How to Pick Up the Pieces: Aiding Students during the Aftermath of Campus Violence

Violence on campus changes the whole scheme of a university. From the top of the administration to the freshman class, everyone is affected by the horrors that occurs when an individual(s) take someone’s life in a senseless crime. An issue that is important to me concerning school shootings is the process of picking up the pieces after the massacre as occurred. The effects can be felt around the campus psychologically, which to me, continues to have a remnant effect on a university. Because emotions and thoughts remain way after an event as physically taken place, it is important that universities equip themselves with resources and services that can help facilitate the healing process for many students.

The American Psychological Association published a document with helpful hints for students during the traumatic and stressful period of time surrounding violence on campus. Below are the seven points the APA hits on:

“Talk about it.”

Not talking about the trauma one has experienced can really lead to dealing with

thoughts that one may not be able to properly handle alone. Universities should

and mostly do provide counseling services to students.

“Strive for Balance.”

It becomes very easy to let the negative and highly traumatic event cloud your vision.

Life can feel like everything is unplanned, chaotic, and scary. When facing so much

negativity, it’s best to surround oneself with positive people and places to balance out

the stress.

“Turn it off & Take a Break.”

The media can do a fantastic job covering the who, what, when, where, & how of

school shooting, which can be VERY overwhelming for a person who has been

directly and indirectly affected by it. In order to minimize the saturation of the stressful

images, a student should focus on moving on and how to return to a more normal

state of mind.

“Honor Your Feelings.”

Students will experience a wide range of feelings during this time. It’s important that a

person understands that mood swings and changes are common and normal. It is

also crucial that students honor the feelings of their friends as well and be as

understanding and accommodating as possible.

“Take care of Yourself.”

It is especially important that students do not turn to drugs and alcohol to help

alleviate any stress that they may accrue because of the violent incident. It is best to

turn to healthier options such as exercising, written therapy, and enjoying a hobby.

“Help others or do something productive.”

Now is the perfect time to engage in civic service to help with the destressing

processing. Community service is a great option because it allows students to

help others directly and change themselves as well.

“Remember that grief is a long process.”

If a student has lost a loved one or friend during the shooting, grieving may seems to

control their lives, yet it is a process that is necessary. Students should honor

themselves and understand that losing a loved one is never easy, however, it is

possible to build new healthy relationships again.

It is so important that higher education administrators and staff really own up to the damage that can occur after a traumatic incident. Just knowing that something so deadly happened in the halls that a student walked through everyday for class forces us to confront our mortality in a crude and “in-your-face” way. However, through a good support system and a spirit of patience and understanding, a college campus can help its student body pick up the pieces.

Link to APA Tips:

http://www.ucc.vt.edu/pdf/APA%20Virginia%20Tech%20Tragedy.pdf

Maybe it's best to stick with that Gmail Email Account: Freedom of Speech and University Internal Emails

“Freedom of Speech” is a concept that we tend to use very frequently. Most have said or heard other say “I have the right to say whatever I want because of the 1st Amendment. This is a free country.” A very romantic, patriotic, and ideal concept, don’t you agree. However, all forms of expression are not created equal...at least not in the opinion of Michigan State University.

In 2008, Michigan State University formed a committee of administrators, faculty, staff, and students to help constructs ways to shorten their academic calendar and freshmen orientation sessions. This committee stated that its business would be discussed during physical meetings and emails. A student who served on this committee and held the office of Association Director of the student government association sent an email of her own version of the letter that was circulating amongst the committee. She sent this email to over 300 faculty members.

Whether or not the university agreed with the content of her email (which was very factual & not inflammatory) is not clear; however, the university did charge her with “spamming,” which according to the university’s policy on internal email usage, was illegal. FIRE and thirteen other organizations wrote a letter to the president of the university expressing their views on this situation, citing that the “anti-spam” policy is vague, and punishing the student violated her first amendment rights, and her rights under “the canons of academic freedom.” While trying to persuade the university to withdraw its charges, FIRE and the other organizations also charged that the university changes its internal email policy. MSU withdrew the charges, however, it tightened its hold on the internal email policy. The university detailed its “anti-spam” policy to say that sending an email of personal opinion or political ideas to 11 people was against the policy and could be punishable by the university. It also went on to say that the internal email is not for personal usage and emails sent to and from the email addresses should only pertain to “support the University’s instructional, public service, research, and administrative goal.”

Wow...so basically what Michigan State is saying is that maybe about 99.9% of us use our internal email accounts illegally (I totally made this up, but the rhetoric still stands). In our heavily dependent technological age, emails and the internet are used to do just about everything. From sending notes from class to voicing opinions about campus news, students and faculty utilize their email quite a bit. I can mildly understand why Michigan State would want to keep everything shiny and looking good concerning its image and how information is shared, however, I have a problem with the limiting the number of emails a person can send, and them choosing whether or not someone’s email is contingent upon its many goals. Who is to say that this email supports their research goals? Is there a checklist or a list of requirements that state what is right and what is wrong? And at freshman orientation, is there a session that is titled “Your Email Account is Really Not Yours”? I feel that sometimes universities and corporations in general hide behind their rules that they put in the policy documents, however, do not put any effort in making sure that the population is aware of their regulations.

I do not think it is general knowledge that the typical 18 year old freshman knows “Maybe I shouldn't send this photo of me and my sister playing in the snow to fifteen of my family members because it doesn’t directly set out to support the University’s instructional, public service, research, and administrative goals.”

Is it fair to have such stringent rules on an email account that EVERY student receives, thinking it’s their own, yet there are strict guidelines they must follow? I feel that there is some deceit involved in this. When I received my university email address, I typically did not run out to get another one, because I thought that I was at liberty to use my email account as I pleased.

Email accounts are like air to our society; everyone utilizes them. With a subject like freedom of speech, a concept that everyone general thinks is their God-given right, a university HAS to make its policies concerning this very visible and vocal.

Links:

Article: http://www.thefire.org/article/11512.html

Michigan State University’s internal email policy:

http://www.thefire.org/public/pdfs/8a334a8e576deefe137d4dbef677abda.pdf?direct

FIRE’s letter to Michigan State’s president:

http://www.thefire.org/public/pdfs/563763864da70ad7c8048a790c4fd153.pdf?direct

Not only are you my Facebook friend...you're my REAL friend too!!

The topic this week is student interaction on a college campus and the costs of losing this interaction. This subject is one that I have been faced to really think about recently. A student lounge on campus in which I am currently employed is more than likely going to close after this semester. This lounge doesn’t make obscene amounts of money. We do not serve cheeseburgers, tacos, or sub sandwiches. We only have one XBox 360 and one computer that works. This lounge definitely does not display the bells and whistles that some would expect, but for so many students, this place has become a staple in their everyday lives and an enduring memory of their undergraduate experience.

On football weekends, this lounge becomes Chuck E. Cheese’s. Kids and teens are everywhere. They play the games, eat Hot Pocket after Hot Pocket, and some just hangout. It becomes a place for them to hang out when their socialization has not quite graduated to the Grove.

Everyday, this lounge sees ALL kinds of students: campus leaders, athletes, history buffs, billiards experts, the not-so-good billiards players, international students, black students, white students, males, females, the list can go on and on.

Students come upstairs to this lounge during lunch when they actually want to converse while eating. Most say it’s hard to do that in an overcrowded food court where the next table can hear every word you say even when you can’t. This lounge serves as a meeting place for student organizations who can’t get a room reservation and can’t afford to meet in off-campus facilities.

Historically black Greek organizations use this lounge to host a number of activities because they don’t have a house to do otherwise.

Students who are trying to find a friend through natural interaction come to this lounge because they know that it’s probably the only place in which that could happen. A freshman once said to me, “Man, I can come up here and leave with three new friends every time, easily.” This is resounding, considering that most of us make more Facebook friends that physical friends each day.

This lounge offers students the laid-back atmosphere that most crave in which to interact with the world. They can come here and not expect to wait in lines, talk to a receptionist, check their backpack at the door, and whisper. Some students come here to survive. One student has said, “If it wasn’t for this place, I don’t think I could have made it here my freshman year. I probably would have transferred.”

I’m not saying if it’s good or bad that the lounge is closing in order to bring in revenue under a different format because honestly, I do not know. But I do know that an outlet for students to interact and embrace collegiality will be lost. Will students eventually migrate to another place? Of course. But man, wasn’t this lounge good while it lasted?