Classrooms in Virginia Tech’s Norris Hall, where 30 people were murdered in April, will house a new Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention, says the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Rooms 204, 206, 207, and 211 are where gunman Seung-Hui Cho killed 30 of his 32 victims on April 16 before killing himself. Two hours earlier, he had killed two other students in a dormitory.
Details are sketchy about what will take place in the Center for Peace Studies and Violence Prevention. Sue Ott Rowlands, dean of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, has been appointed to lead an effort to develop the concept. Tech plans to hire a director and provide seed money.The center, Rowlands said, will have “a very strong mission of engagement of our students, K-12 students, graduates, the Blacksburg community” and the nation and world. The center could be ready by next fall; the university hopes much of the estimated $1 million cost of the overall renovation plan will be covered by donations.
Link: http://www.inrich.com/cva/ric/search.apx.-content-articles-RTD-2007-12-21-0186.html