November 20, 2007

Killing of Graduate Student Puts U. of Chicago on Edge

The University of Chicago is on edge over an apparent crime spree early Monday morning that was capped by the shooting death of a chemistry graduate student from Senegal who had just recently defended his dissertation, according to today’s Chicago Tribune. The spree, which consisted of three incidents over a one-hour period, took place off campus, but it drew complaints from students and others about the nine hours that passed before the university notified students about what had happened. The complaints resembled criticism of how Virginia Tech handled the shootings on its campus last April. A University of Chicago official attributed the delay to the importance of having accurate information before disseminating it. —Andrew Mytelka

Comments

1. The University is not your nanny, especially in off-campus affairs. What’s next, students expecting to be told to wear a coat because a cold front is coming in?

   If students want to be treated to instant alerts, perhaps the campus should issue receivers similar to weather radios that would alarm whenever a crime had been committed within five miles of campus.

   Yeah, I say give them what they want, at all hours. Why not? They already do the same with Amber Alerts on weather radios…

   — Marc    Nov 20, 10:48 AM    #

2. The student was killed on the south part of campus that is being extended. It’s a block from the new U of C dorm, two blocks from the law school and a current undergraduate dorm not to mention the SSA school.

   — Bob    Nov 20, 12:10 PM    #

3. I lived in that “current undergraduate dorm” from 1996 until 1998. We were told not to go in the back yard alone. No, we should nanny students but it is also the university’s responsibility to acknowledge security and safety concerns.

   — K.    Nov 20, 03:40 PM    #

4. Correction: No, we should NOT nanny students but it is also the university’s responsibility to acknowledge security and safety concerns.

   — K.    Nov 20, 03:41 PM    #

5. Many campuses now do have instant-alert systems in place using students’ and staff’s cell phones. This kind of thing is not unusual around urban universities, and to avoid further damage, it makes sense for the university to let others know of a prior violent incident.

   — neniaf    Nov 20, 03:45 PM    #

6. Where exactly did this occur? When I was at Chicago, the UC police did not patrol south of 60th. If the student was killed outside the area patrolled by the campus police, this is really a mute point.

   — D    Nov 20, 03:55 PM    #

7. Moot point. The administration was mute.

   — c'mon    Nov 20, 04:03 PM    #

8. to D: Obviously this is not a mute point, because we are talking about it. I hope that you didn’t study law at Chicago, where you would have learned about moot points.

   — pedant    Nov 20, 04:04 PM    #

9. This is what it comes down to: Campus administrators are more afraid of being called “Chicken Little” than they are of being called “negligent.” I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to believe that this is very common male behavior; so afraid of a false alarm and being judged by their fellow males as easily frightened (read: effeminate) that they will err on the side of recklessness and needless tragedy.

   — marci    Nov 20, 04:17 PM    #

10. It occurred in the 6100 block of Ellis. The campus patrol area has indeed been expanded in recent years. Per the UChicago safety information site: “The University Police Department (UCPD) operates twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, on campus and throughout the Hyde Park, Kenwood, Oakland, and Woodlawn neighborhoods. They patrol north to 39th Street, south to 64th Street, east to Lake Shore Drive, and west to Cottage Grove Avenue.”

    — L    Nov 20, 04:22 PM    #

11. Marci, it’s amazing how holding a strong prejudice makes drawing conclusions so much easier. Don’t you think there are other important considerations in this matter besides gender?

    — John    Nov 20, 04:28 PM    #

12. This is not about “nannyism”, gender discrimination, or even campus safety. This is another murder of an innocent person in a society that is unable to come to terms with the need for gun control, the celebration of violence in various forms of entertainment and myriad other social problems. Why is the murder of a college student more important than the murder of any other citizen? Why should college students be alerted any sooner or more completely than ordinary citizens. Someone needs to explain what makes college students such a privileged class. Why aren’t all citizens entitled to the same care and attention?

    — Rick    Nov 21, 08:04 AM    #

13. Excellent, Rick.

    — CHS    Nov 21, 09:53 AM    #

14. Rick, what a bunch of crap. Why does everyone trot out the tired old shibboleth of “gun control” every time someone gets shot and killed by a criminal? Is it really so hard to understand the obvious? The person who shot this UC student was already violating a law against MURDER, but somehow once we make owning or possessing a gun illegal, (s)he will suddenly become a law-abiding citizen and adhere to to laws against owning firearms? Please! And don’t tell me that criminalizing gun ownership will make it impossible for people like that to get the guns. Drugs are illegal too, remember? And no one get those, either, do they? Of course not. All of the drugs, the black market, the inflated prices, the unregulated content, the deaths – that’s all just a figment of our imagination. Gun control will do three things extremely well: (1) ensure that people predisposed to follow laws are not able to defend themselves; (2) create a black market for weapons controlled and administered the same way that the black market for drugs is now; and (3) give the government unprecedented power over American citizens.

    Oh, yeah. Great solution.

    — Ergum Soloff    Nov 21, 10:19 AM    #

15. When I was a grad student at Univ. of Chicago in the early 1990s, an undergraduate was abducted from the campus (a block from the Regenstein Library), driven off campus, and raped. The university did not alert the student body that this had occurred, and when the news inevitably did leak out, the administration had to defend its failure to notify students of a crime committed on campus. I remember going to a meeting that was held to discuss safety issues on campus and several students spoke up about the need for students to be informed. The assistant dean of students said she didn’t think the university should inform students about crimes in the neighborhood, because she personally wouldn’t want to hear about such things happening because it “would scare her”. I was appalled at the time to hear her voice this. Isn’t it better for students to be scared and therefore cautious, than to be ignorant and therefore under the erroneous view that they are safe on campus? It seems that in 20 years, the Univ. of Chicago hasn’t changed much, and unfortunately prefers its students to be ignorant on safety rather than informed.

    — Amy L.    Nov 21, 04:08 PM    #

16. Ergum:

    It is unfortunate that you chose to simply respond by saying that it is “crap” to call for rational examination of what our society should do about the fact that guns are so easily and readily available for criminals to use against innocent civilians. Your simplistic argument contributes to our inability to face the fact that the easy availability of guns makes murder more likely in our society. My recognition of this is not “crap”, it is a tragic necessity. I think there is a reasonable altenative to the current situation which you appear to endorse and am willing to explore options with rational and concerned fellow citizens. I grew up in neighborhoods where gun violence took many innocent lives (including that of a non-college student member of my family) and know that my concerns are shared by many other sincere citizens who value our right to life above our right to bear arms.

    — Rick    Nov 22, 03:46 PM    #

17. I think the problem with a college student getting shot is that that sort of thing has no place in the college experience. Special pleading aside, I’d usually be all for what you say, Rick, though I think that supposing every citizen “deserves” the kind of coddling that is a real privilege of the college experience is far fetched. There are trade-offs that it is in any school’s interest to cultivate and support. If college students are getting shot regularly then it means that something is out of control, and that our universities are fundamentally failing to act in their own interests. . .Of course more guns is not the solution (i’m always shocked when that option gets raised) but I’m sorry to say Rick—you don’t seem to have your finger on it either.

    — youngprof    Nov 24, 05:37 PM    #

18. when parents send their children off to school, they expect the school to protect them. now, if shootings occur away from the students’ zone of safety, there’s still nothing that can be done. safety is what parents “expect,” but it’s not necessarily what they get. it’s a violent world out there, in case parents have not noticed. we take our chances every day when we walk outside the safety of our homes.

    — anne    Nov 26, 08:53 AM    #

19. Ergum,

    You’re right on. Great explanation!

    — Mel    Nov 26, 10:27 AM    #

20. All of you seem to have overlooked the most important aspect of this story – a graduate student who had just definded his dissertation was literally shot – to death. Get a grip on reality. The U was obliged to let the campus know much, much sooner.

    — JR    Nov 26, 04:30 PM    #

21. Amadou Cisse was a loving and caring individual who happened to be from Senegal and who had recently defended his dissertation. He died at the hands of cowards and criminals. My heart and prayers go out to his family, friends and loved ones. I am angered and saddened at this horrible tragedy.

    — jose    Nov 26, 08:48 PM    #

22. Jose, Amen.

    — JR    Nov 30, 07:43 AM    #

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