Massacre at Virginia Tech
Tragedy Takes its Toll on US's Crisis Communication
Adam Lawless
Issue date: 4/26/07 Section: News
UC holds candlelight vigil to remember the 32 slain Virginia Tech students
The tragic events that happened at Virginia Tech on April 16 have been carved into American history. This infamous day marks the worst mass murder in the U.S. to date. The aftershock of the massacre is being felt across the country and throughout the world.
Students, faculty and staff at Utica College have all been affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech. As members of a college campus, many people have had to re-examine their personal level of safety as they heard the news of Monday's massacre.
Jim Saponaro is the director of campus safety at UC. He is one of the many administrators at a college and university that is re-evaluating the effectiveness of the individual institution's security. Saponaro used a familiar adage to describe how UC will ensure the safety of its people.
"The best defense is a good offense," Saponaro said. "Safety on any campus is everyone's responsibility."
He urges everyone on campus to be aware of their surroundings, get involved and take responsibility for the safety of themselves and their fellow classmates, professors and UC staff.
Saponaro's use of the familiar adage is carried through to some possible plans to improve communication during a crisis situation at UC. He admits that size does matter when it comes to properly communicating with an entire campus. Virginia Tech has roughly 29,000 students on a campus that is nearly the size of a small town. UC's student body pales in comparison with less than 3,000 students on a campus that is much smaller than that of Virginia Tech.
UC's smaller size makes it easier to communicate with all its students, Saponaro said. However, he acknowledged the fact that the college has some improvements to make.
The tragic events that happened at Virginia Tech on April 16 have been carved into American history. This infamous day marks the worst mass murder in the U.S. to date. The aftershock of the massacre is being felt across the country and throughout the world.
Students, faculty and staff at Utica College have all been affected by the tragedy at Virginia Tech. As members of a college campus, many people have had to re-examine their personal level of safety as they heard the news of Monday's massacre.
Jim Saponaro is the director of campus safety at UC. He is one of the many administrators at a college and university that is re-evaluating the effectiveness of the individual institution's security. Saponaro used a familiar adage to describe how UC will ensure the safety of its people.
"The best defense is a good offense," Saponaro said. "Safety on any campus is everyone's responsibility."
He urges everyone on campus to be aware of their surroundings, get involved and take responsibility for the safety of themselves and their fellow classmates, professors and UC staff.
Saponaro's use of the familiar adage is carried through to some possible plans to improve communication during a crisis situation at UC. He admits that size does matter when it comes to properly communicating with an entire campus. Virginia Tech has roughly 29,000 students on a campus that is nearly the size of a small town. UC's student body pales in comparison with less than 3,000 students on a campus that is much smaller than that of Virginia Tech.
UC's smaller size makes it easier to communicate with all its students, Saponaro said. However, he acknowledged the fact that the college has some improvements to make.
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Caisy
posted 5/03/07 @ 9:16 PM EST
" ... the Virginia Tech shooting rampage, while tragic, was not ?the worst mass murder in U.S. history.? It wasn?t the ?second worst mass murder in U. (Continued…)
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