Student Union
Latest School Shooting Sparks Calls for Gun Control, Again
Students, parents, educators and politicians were among the sad and angry voices Thursday calling for gun reform in the United States, where violent mass shootings are colliding with constitutional rights "to keep and bear arms."
The hashtag #GunReformNow remained the top trending topic on social media, where many called for a way to curb the sale and use of high-powered assault rifles that typically are used in mass shootings in the U.S.
The Valentine's Day shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Broward County, Florida, in which 17 people were killed and at least 15 were injured, was the 18th mass shooting of the new year, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a nonprofit organization in the U.S.
Video footage showed high school students crouched and sprawled on a classroom floor, crying and screaming as the sound of gunshots are heard in the background. Students who had fled to safety Wednesday lauded teachers who shielded them as the gunman made his way through the school.
Arrested was Nikolas Cruz, 19, a former student. He was charged with 17 counts of premeditated murder.
Speaking on Capitol Hill, Democratic Senator Bill Nelson from Florida implored his colleagues to address the issue.
"Enough is enough," said Nelson, after a minute of silence to recognize the tragedy. "At some point as a society, we have got to come together and put a stop to this ... I have hunted all my life, I've had guns all my life, I still hunt with my son, but an AR-15 is not for hunting.
"It's for killing."
Nelson said he would "beg my colleagues to take commonsense actions that we all know will help protect our children and fellow citizens. … When is enough enough?" he concluded, shaking his head.
Others off- and online, pointed a finger at politicians who offer "thoughts and prayers" after shootings, but who accept large contributions from the powerful gun lobby, the National Rifle Association, or NRA. News outlets issued lists of lawmakers who have taken the most contributions from the NRA.
Republican Senators John McCain of Arizona, Marco Rubio of Florida and Roy Blunt of Missouri), among others, were cited.
Rubio tweeted that he and his wife "were devastated and saddened by today's inexplicable tragedy …We join millions of Americans in praying for the victims, their families and all the students and teachers impacted by today's events."
Some Twitter users questioned whether the NRA contributions dissuaded the lawmakers from confronting the gun violence problem.
The NRA declined to comment to VOA about the Florida shooting, but the homepage on its website states that recently, NRA Chief Executive Officer Wayne LaPierre "let [gun-control politicians] and their anti-gun minions know that the NRA will not tolerate their use of a tragedy in their war against the Second Amendment."
The amendment to the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights, written in 1791, says, "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed."
Self-described conservative DrConsrvaMom argued on Twitter that guns should have more of a presence in schools for protection. On Twitter, she posted a graphic listing the places where guns are used for protection, from safety for the president to sporting events to banks.
"We defend our children with a sign that reads: This is a gun-free zone. And then call someone with a gun if there's an emergency," said DrConsrvaMom.
The teachers' union in the county where Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School is located released a statement.
"Our hearts are broken," Anna Fusco, president of the Broward Teachers Union, said in a statement Wednesday. "This is a day we will never forget, one on which we've lost precious lives in a senseless tragedy. It is impossible to make sense of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School today, yet somehow we will come together."
See all News Updates of the Day
- By VOA News
Indian newspaper offers tips for US-bound students
Telangana Today, a newspaper in India, offers a list of tips and resources for students planning to study in the United States.
Among them:
- Prepare for your travel to the U.S., making sure to gather all necessary documents, including your passport and visa.
- Be sure to attend orientations.
- By VOA News
Michigan State international students get their own space
Michigan State University in East Lansing, Michigan, is setting aside a space in the International Center for international students.
Nidal Dajani, vice president of the school's International Student Association, said that the club plans to use the space to host events and hopes to collaborate with other student groups.
- By Dylan Ebs
International students find community during Pride Month
For LGBTQ+ international students, Pride Month, observed in June, is a unique time to reflect.
They hold on to multiple identities — both their LGBTQ+ identity and their cultural background — but coming to terms with them is not always easy.
For graduate student David Zhou, these identities can feel conflicting as transgender rights in China remain a controversial issue and spaces for LGBTQ people close. Zhou, 25, is transgender and pursuing an education in the STEM field at an urban university in the Midwestern United States.
VOA is using a pseudonym for Zhou’s first name and is not naming his university to protect his identity due to safety concerns back home in China. Zhou is not open about his transgender identity to his family.
During Pride Month, Zhou said he attended multiple LGBTQ+ events in his community and is surrounded by a supportive group of LGBTQ+ students who can relate to his experiences. But he’s not open about his identity to everyone on campus and said he doesn’t disclose his preferred pronouns to everyone to avoid transphobic comments.
“I feel like I have to make some judgments of the character of that person to see if they’re a good person to disclose [my identity] to,” Zhou said.
Zhou’s Pride Month celebrations included attending local markets with LGBTQ+ vendors and hanging out with his LGBTQ+ friends.
“They normalized being trans and for a long time I feel like trans identity is, should I say a vulnerability, brings me fear and worrying about discrimination, but having those events are helpful because it allowed me to see that queer people could just [live] openly,” he said.
At social events where few international students are present, Zhou said it can be tough to fit in.
“There's a lot of times like when they were talking about things I kind of, don't really understand, mostly because I kind of lack some background experience or knowledge,” he said.
Zhou said he is not aware of specific groups for LGBTQ+ international students at his university, but said international students are more prevalent in graduate programs and therefore find representation in organizations for LGBTQ+ graduate students.
In China, transgender individuals must obtain consent from an “immediate family member,” even for adults hoping to transition, which critics say limits the autonomy of transgender individuals while supporters say the policy protects doctors from violence by upset parents.
Struby Struble, a former coordinator of the University of Missouri LGBTQ+ Resource Center, told NAFSA: Association of International Educators in 2015 that LGBTQ+ international students face a “double barrier” on campus.
“With their international student friends, they feel isolated because they’re the LGBT one,” she said. “But then among the LGBT students on campus, they feel isolated because they’re the international one.”
Nick Martin, associate director of the Q Center, Binghamton University’s LGBTQ+ student support office, said when international students tour the center, there’s often a sense of hesitation as they enter a type of space that may not be present in their home country.
“I compare that to a year in after they've come into the space, they've again, maybe come to some of our events, they've got more connected,” he said.
Martin said graduate students have a unique interest in the Q Center as they may use the office for research and advocacy purposes that align with their studies.
“For older students, there may be hesitancy in a different way, but I think it's more in the vein of they want to do some of the advocacy work,” he said.
Martin said he thinks about how both his office and BU’s international student office can support students who come from countries with few — if any — protections for LGBTQ+ individuals.
“It's been a learning process of what those students really need, but I think I've kind of learned that a lot of students are just looking for the safe space that we offer,” Martin said.
- By VOA News
International students discuss US campus culture shock
International students at De Anza College in Cupertino, California, talked about culture shock in an article in La Voz News, the student newspaper.
"It felt like a major culture shock. Everything was so different, from academics to mannerism," said a student from Mexico.
Read the full story here.
These are the most expensive schools in the US
High tuition costs along with housing and food expenses can add up for students at U.S. colleges and universities.
MSNBC looked at the most expensive schools in the country, with one costing more than $500,000 for a bachelor’s degree. (June 2024)
