When I was in college, Security was the name of the most popular band at school, and thinking of them was the only time I ever thought about security on campus. But now I am on the other side of the classroom and it seems every couple of months there is a shooting on a college campus. Last week at Northern Illinois University, just 65 miles west of Chicago, there was a shooting, killing five and injuring more.
Security on campus means something very different to me now.
Yesterday was parents’ day at Flashpoint and I spent time telling the parents of film students that one of the things we do is create a safe environment for their children to work in. I was speaking about emotional safety, the safety to be vulnerable and explore, but I could have just as easily been talking about their physical safety.
I don’t have anything new to add to the violence on campus discussion. Yes, it’s sad. Yes, it must stop. Yes, the emotional well-being of students must be looked after and help given when and where needed. All of the same things I wrote about last spring after the events at Virginia Tech.
Today, I just wanted to take a moment and reflect on the events at a college just down the road from mine.
PeterH
absolutely shocking. i never though, and i doubt anyone else ever thought that this would happen here in illinois, especially so close. i have friends who go to NIU and university of illinois (were the gunman was from) and im just glad they are ok. really serves as a wake up call and makes everyone wonder hopefully, are we really safe? i have been to and i have toured alot of schools and none of them have the security flashpoint has. but quick question, i dont mean to be a downer or thinking on the negative side of things but i just read the article on the NIU shootings and im pretty shocked. i realize we have ID cards and everything, and i know everyone here is level headed, but (just thinking out loud) what type of security do we have to prevent a student from doing this, god forbid?
-John
absolutely shocking. i never though, and i doubt anyone else ever thought that this would happen here in illinois, especially so close. i have friends who go to NIU and university of illinois (were the gunman was from) and im just glad they are ok. really serves as a wake up call and makes everyone wonder hopefully, are we really safe? i have been to and i have toured alot of schools and none of them have the security flashpoint has. but quick question, i dont mean to be a downer or thinking on the negative side of things but i just read the article on the NIU shootings and im pretty shocked. i realize we have ID cards and everything, and i know everyone here is level headed, but (just thinking out loud) what type of security do we have to prevent a student from doing this, god forbid?
-John
It is as if the young people have no other way to say “LOOK AT ME AND LISTEN TO ME OR I WILL F YOU UP!”
They are screaming for the arts to be put back into our school systems and to incorporate them inside a beautiful place so they can expose their pent up anxieties. Our children need the arts, music, dance, acting, film making, etc.
Darling and gifted Peter, you are one of the finer contributing forces in our world, offering wonderful academics to those who need and deserve it most. Thank you for being a professor of your art. Hail Peter!
I will pray for your continued safety.