Virginia Tech shooting aftermath via time.com

The United States Department of Education intends to fine Virginia Tech $55,000 for violations related to federal campus-crime reporting law regarding the tragic shootings that took place on April 16, 2007. The Department of Education accused Virginia Tech of not issuing “timely warnings”, a violation of the Clery Act, during the violence taking place on campus, and plans to issue the maximum fine of $27,500 for each violation.

April 16th, 2007, Virginia Tech senior Seung-Hui Cho went on a shooting rampage on Virginia Tech’s campus. At 7:15am, Cho fatally shot two students in a residence hall. He then entered an academic building and began shooting at students and faculty members. Before the ordeal was over, Cho killed 33 people before taking his own life.

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At least a dozen states, with Arizona at the forefront, are currently pondering the controversial idea of allowing guns on college campuses. Lawmakers, college students and other big-thinkers are taking the debate of gun control on campus very seriously.

Advocates argue that zoning schools as gun-free provides a deranged psychopath with an all-too-easy target. In the right (or rather, wrong) state of mind, someone may view a campus of unarmed students as vulnerable and weak. Theoretically, students and faculty would have a better chance of protecting themselves and each other if they were armed. It may also deter mentally unstable individuals from initiating an attack if they know that teachers or students could fire back. I believe the saying goes, “an armed society is a polite society.” Arizona State Representative, Jack Harper, says “When law-abiding, responsible adults are able to defend themselves, crime is deterred.” There’s something to be said for self-defense and the preservation of life but it’s worth noting that this isn’t the Wild West. Fighting violence with violence may not be the answer.

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College is supposed to be a place of higher learning and fun. You don’t expect to get robbed or attacked on campus. However these things happen daily on college campuses across the U.S. You can protect yourself by using these tips.

Reader’s Digest recently ranked the safest colleges in the U.S. The following is a list of the top 25. However, students at these schools should still remain aware of their surroundings on campus and not take any unnecessary risks.

25 Safest Schools in the U.S.

1. Johns Hopkins University (MD)

2. Northeastern University (MA)

3. Michigan Technological University (MI) Read the rest of this entry »