is the purchase of the rubber duckies?! They are so cute. Did his suite have a bathtub? :waitasec:

Maybe he used them for target practice in the woods somewhere.
Click to expand...
They are cute but as you say it is a bizarre thing. I am with you regarding the use of these for target practice although we'rent they purchased early last year? Although may be I am incorrect but I thought it said Feb o6'. I guess he could have just got them then put them in a cupboard for later use.
 
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