A college that shut down
 

I just heard about that Hanover College shut down and finals were canceled because they are looking for a murder suspect. They must think he is hiding out there to take that drastic a measure. The murders took place 100 miles away. A 16 year old killed his parents and police think he was going to go after his brother who goes to that college. Does everyone think shuting down the college was the right move?

here is an article about it..
http://www.myinky.com/ecp/home/artic...601067,00.html

If I were an administrator I'd find it much easier to cope with cancelling finals vs. having someone die because I didn't.

I agree with them cancelling finals and shutting down the school. I don't think that they should think to reschedule finals for January. If the students are like me, they will have forgotten most of what they had to learn the semester before.

I have heard from people around the state that they are not making them back up their finals. It is more important for students to be safe.


I will inform you all more later when I hear from my friend that goes there. She is at home but I have not been able to talk to her yet.

I just wanted to add that Hanover is about 3,000 residents not counting the college so that is pretty much the only thing in the town. It is really small and they feared that the kid would go after the first person he sees. It is a very scary situation down there from what I hear.

After the tragedy at Columbine, from what I remember, they let the seniors graduate early without finishing up the semester. I think it was the right move, especially based on the magnitude and impact of the event.

It sounds like the administration is just trying to cover their bases and ensure the safety of the students. I know if my parents would be concerned if I went to this school.

When Ohio University was closed due to anti-war riots after the Kent State murders (DeltAlum editorial comment) in 1970, finals and commencement were cancelled. My wife was in that class, although she was student teaching and had to finish the quarter, unlike the rest of the school.

The O.U. Class of 1990 invited any member of the '70 class to walk in their graduation, but we lived too far away to take advantage of it.

I agree that the administration was prudent in vacating the campus under the circumstances.

I think it's grasping somewhat to use the Columbine as a guideline for whether to hold finals or not, though. In that case several students and a teacher were actually killed, and numerous others gravely injured in an open school building, during classes. Students had to live through not only that, but a siege by local law enforcement.

In this case, while tragic for the student involved, we're talking about an act of domestic violence a hundred miles away.

Several years ago, while our daughter was a student at the University of Northern Colorado, a disgruntled boyfriend of another student killed his parents (I think) or someone, and then drove to Greeley, broke into the students dorm room and held her hostage until he was shot and killed through the dorm window by a local SWAT sniper. In that case, the semester continued.

And, you're right, we as parents were concerned, although the news media covered the situaltion pretty well and most of us knew that it was unlikely our children were in that dorm at that moment (middle of the afternoon).

Still, it was a scary few hours.