Ties to Tragedy
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WHY I WHAT WILL END TO DO IN UP ALONE vie HOBOKIN Opinions, Page 06 Arts, Page 18 Features, Page 19 * THE OBSERVER *i. April 19,2007 fordhamobserver.com Volume XXV, Issue 13 The SCHOOL SHOOTINGS What psychology Ties to tragedy ifit of a killer happens By CHRISTINA SHANAHAN NEWS EDITOR here? FORDHAM—Americans have come to know the story Fordham of Cho Seung-Hui since he made national news by shoot- security officials ing 32 people and then him- self at Virginia Tech on April 16. But what causes a person allay concerns to get to that point? Dr. John Cecero, S.J., asso- by explaining ciate professor of psychology and clinical psychologist, of- fered two possible explana- tions for Seung-Hui's motiva- protocol tion. The first possibility that could account for why one By NANCY YOUNG s ^^ might commit a masso killing, .EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Cecero said, is psychopathol- ogy, which is characterized by g# a history of behavior that vio- tragic shootings that occurred ;, . lates cultural norms, truancy . on April 16 at Virginia Tech, and delinquency. "If he was in many students have posed sev- "' -fact a sociopath," Cecero said eral questions. Could something about Seung-Hui, "then there like this happen here? How safe Sam Dean/The Raanota limes is a whole.lifetime of predic- are we? How would security re- tors." • ; A Virginia Tech student mourns the loss of classmates. spond? John Carroll, director of The second possible expla- security at Fordham University, nation for the 'mass killer's By NANCY YOUNG & Hui killed 32 people in the West coin Center (FCLC) students spoke with the Observer in an . motivation that Cecero of- CHRISTINA SHANAHAN Ambler Johnston dormitory who personally felt the effects attempt to answer many of these EDITOR- IN-CHIEF & NEWS fered, which he believes is EDITOR and Norris Hall before turning of what news sources called questions. He said, "This is a the more likely possibility, is the gun on himself. the worst.school massacre in horrible incident. The first thing that Seung-Hui is not a chron- FORDHAM—"I called his "Panic setting in, I called my American history. we have to ask ourselves should ic sociopath, but rather he is phone repeatedly, but was un- only friend from home here Morgan Greene, FCLC '10, be is there anything we can do "defenseless against uncon- able to get through," said Vir- at Fordham," WennersHerron also from Virginia Beach, said to make sure this doesn't hap- trollable rage." According ginia Beach native Ashley said. "Between the two of us, that on the day of the shootings, pen again? How do we prevent to Cecero, when this type of WennersHerron, FCLC '10, we were able to get a hold of she was panicking as she tried this?" rage surfaces in an individu- about trying to reach her best almost all of our friends at Vir- to get information about friends "My head is always in preven- al, he or she is likely to turn friend, a freshman at Virginia ginia Tech and make sure they at Virginia Tech. 'We probably tion," he said. Carroll said this the guilt on him or herself in Polytechnic State University were okay." sat in front of the TV for five kind of thinking could be appli- the form of suicide. "The fact (Virginia Tech), where on Mon. WennersHerron is among sev- cable to any serious felony. He that Seung-Hui [committed April 16. shooter Cho Seung- eral Fordham College at Lin- see TRAGEDY pg. 03 added that emergency protocol suicide] gives more weight to at Fordham is constantly being this philosophy," Cecero said. revisited and looked at in light of Cecero added that in cases of "The fact that it took place on a university new incidents. He said, "Emer- such uncontrollable rage, there gency protocol is re-evaluated are no possible warning signs. campus, a setting in which students expect that they semi-annually, at least, and may- "People just break," he said. be more, depending on incidents "It's anger. Indiscriminate, will be protected, and in which we all expect reason that occur." murderous rage. Any of us, in and civility to hold sway, makes it all the more sho- Although Fordham, and the circumstances completely out cking. " -FATHER UCSHANE, University President Lincoln Center campus in par- see PSYCHOLOGY pg. 03 see SECURITY pg. 02 Fordham signs settlement with attorney general; agrees to repay student borrowers By DANNY ECHEVARRIAIA some student loan borrowers. The Over a one-year period, the stu- the bestt deals and advantages— ulty from the Rev. Joseph M. Mc- STAFF WRITER settlements came after indications dent lender Education Finance and 90% of loans borrowe'd are Shane, S.J., president of Fordham that some schools' financial aid Partners paid Fordham $13,840 from preferrerl lenders, Cuomo's University. FORDHAM—After months officers received kickbacks from for directing students to their office stated. Students who borrowed from , of investigating the profits some student lenders, The New York company through the University's Fordham cycled all the money Education Finance Partners be- colleges have made made from Times reported. Fordham's Public "preferred lender" lists, a press re- earned from revenue sharing with tween June 30, 2005, and March their student lenders, New York Affairs office said that no finan- lease from Cuomo's oiTice stated. Education Finance Partners back 31, 2006, are subject to refunds, State attorney general Andrew cial aid administrators at Fordham Preferred lender lists provide stu- into financial aid in the form of and they will receive written noti- Cuomo announced that Fordham personally profited from student dents and their families with infor- an endowed scholarship fund, ac- and five other colleges will repay lenders. mation about which lenders olTcr cording to an April 3 letter to fac- see ATTORNEY GENERAL pg. 07 FORDHAM'S AWARD WINNING STUDENT NEWSPAPER 02 NEWS I April 19,2007 I THE OBSERVER fordhamobserver.com VT Campus massacre evokes Security CONTINUED FROM FRONT PAGE There are^PA systems in all the response from Fordham buildings at Lincoln Center, which ticular, deals smore with "garden can address everyone on campus variety larcenies," according to simultaneously, making people administrators Carroll, "we are certainly excel- at Lincoln Center^ according to lently positioned to address any Carroll,'"better positioned" than type of issue like this." at Rose Hill, since the Rose Hill At Lincoln Center alone, we campus does not haye^PA's in ev- have five security supervisors, ery building. In addition to the PA Ken McCarthy, Tom Mahoriey, systems and the TV alerts, secu- Bob Daven, Robert Dineen and rity can notify the entire Fordham Dan Gonin, who are former rank- community of an incident within ing members of the NYPD, ac- minutes using the magna alert sys- cording to Carroll. tem, which according to Carroll, "If an incident like this were to can send thousands of texts and occur here, we would send im- voice messages within minutes. mediate notification to the NYPD, Students at FCLC who spoke to EMS, emergency services, what- the Observer said they had mixed ever we need," Carroll said. He feelings about their safety, saying added, "Most colleges in America that although they didn't feel im- couldn't bring those kinds of re- mediately threatened, they thought sources to their schools. Students such an incident was conceivable are in better shape with us than at Fordham. with some schools out in the Shilpa Garg, a Fordham Law sticks." After notifying the student, who is originally from In- NYPD and emergency services, dia and has only been in the United the next step security would take States for a year, said her parents would be to secure the scene and were concerned for her after hear- lock-down the campus, "nobody ing the news about the shooting. in, nobody out," Carroll said. She said, "These things just don't Kenneth McCarthy, assistant happen there; it's unheard of. Kids director of security at Lincoln in India are academic oriented, Center, said, "We would render and there isn't a big drug or alco- aid and gather as much informa- hol problem." She added, "Access tion as possible and turn it over to guns or weapons [is] impossible to the NYPD. They'd take care of unless you have contact with the the criminal aspect, tracking down mafia." and arresting the perpetrator. Our Kit Byrne, FCLG '07, said she tasks would be to notify every- felt "fairly safe" at Lincoln Center. one." The next step, according She said the guards can be strict to Carroll, would be to safe-guard about checkinglDs, but who's to the crime scene, interview wit- say a resident wouldn't bring a nesses and remove uninvolved gun? "It's a really safe neighbor- people. He said, "There is no hood," Byrne added. She said, .^coakie^cutter.appjoach to this. We "It's really residential. I see more ,j3i(luldJia,ye.to,do a jot ofjyhatwe strollers than cars, almost." would do base.d on witness' state- Carroll said, "We really need ments." After preparing a course help from the students." He said of action, Fordham security would that students need to update their then alert the entire community. emergency contact information on There are several ways, according OASIS. "Unless we have current to Carroll, in which they could no- information, we won't be able to tify the community. A c- getahold'ofyou." cording to Carroll, one key mode McCarthy said, "Students can of communicating with students feel safe with the NYPD and the could be through the television.