<p>I have to ask, is the apartment where Yeardley died near where Morgan Harrington’s shirt was found? Could this homicide be related to hers? Morgan’s mother was quoted as saying that Morgan suffered bone crushing types of injuries. It is a horrific thought, but I wonder if there are any links between the two…</p>
<p>I don’t really have the stomach to think of anything like that right now. At first glance I think it’s unlikely but who knows.</p>
<p>I really have to disagree about the whole culture of violence part. I think our culture is more peaceful than those before us. Especially after reading a few chapters of Three Kingdoms or a few acts of Titus Andronicus, I have to conclude our culture is definitely less violent than the past. I think it’s an issue that transcends the generations. </p>
<p>I have seen death, felt it … more than once… but I don’t think I really grasp it. When we’re not intoxicated on hormones we’re intoxicated on something else I guess (yes, even for those don’t drink or smoke a lot). Life is a little surreal… do we really comprehend it could end?</p>
<p>Life rushes by. Sometimes rather cruelly. I think the speed of the modern world has more to do with it than any culture of violence. No one stops to pay attention or notice. People can be attacked in broad daylight on the downtown mall but everyone is too busy to lift a finger for a stranger. We’re taught not to get involved in other people’s problems. For Huguely, maybe the agony went by too slow. </p>
<p>We shouldn’t jump the gun on anything anyway. I wonder what his teammates will say. Did he know he was on the edge? Did some of them encourage him? </p>
<p>I went through the most dramatic breakup of my life last year… but millions of my peers prolly went through the same thing. Romance gone sour is one thing… but compound that with the college lifestyle … I once had the most terrible fight 10 minutes before lab (at 6 pm). I arrived late, eyes blood-red, but no one said anything of course. And why should they? I couldn’t wait to get the quiz over with so I could proceed to drink the lab chemicals.</p>
<p>Bigwill: it’s not sad, it’s not happy, it’s nothing. We’re all about to enter a world that is completely unknown to us. Sure, we all have plans or don’t have plans and just going home, but this is it. Most of us at UVa are all the same: top-notch people that have had the same outlook of “do everything great because college depends on it”. College is over in a week and a half. It’s happy and fulfilling, but at the same time, a lot of fourth years are reaching a weird point in their lives because everything we’ve known is changing. We can’t walk 5min and hang out with our closest friends, go out whenever we want, and have limited responsibilities. I got lucky, my two best friends and one, who’s the platonic love of my life, are going to be working near me. But plenty are moving away and have limited roots. Many are reaching a point where they’re not going to be in the spotlight anymore, and some have no future plans and are stuck in a limbo. I know a few personally who are reaching the melting point and the only thing I can say is “keep going, almost there”.</p>
<p>Fourth year is a devil in disguise. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thrilled to be graduating and moving on, and I’m excited for this summer and starting my dream job. But at the same time, it’s weird, it’s a dark tunnel of unknown after 22 years of school. You’ll understand one day, and it’s a constant emotional high, but thinking about the lows gets you really down. I imagine he realized his perfect life he imagined of loving her for the rest of their lives was crushed, and with everything else going on, he cracked. It’s no excuse, I wish he could have found a better way to handle it other than stealing a promised life. But I hope this brings to front the pressures of college and life and everything that affects many students quietly.</p>
<p>I doubt there is any connection between Morgan and this incident. He did not even try to cover it up judging by how quick they found him. A promising college student like him does not just go out one night, pick up a intoxicated female, and drive them miles away. Again, sadly, this crime is not unexplainable nor random. Morgan’s seems to be.</p>
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<p>The full article can be found at:
[U-Va</a>. lacrosse player’s death was accidental, defense attorney says](<a href=“http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050402215.html?hpid=topnews]U-Va”>http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/05/04/AR2010050402215.html?hpid=topnews)</p>
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<p>I don’t think it is the speed of the modern world, but you make a great point. People don’t seem to want to get involved. Is it politial correctness or not wanting to appear to be butting in to other people’s business. Is it fear of being viewed as weak that keeps people from reaching out for help?</p>
<p>Since Will Barrow died last year I have wondered about this a lot. Was he so good at hiding his pain or was I so bad at recognizing it? We weren’t close friends, just classmates and sometimes project partners. But still I have wondered if I missed something. </p>
<p>I bet a lot of people at Uva are wondering the same thing these days.</p>
<p>It’s socially unacceptable to drag other people into your problems I guess. How I wish last year that someone had noticed! That someone would have said something! I would have avoided making a lot of awful mistakes (don’t worry I didn’t murder anyone – it was mainly at my own cost). So many of our “friends” just watched us both degenerate into a mess without saying a word about it. </p>
<p>I suppose maybe they didn’t want to take sides. And perhaps it’s easier to gossip than to be involved.</p>
<p>And right now, we’re all opening up, so maybe it’s one of those “everything happens for a reason”? </p>
<p>There’s a lot more to growing up than just making it through school and life. To realize when someone else around you, or even yourself, is in need, is difficult. No one ever talks about this or warns us. Sure, you see the “are you depressed?” emails, but we’re all UVa kids, fan-effing-tastic kids with bright, promising futures. We can’t fail or “degenerate into a mess”. I’m not sure who to blame for all of this, I think it’s a combination of so many factors. But I wish the world could see the pain universities suffer on a whole when they realized someone finally cracked and realize that they’re lingering near their breaking point too. Everyone’s been to that point and back again, without a doubt. We just never realize it until something drastic happens.</p>
<p>Seems like Kids from Landon School in Bethesda mange to get involved in these things. The kids from Landon at Duke, now this. Athletes are placed on a pedestal, can do no wrong. At our high school, top athletes who broke the law still were accepted into top 25 schools because they would be an asset to their teams. Colleges do not consider character whatsoever!!!</p>
<p>My heart goes out to her and her family. If he was violent toward her, and “accidentally” injured her so that she died, I have nothing but contempt for him. If he took her life, he does not deserve pity for “throwing his life away” because that would be a just penalty for the hurt and anguish he has caused. If he is innocent, then he has been wronged too.</p>
<p>The following sentiment may not apply to this situation since the facts are not yet known, but generally speaking, young privileged men who are athletic and aggressive need to know when to turn it off and respect other people’s wishes. Limits and laws apply to them too. Letting young men get away with anti-social behavior because they are superb athletes does them no favors and teaches them that they are not accountable like other people.</p>
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<p>The assertion that colleges do not consider character whatsoever is an exaggeration. Still, many athletes are cut much more slack than other students. Here is an interesting article about the SAT cheating scandal at Landon: [“Our</a> Sons Have Something To Say” - News & Features (washingtonian.com)](<a href=“From the Archives: “Our Sons Have Something To Say” - Washingtonian”>From the Archives: “Our Sons Have Something To Say” - Washingtonian) Look at who got expelled and who did not (lacrosse players).</p>
<p>After reading that article, seems like Landon breeds an entitled, above the law type student. Duke does as well. I wouldn’t feel sorry for Landon. Just my opinion.</p>
<p>Yes because a 3-12 grade school turns people into monsters that feel they are above the law. Exactly it.
I know a few Landon grads and they are the nicest, caring guys around. Just because you get a few rotten apples doesn’t mean you should tarnish a school. The Duke guys from Landon were cleared of all charges, remember? It’s naive and silly to deem the Landon School something nasty and not realize they, too, are in pain. Grow up.</p>
<p>Cleared of criminal charges but certainly engaged in some stupid, unseemly and nasty behavior. I don’t equate avoiding criminal conviction and being innocent as the same thing.</p>
<p>I totally agree with cadmiumred on Landon. Like shoebox, I know many Landon kids. Don’t be fooled by their sugar coated exterior. The Duke boys got off because of their money and connections. Not going to happen this time.</p>
<p>I forsee a media expose coming down hard on Landon. Maybe the truth about that place will finally be told.</p>
<p>How many threads on this do we have going?</p>
<p>There’s another one on the CavDaily if you’re curious.</p>
<p>This is just another form of prejudice. If you all can sleep well at night hating on a school because of a few dumb kids’ mistakes, go right ahead. It’s just as bad as labeling UVa kids as snotty or NoVa kids as privilidged. </p>
<p>Barrons: excellent trust in the legal system. What happened that night will never be fully known, so while you judge the Landon kids freely, anyone who judges the attention-seeking girl is racist. What a world.</p>
<p>Ultimately I think we are all getting a little off point here. There a lots of Landon kids that were smart, nerds who suffered like smart nerds in high schools across the country. Overall Landon kids are wealthy but not all have anger management issues or consider themselves above the law. Having grown up in NoVa I know this from personal experience.</p>
<p>Lets not lose the lesson in all of this tragedy. A great girl is gone and George is gonna pay for this for the rest of his life. The real question is what are we going to do to not let this sort of thing happen again. I’m not suggesting that we are the gate for all bad actors but pointing a finger at private high schools does nothing to improve us as members of UVa.</p>
<p>Whether it is Will, or Morgan or Yeardley or George we need to do something different. Be more aware, or reach out more so that people we know, one way or the other, that we are there for them. Pointing fingers is useless. How do we do better?</p>
<p>We got to attend a world class school. People are suffering around us. How do we become the kind of citizens that help alleviate this stuff from happening?</p>
<p>I’m not suggesting I have the answer but clearly we can do better than this.</p>
<p>Thanks vistany. Very on point, and I’ve been wondering the same thing. UVA administration and students coming together to promote real change on the partying scene, alcohol and other ill-advised tolerances would be magnanimous, and could honor Yeardley Love forever. As to how, think back to your roots. I do believe Thomas Jefferson reflects on leadership during difficult times often in his writings.</p>
<p>Eyes wide open as parent of a soon to be first year, I wish you kindred spirit on this topic, urge that momentum not be lost (maybe propose a permanent memorial to Ms. Love on the Grounds), and my sincere condolences to her family, her friends, to the UVA and Charlottesville community and all who similarly mourn this tragedy.</p>
<p>Shoebox…underage drinking or vandalism are “mistakes”. Rape and murder are not.</p>