Over the past few days, Dean of Student Affairs Bruce Reitman estimates that he has received around 100 phone calls - mostly from concerned parents - about the Virginia Tech shootings.
These calls, he said, fall into three categories: some parents want information about Tufts' safety protocols, some are concerned about the traumatic effect that the shootings had on their children, and others are curious about what their children can do to report or detect worrisome behavior.
Although the tragic murders happened in Virginia, Reitman said that the ripples have been felt on college campuses across the country, where his counterparts have also been getting inquiries from parents.
"My colleagues ... have all said that they've been getting many calls at [their] schools because this is certainly the worst thing that's happened on a college campus that any of us can remember," Reitman said.
In response to the calls, he has normally suggested that the children of the callers set up a meeting with him, a member of the administration or a counseling professional. "We encourage anyone who's worried about either themselves for any reason or the behavior of others to come talk with any of the deans or seek out the professionals at the counseling center," he said.
While parents have been calling Reitman's office, students wanting to talk about the tragedy have kept the phones ringing at the Counseling and Mental Health Service office.
"We [have had] an influx of calls from students and know it's at least on people's minds," Director of Mental Health Services Julie Ross told the Daily.
To help members of the community, the office has linked information to its Web site advertising services for people struggling to cope with the shootings. Tips for students, teachers and parents are included.
At least in the short term, an increased reliance on help from the Counseling and Mental Health Service office is natural, according to Reitman.
"It's normal that after a crisis situation like this anywhere in the country, counseling resources are going to be used more heavily than they would at any other time," he said.
But although feelings of confusion may linger into the future, he expects the number of concerned phone calls to trail off as time progresses. "I think it probably spikes in the days that follow an incident like Virginia Tech and it will probably drift back towards a more typical number as days pass, or weeks anyway," he said.
-by Rob Silverblatt
