Everyone is talking about the shootings at Virginia Tech. We feel so safe in college, and yet there really is little protection from something like this. What can you do? Install metal detectors outside lecture halls and dormitories?
It’s especially scary considering how often during my undergrad days when people would prop open doors to dorms, or let in any college-age person if they knock on the door. That atmosphere of trust was such a strong part of college life — the feeling of safety and shared experiences with your fellow students. And yet it made us so vulnerable to something like this happening.
I can’t begin to fathom how much this will affect the campus and the students there. PTSD, heightened security, effects on admission for next year, effects on interstudent relationships, effects on race relations on campus (especially since the shooter was Asian), etc.
