2008 Woodie Awards
Virginia Tech massacre
Event reminds campus of 1999 shooting
Reported and compiled by the students of Journalism 100 Edited by Katie Callen and Leo Daddario
Issue date: 4/19/07 Section: News
On Monday, April 16, people across the country learned that Virginia Tech senior Seung-Hui Cho had opened fire in the university dorms and classrooms, killing 32 students and professors, before taking his own life. The senseless massacre by the disturbed student instantly dominated the news as experts and amateurs attempted to grasp the magnitude of the event, the largest school shooting in U.S. history.
Although the tragedy in Virginia seems so far away, long time faculty members and some MJC students were reminded of the shooting on this campus in late March of 1999. MJC Theater Professor Jim Johnson, who was in his first year as Arts Division dean on March 24, 1999 when a young man opened fire in the MJC Art Patio, injuring one MJC student, said that the difference between that incident and the one at Virginia Tech this week was clear.
"The one thing I have to say about this is that we evacuated and shut down the campus immediately, and they [Virginia Tech] did not," Johnson said strongly. "We took some heat for doing that at the time - but we did the right thing."
Although the MJC shooter was not apprehended at that time - and went to California State University, Stanislaus the following day to commit further acts of violence - no one was killed at MJC and no one else was wounded. The Modesto police cordoned off the Art Building, searched and shut it down, immediately followed by the rest of the campus.
Today, newly promoted Interim Chief of Campus Security Becky Crow believes MJC has an effective emergency action plan in place. According to Crow, if a situation similar to the Virginia Tech shootings were to happen on campus, the Modesto Police Department would immediately be notified and any action taken by campus security would be directed through the police. Conformation of any emergency situations would then be communicated to faculty and staff who would assist students in either a lockdown or an evacuation.
Despite MJC's confidence in the current contingency plan, MJC student Philip DiTommaso is still worried.
Although the tragedy in Virginia seems so far away, long time faculty members and some MJC students were reminded of the shooting on this campus in late March of 1999. MJC Theater Professor Jim Johnson, who was in his first year as Arts Division dean on March 24, 1999 when a young man opened fire in the MJC Art Patio, injuring one MJC student, said that the difference between that incident and the one at Virginia Tech this week was clear.
"The one thing I have to say about this is that we evacuated and shut down the campus immediately, and they [Virginia Tech] did not," Johnson said strongly. "We took some heat for doing that at the time - but we did the right thing."
Although the MJC shooter was not apprehended at that time - and went to California State University, Stanislaus the following day to commit further acts of violence - no one was killed at MJC and no one else was wounded. The Modesto police cordoned off the Art Building, searched and shut it down, immediately followed by the rest of the campus.
Today, newly promoted Interim Chief of Campus Security Becky Crow believes MJC has an effective emergency action plan in place. According to Crow, if a situation similar to the Virginia Tech shootings were to happen on campus, the Modesto Police Department would immediately be notified and any action taken by campus security would be directed through the police. Conformation of any emergency situations would then be communicated to faculty and staff who would assist students in either a lockdown or an evacuation.
Despite MJC's confidence in the current contingency plan, MJC student Philip DiTommaso is still worried.
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