<p>After reading this CNN</a> article, I can't believe the gall of the university to say that they followed proper protocol though they clearly didn't and another student is dead. I volunteer at an organization that helps suicidal teens, and I'm so angry right now. Hasn't the administration learned anything from last year? This is the 3rd major tragic incident to happen at that school in a year, and the administration acts so blase about it - as if it's a 'joke'!</p>
<p>I can't understand why this situation is not getting better.</p>
<p>Every misstep.....</p>
<p>Tech should be doing better but I think families need to shoulder some responsibility as well. Once the correct person was ID'd the family should have been contacted. If it was two families than contact two families! Even if one family was temporarily worried it is better than what did occur.</p>
<p>The people at Tech are so nice and caring, I don't understand why this issue persists.</p>
<p>This is a sad, sad situation that occurred in December of 2007. I felt so sad when I read about this poor boy's family, especially his father. However, for CNN to present it right now as Virginia Tech is about to remember the 32 victims of last April is callous. I am so sick of the media trying to focus blame one someone for every tragedy that occurs. They did it last April and they are doing it again with this story. Suicides occur at schools, everywhere. Sometimes they happen even when there has been counseling. </p>
<p>Globalist, how would you feel if, God forbid, one of the teens that you counsel tried to take his/her life and the parents blamed you? Would you have thought you had done all that you were supposed to do to help the child? Of course, most definitely. </p>
<p>When people criticize and second guess every decision that is made in situations like this it does absolutely no good. I do not believe that in light of what happened last year, that anyone from the Blacksburg Police or Virginia Tech would risk not doing all that they thought necessary to help this young man. I do not believe they were negligent. I think CNN is. There are two sides to every story and it seems that today's media just wants to focus on the one that is the most negative and most critical.</p>
<p>Hmm.... kid comitts suicide, lets blame it on the school he goes to. that makes a lot of sense....</p>
<p>I agree kandsk. I remember reading this story in December and was saddened by it but I was wondering why CNN was bringing it up now. And yes, because of the aniversary of this tragedy. It is callous.</p>
<p>KandKsmom, from the article:</p>
<p>
[quote]
University protocol states that a suicidal person needs to see the "psychologist on call," but that never happened. Instead, Virginia Tech passed on the information to the Blacksburg police, who at 11:45 a.m. that day showed up at Kim's doorstep for what police records show was a "welfare check," what school officials call a "wellness check."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>I'm involved with an org that oversees a suicide hotline. When someone calls, there's always a trained professional to answer at all hours of the day and night. Passing the buck which was done in this case is ridiculous. I especially love the quote where the university says they "followed the protocol and acted appropriately." Uh...no.</p>
<p>Revealing the truth is not callous. It's necessary so that this sort of thing stops happening at VT.</p>
<p>Yes, because VT has such a higher rate of incidence of suicide than anywhere else.</p>
<p>At least this guy did it the right way, one bullet, one person.</p>
<p>I watched the CNN report a few nights ago. The timing is wrong but the subject needed to be told. I was surprised that it did happen again and it involved a depressed student, but the most scary thing was that this student also had tendencies to "shoot it up" and he fell, again, thru the cracks of a system that needs to improve, to put it mildly. The University could not have said anything else besides what was said in the interview. Internally they have to admit that they screwed up, but would never do it in front of a camera. If nothing is learned it is bound to happen again..</p>
<p>kandks and esmitty, i agree with you... and to say this story needed to be told is utterly ridiculous. if this story needed to be told, wouldnt u expect every suicide in colleges across the country would need to be told? if so, we would here about suicides in colleges daily. it happens far more often than one might expect in colleges. i guarantee you that we would not be hearing this story on CNN if the tragedy hadnt happened</p>
<p>Does CNN, or any news organization, do a story on every suicide on every college campus? How about every suicide that happens any where? If VT or Blacksburg police took him into protective custody and he wasn't contemplating suicide (or even if he were) they also face protests of taking away one's rights. </p>
<p>Depression happens on college campuses. I have no idea what proper protocol would/should be but at what point is the family responsible? Did they notice a change in his behavior? Did they contact the school or police for assistance? The only fault I would hold against the school is not notifying the parents of a possible situation. But again, over 18, these students are legal adults and some don't have any connection with their families.</p>
<p>
[quote]
The only fault I would hold against the school is not notifying the parents of a possible situation.
[/quote]
</p>
<p>i don't see anywhere that it is written that the university needs to notify parents of possible situations. instead, the article clearly shows the university did not follow its own procedure.</p>
<p>
[quote]
In fact, one of Kim's friends from another state had e-mailed the Virginia Tech health center with the subject line: "Emergency About Suicidal Student." </p>
<p>"Daniel has been acting very suicidal recently, purchasing a $200 pistol and claiming he'll go through with it," said the e-mail from Shaun Pribush, who had become an online friend of Kim's. "Once again, this is very serious; this is not a joke."</p>
<p>The e-mail was sent at 3:58 a.m. November 5, 2007.</p>
<p>University protocol states that a suicidal person needs to see the "psychologist on call," but that never happened. Instead, Virginia Tech passed on the information to the Blacksburg police, who at 11:45 a.m. that day showed up at Kim's doorstep for what police records show was a "welfare check," what school officials call a "wellness check."
[/quote]
</p>
<p>if students in trouble don't need to see the on-call psychologist, why does the school even bother having one? why not change the procedure to instead be:</p>
<p>
[quote]
a suicidal person needs to have "their parents called"
[/quote]
</p>
<p>the school definitely made a mistake here. and i guess now his parents are going to sue for millions because of it. :/</p>
<p>Be careful about getting the facts from one article----there are usually many sides to any story</p>