Policy Makers Discuss Security, Mental Health Resources, and Communication on Campuses

In a senate hearing on April 23, lawmakers came together to discuss mental health resources, security plans, and communication systems on campuses. After reading the article “Senators Discuss Preventing College Attacks,” I have realized that through all of this tragedy something good can result. I think that the way the media has handled some of the coverage of the Virginia Tech shooting has raised awareness about many issues. At first, the major press coverage was about gun control, how the college didn’t notify people of the shooting soon enough, then it turned to interviewing the families of victims, and finally to Seung-Hui Cho’s press release about why he did what he did. After days of overkill from the press, I am finally able to see how this coverage has raised awareness to lawmakers. The devastation at Virginia Tech has brought up an issue that is long overdue to be discussed and that is a communication system on college campuses that can reach masses. I work at a college and we have no way to communicate with the student body, unless we go to their classrooms. This is very dangerous, especially if there was a shooting, a bomb, etc. My point here is that the shooting has motivated educators and lawmakers to realize and implement security and communication devices on college campuses nationwide. Another issue brought up at the meeting was whether or not schools have been providing adequate mental health resources and I was shocked to read what Dr Federman, the director of counseling and psychological services at University of Virginia, had to say. He quoted statistics of the number of students who suffer from mental problems and the surprising thing was when he said that in 2006 there was one full-time clinical staff member for every 1,697 students. This is ridiculous.

These issues needed to be addressed and I hope that something good can come from the tragedy those innocent students at Virginia Tech suffered. Hopefully everyone will be more aware of what can happen and realize that it is a necessity to take all precautions necessary, especially on college campuses where large groups of people are targets.