Charlie Colasurdo ’18

Columbine, Virginia Tech, Sandy Hook and, most recently, Ohio State. These are names of schools that were once known for being happy hubs of education. Today, these names are synonymous with mass school violence. Students wondered: Has the all-too-common incidence of violent shootings at schools across America become so commonplace as to make us utterly complacent?
For students, “The sheer volume of incidents has nearly normalized events like the recent terror spree at Ohio.”
For former Assistant Principal Karyn Morgan, “My reaction to the news at Ohio State was ‘Oh my God; not again!”
So, are students numb, in shock, or just so wrapped up in with studies, friends, and college admissions that shock no longer registers about violent acts happening on campuses near and far?

Sandy Hook, just two towns away, is the site of one of the deadliest mass shootings at American schools. Since that devastating slaughter of 20 six- and seven-year olds and six adult staff members just five years ago.
After that deadly mass shooting, many more have occurred across the country, most recently, at Ohio State University this past Monday, when a pupil from Somalia raged on campus, stabbing, and running down his fellow students with a car. Yet after this bloody attack that caused panic across campus, we didn’t hear too much about it in the halls or cafeteria at Staples.
“I didn’t know they happened until now, so I guess I’m confused. This wasn’t all over Facebook like other attacks were.” Admits Charlie Zuckerman ’18.

The Closer to Home, the Greater the Impact

With such violence at schools becoming almost commonplace, Staples students were asked how they felt about the recent increase in violence perpetrated on school campuses across the US.

James O’Brien ’17, explained, “Sandy was very close to home. It was real, because people heard about it from family members asking and confirming they were all right. Because of this, I felt a greater sense of grief throughout the whole experience. Ohio feels different. I haven’t been to Ohio or know too many people there, so it’s difficult for me to understand the fear and communal change. From an information perspective, I feel a lot less informed about what happened.”

Niki Beck ’18, recalls why Sandy Hook was so devastating to her: “I think Sandy Hook had a more profound impact on me, since it happened so close to home and was announced over the loudspeaker when I was in seventh grade. Unfortunately, the attacks at Ohio State were less shocking to me, since so many similar events seem to have taken place between the time of Sandy Hook and now.”

Morgan agreed. “My reaction to the Sandy Hook attacks was a completely whole body reaction: My brain froze and my body was in tremors. I couldn’t stop watching the news, I couldn’t stop crying, and all I wanted to do was wake up from this horrible nightmare. My reaction to the Ohio State was immediate fear and concern for the students. It was different; perhaps because no one was killed except the perpetrator, and perhaps because they weren’t six years old! Also, Sandy Hook was in our backyard and also took the lives of educators.”

Frequency Equals Complacency

For Beck ’18, now living in The Woodlands, Texas, the frequency of attacks has bred a sense of complacency. She says, “I think we’ve definitely started to accept it as somewhat normal, and we’ve lost some sensitivity towards the subject due to its frequency”

James O’Brien ’17, says the sheer volume of incidents is part of the problem. He notes, “As a student, the fear that the idea of a violent attack on a school can cause makes it hard to feel complacent about events like this, but when it comes to violence on the whole, particularly violence motivated by the influence of terror groups, the sheer volume of incidents has nearly normalized events like that at Ohio.”

How Safe Do We Feel at School?

Due to the insular nature of suburban Westport, most of the students asked reported feeling quite safe at school. Abi Genser ’18, explains, “In Staples, I feel safe, mostly because of the area we live in, and because we have lockdown drills and really good school security.”

Zuckerman said his approach is to live his life and put thoughts of violence out of his mind. “I’m not anxious about it, and I don’t worry about it daily; I try not to think about it”