Response to VT Massacre at UF
How Students Have Responded to the Tragic Shooting On Campus
Apr 26, 2007
Campus Gatherings to remember Virginia Tech
Students gathered on campuses around the country last week to demonstrate their solidarity with the grieving students and community at Virginia Tech University after the tragic shooting on their campus. Over a thousand members of The University of Florida community joined together for a candlelight vigil and another group of nearly 200 students held a spontaneous prayer rally on campus the night following the tragic shooting. Similar events were probably held on many campuses around the country. The events on the campus at VT broke through the “invulnerability myth” held by many college students forcing them to come to grips with their own mortality. The tragic truth that this could happen on almost any campus in the world may have caused the students to stop and think about their lives.
Getting Back to Normal
While live will never be normal again for the family and friends of the students killed or injured and those in the immediate area of the shootings, and it will take a long time for it to return to normal on the VT campus, the effects at the University of Florida were short-lived at best. The end of the semester crunch of tests and projects may have overwhelmed any sense of introspection by most students. Those who had friends or relatives directly involved may take longer, but most students appear to be back to normal after less than two weeks. Like most topics, the shooting at VT was hot for a couple of days and now appears to be fading in both interest and impact for the average student attending college hundreds of miles away from the tragic scene.
Long Term Effects
The events of April 16 will have numerous long term effects for the campus at VT and may change the way other universities approach security and the system of alerts given to students and faculty, but the greatest effects might be felt by parents of college students. Many parents contacted their students immediately after the events took place to check on their students and to make sure they knew what was happening. Some were even encouraged to make sure they were taking precautions for their safety when it was feared that this might be the start of another terror attack on our nation that might affect other campuses around the country. Certainly, this event should cause parents to understand that live is fragile and every day might be the last chance one has to say “I love you” to their college student. This might cause a rise in text messages, phone calls, and emails as parents try to stay connected to their students who are away on campus.
Where’s Hope
Students at the University of the Florida gathered for another event on campus that might provide hope for troubled students and hope for a generation. Unite Now (standing for Night of Worship) was a student initiated unified gathering for worship on the Universities outdoor amphitheater adjacent to the student union building. A crowd of more than 500 students sang, prayed, and worshipped together crossing denominational, racial, and cultural barriers. The students focused on lifting up Jesus as the only hope for their campus and for the world. Perhaps the church will once again be led by the young as they seek to expand the kingdom of God instead of denominational or campus ministry groups doing it all by themselves.
