KYW Newsradio Team Coverage
In the wake of the events at Virginia Tech, how are Philadelphia college campuses responding?
KYW's Mark Abrams reports that some, like Temple University, are stepping up the security presence and re-examining security systems and disaster plans.
Matt, a Temple senior in marketing from Blue Bell, Pa., says in light of the events in Blacksburg he still feels safe and secure at the North Philadelphia campus:
“I’ve been here for four years, I’m pretty used to the surroundings -- as long as you get to know your surroundings. Temple’s got the fourth biggest police force in the state so, I mean, they’re pretty well prepared for whatever comes their way. I mean, you can’t prevent everything. You can only try to prevent it. And I think they’re doing a pretty good job at doing that.”
Caitlyn, a sophomore here from Mechanicsburg, Pa., says it’s still difficult to comprehend the magnitude of what happened at Virginia Tech. She says students here at Temple can reflect, but must go on with life:
“You just have to keep going. You have to keep going to class, you have do your work. You have to still interact with people the same way you did before. You can’t clam up and run away, you know. We’re here to learn and that’s what we have to do, I mean, we can’t be always afraid in the place that we consume our knowledge.”
Some students say Temple might be able to learn something from the events at Virginia Tech, including how to better communicate with students in times of emergency.
KYW's Paul Kurtz reports the Virginia Tech incident hits closer to home for schools that make up a large part of a small town.
West Chester University and the borough of West Chester, for example, are inextricably linked, so any incident of violence would be dealt with not only by campus security but by borough police.
University spokeswoman Pam Sheridan:
"I think the relationship is pretty close and the cooperation is very close, and I'd be surprised if this kind of think hasn't already been discussed."
Sheridan says the university employs 20 armed police officers:
"We also have a security officer in each of the dorms from 8pm until 4am every day. There's also hundreds of cameras around the campus that are monitored from the police dispatch center."
Univeristy president Dr. Madeliene Wing Adler has issued a campus-wide message expressing sorrow for the Virgnia Tech victims and assuring students that West Chester is safe.
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