Ferrari Williams
With the recent Virginia Tech tragedy, Pierce College students are concerned about their safety.
Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University student and English major Cho Seung-Hui, killed 32 people in two locations on campus before shooting himself in the head April 16.
According to several reports, including Yahoo news and broadcasts by KCRW, a year and a half before the shooting spree, a professor was so concerned about his anger that she took him out of another teacher’s creative writing class and taught him one-on-one.
The former chairwoman of Virginia Tech’s English department, Lucinda Roy, said the anger Cho expressed was “palpable if not explicit.”
In his English compositions, Cho often spoke of rape, child molesters and killing. But is that grounds to accuse someone of being dangerous?
According to Officer Jody Clounch at the Pierce College campus sheriff’s station, there is only so much a person can do about empty threats.
“If complaints were filed about a student’s behavior, we would bring him or her in for questioning. Once we interview them and file a report, we have to turn it back over to the school. Ultimately, the school has control over any further action against the student.” Several reports were filed in regards to Cho’s strange behavior and explicit writing but the school didn’t do much to stop it.
“The school was afraid of liability. They didn’t want to have a lawsuit,” said Clounch.
This type of thinking has students on campus fearful of their safety.
Allison Razo, a current Pierce student said that although she wasn’t directly affected by the Virginia tragedy, she is still worried about her own safety.
“Lately I’ve been sitting in class thinking, what’s going to happen to me?” said Razo.
Razo frequently sees the campus police patrolling in their vehicles and carts but she still doesn’t feel secure.
Shannon Adams, also a current Pierce student says the experience hit a little closer to home.
“My boyfriend was going to walk on (join) the Virginia Tech football team,” said Adams.
She was definitely scared when she returned to campus after hearing the news.
“I see the campus police around the school all the time but all they care about is giving tickets,’ she said
Although little was done about the disturbing language used in Cho’s writing, officers on campus assure students that they are here to protect and serve.
“Students should have no fear,” said Clounch.
“We are here 24 hours a day, seven days a week.”
Officer Clounch said they have 14 security officers, two sheriff’s deputies, one sergeant and eight cadets who have been briefed on the incident and trained to deal with situations like this one.
“We have an operation plan and are equipped with radios that can reach officers on and off campus within a half of a second,” said Clounch.
No complaints have been made about how Pierce campus police have been dealing with the situation but students and parents have called to ask questions and express their concern for their safety and well being.
“This tragedy has been a learning experience to all of us. The administration at the schools needs to take the signs more seriously,” said Clounch.
Art major Paula Morande, an international student’s club member, tries to share the feelings of the Virginia Tech University shooting with other students on the Pierce College mall April 19. “We want to show sympathy and respect to our peers in Virginia,” said Morande. ()