Posted on April 19, 2007
For many JMU students, the tragedy that occurred just down the road Monday hit too close to home.
Sophomore Jessica Shaw said she was scared when she first heard about the deadly shooting at Va. Tech.
“I was really worried because one of my best friends from home goes there,” she said. “I was on the phone immediately.”
Many students said they had a hard time getting in touch with loved ones.
Since Monday students have said the atmosphere at JMU has changed.
“It’s definitely more solemn on campus,” junior Jamie Witbeck said. “I feel like every time you look over someone is talking about it or talking on their cell phone about it.”
Sophomore Erin Finch agreed.
“It’s definitely a little bit different,” she said. “I haven’t felt it as much as I thought I would, but it’s definitely a little more quiet than [it] usually [is].”
The Counseling and Student Development Center is ready to help students, faculty and staff who are coping with crisis. Director of the CSD David Onestack said that most of students’ healing will come from each other, but that the counseling center is expanding their emergency services hours right now.
“As the victims names have been released I think more students are coming in and utilizing these services because there is a lot of connection between our campuses,” Onestack said.
Onestack also said that he thinks a lot of students are feeling insecure and unsure of their own safety.
“I think there’s a sense that this could have happened here at JMU,” he said. “That’s a very troubling kind of thought for people, but a very natural one.”
Additional counselors are available for walk-in meetings this week and on-call counselors are available after 5 p.m. “I think it’s a good show of support just to have people there you can talk to about this kind of stuff,” junior Chris Burris said. “While it obviously affected Virginia Tech more than us, it’s still important because we’re all dealing with what happened.”
Shaw agreed that the services are helpful, but thinks that students will find comfort in other places.
“I think for the most part here students are going to reach out to each other,” she said.
Several groups and organizations have already held services or memorials to honor the victims of the massacre and to support those who are coping with it.
Monday night at 9 p.m. a group of students gathered in impromptu informal prayer on the quad.
“It was really heartwarming to see people out and showing that kind of support,” junior Stacy Fuller said.
At 2 p.m. on Tuesday the entire University took part in a moment of silence to show support for families, friends and colleagues in Blacksburg.
Sophomore Rachel Gresh was in her Chemistry lab, a class of about 15 to 20 students, during the moment of silence. She said her professor did not really make an announcement, everyone just observed the moment on their own.
“Everyone was just quiet,” she said.
Sophomore Molly McLaughlin was in Festival eating lunch when an announcement was made over the P.A. that it was 2 p.m. and time for the moment of silence.
“It was just weird, all the noise just went away and it was just silent for that whole minute,” she said.
Senior John Nevin and Finch spent much of their Tuesday at the Christian Student Center where people stopped in throughout the day. CSU held a prayer service at noon and some members watched the Virginia Tech Convocation together at 2 p.m.
Nevin said that he believes communities will help each other to handle their healing.
“I think it’s going to take time,” he said.
The Catholic Campus Ministry hosted an open prayer vigil for victims and their families and friends at 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
“Obviously we were all just shocked,” junior Andrew Waring said. “But in times like these it’s important to have some place to go to pray if that is part of your healing.”
Tuesday night the SGA hosted a candlelight vigil on the Festival lawn. Students showed up with candles, flashlights, and cell phones to join together as a community. Senior Vice-President of Student Affairs Mark Warner described the vigil as the beginning of the healing process.
