Alan Cohan (Cohan) once noted, “It takes a lot of courage to release the familiar and seemingly secure, to embrace the new. [sic] But there is no real security in what is no longer meaningful. There is more security in the adventurous and exciting, for in movement there is life, and in change there is power.” His quote embraces the idea of change, of morphing, and of modification. The raw power behind the living nature of news stories is absolutely astounding. Morphing minute by minute, and day to day, as long as there is someone, somewhere, with something to say, they will continue to grow. We all realize the impact the news can have on us, whether it is a direct impact or not. What we often fail to realize, however, is the impact we can have on the news. I'm not necessarily talking about personal impact, but more of a collective impact. We shape and change stories as they break, giving them the multiple lives that will, eventually, come together to form on story.
A very potent, and dark, example of a living story is that of the Virginia Tech shootings. This story was reshaped minute by minute and piece by piece as each detail and viewpoint was sought out. Breaking on April 16th, 2007, the initial report stated that two individuals had been found shot to death in a dormitory. It was, at this time, believed that the incident was isolated and was a result of a domestic dispute. That's not any less tragic, of course, but this story was about to evolve into a far more gruesome and in-depth tragedy than any could ever imagine.
The spree began at 0715. It was, at that time, not known as a "spree", simple a dispute. According to National Public Radio Online, as of 0730, "police believe the double homicide stemmed from a domestic dispute and was an isolated incident." It was also not believed that the gunman was a student. As a matter of fact, Chief Flinchum, the chief of University police, strongly believed that the gunman had left the campus, and possibly even the state! Little did they know. . . .
A little more than two hours later, this story took a turn for the worse. Another shooting was reported. The shootings had been going on for awhile, but the officials involved were busy behind the scenes. Trying to decide how to respond and alert students, faculty, and staff to the first shooting, they neglected to consider the possibility of a second tragedy. Arriving at Norris Hall, a science and engineering building, the police were forced to break in because the doors were chained shut. Upon entering the building, the gunshots ceased. Screams rang throughout the building as police walked into the worst shooting massacre in American history.
As of 12 o'clock noon, Virginia Tech police believed believed 22 dead. However, this story continued to morph. At 1630, the final report came through. The final count ended up being 33. 32 of those dead were victims, and one was the shooter himself. Unable to be identified on the spot due to severe damage to facial structure, the shooter was later identified as Seung-Hui Cho.
Once the "breaking news" was complete, this story began to take on a life of its own as news spread across the nation. The Virginia Tech campus community was in shock and in shambles. Support immediately began to pour in from every state, and from all levels. From elementary schools to major corporations, the United States of America sought to bear the weight of the tragedy, and to assure Virginia Tech students and families that they were not alone.
This was a national catastrophe that affected everyone on some level. Anyone who knew someone in college, or who had a family member away was wracked with fear. Universities went into a panic mode in order to figure out what they would have done differently. Everyone scrutinized Virginia Tech, and their reaction, amidst their pain and anguish. There was a reoccurring thought: How do we prevent this in the future? Perspectives began to pour in, from the students, the families, the survivors, and from the post-mortem words of the killer. This puzzle was beginning to come together slowly and painfully. There was quite a bit of backlash, for where there is fear, there is always anger. When people feel out of control, they seek someone to blame. According to Daily Om, an online resource for natural healing, "Intense emotions demand intense modes of expression. " Families sought a scape goat, someone to blame, someone to lash out at.
An overwhelming sense of guilt, pain, and horror rang out from the witnesses and survivors. As the students and faculty began to come forward one by one, their personal stories and takes began to pour forth. This is forwarding in and of itself, as the baseline facts of the story were taken, and shifted upward a notch in intensity with a bit of personal touch. The guilt and total randomness of the wanton violence left many survivors with an unwillingness to accept life, and left others with an ability to embrace life. In an article written by Greg Esposito, survivor Kristina Anderson brings to light this simple of joy of life.
The other half of her message is an appreciation for life and of each day's value. This includes obvious things people take for granted, such as a loving family, she says, as well as more mundane moments.
"I'll be in traffic and I'm, like, so happy," she said. "I'll sit there and think about how grateful I am to be able to do this."
The process of healing brings about yet another twist. Approached from the perspective of psychologists and behavior analysts, the Virginia Tech shootings left a swath of pain few could imagine. Talking seemed to be the highest recommended way to begin the process. Reach out, desire to live again, and process the horrific events of that grim day.
Across the country, the Virginia Tech shootings began to modify security and preparedness. Schools developed a safety plan, and a means of notifying students. Schools across the country sought to learn from Virginia Tech's ghastly mistakes. Security systems and back-ups were implemented, and careful identification of students ensued. Notification and alert systems began to be wide-spread, and on-campus help for student suffering adjustment issues were offered.
I remember the Virginia Tech shootings extremely vividly. I was at another college campus called Sweet Briar, a mere 100 miles away from Blacksburg. I was sitting in a German class when we were told to evacuate the edge rooms, and to sequester in internal rooms of the building. No one was to make any sudden movements, and professors were to begin taking immediate attendance. All students were separated from their bags and belongings. Those were to be left in the external rooms as we all moved inward. At this point in time, very few of us were aware of anything going on. News began to trickle through the campus grapevine as parents frantically began texting and calling, trying to ascertain if their child was alright. Officials began to release information, saying they feared a state-wide situation. Huddled in that dark room with 100 other students, I wondered what I was doing 700 miles from where I needed to be. As the tale began to unfold, and I headed back towards my home campus in South Carolina, the horror and fear struck deeply. Upon arrival at my home campus, we began to offer prayer and support for the students and families, and began creation of a banner to send to the survivors. Over the next several months, on-campus security began to shift. Doors now were locked remotely. ID cards must be carried at all times. Text and email notification systems were implemented. A general wariness settled over campus as everyone re-evaluated who they did, and did not, know.
Watching this story untwist and unfold held special meaning in my own life, as I experienced a taste of the fear, and possibility, first hand. Over the next two years, the support blossomed, and the plans were enacted, in order to ensure a tragedy of this magnitude never happened again. The multiple lives of this new story wove, and interwove, into stories of greater, and differing, magnitude.
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