Students reflect on Umpqua tragedy,
look to Clackamas’ own preparedness
Thursday, Oct. 1, at Umpqua
Com m unity College, a shooter
took the lives of nine people and
wounded at least nine more.
The sam e day at 4:51 p.m .,
Clackam as Com m unity College
released a memo to students and
staff encouraging those students
“ who feel the need for additional
support” to call the counseling
departm ent. A quiet room was
also announced, open 9 a.m.to 4
p.m. the next day.
Friday, Oct. 2, a noon moment
o f silen ce took place at the
Com m unity Center to consider
and honor the wounded and killed.
More than 60 staff and students
came together for five minutes
in the C om m unity C enter in
memorial. There was no officiator
and as people came they fell into
lines circling the atrium. A few
shed tears, but m ost sim ply
looked solemn, with heads hung.
Kay-Lani Munro was one of the
students attending the moment
of silence. Her husband was a
m anager at Clackam as Town
Center on Dec. 11, 2012, w hen
Jacob Tyler Roberts killed two in
a shooting.
“ It can h a p p en a n y tim e,
anyplace,” she said.
As for college preparedness, she
said, “ I don’t know how you can
be prepared for som ething like
that.”
The m oment of silence ended
abruptly, and each left theiX
separate ways.
O utside N iem eyer, fa cu lty
m em ber Chris W hitten handed
out squares of gaff tape to wear
in m em ory of those killed. He
directed students inside to the
box office counter where cards lay
for the survivors of the shooting.
Conversations about the' shooting
continued to buzz in the hallways.
On Oct. 7, at 5 p.m., a vigil was
held for those killed, wounded
and affected by the shooting.
Hosted by ASG, students and staff
came together for an hour in the
Community Center.
Student government president
B re n t
F in k b e in e r
sp o k e
passionately and eloquently. He
addressed how leaders are all
too quick to further their own
policy w ith a tragedy like the
UCC shooting. “ But not h ere,”
Finkbeiner said. “Today, we honor
those who w e’ve lost.”
After a few short words from
college president Joanne Truesdell,
director of vocal music Kathleen
Hollingsworth led the attendees
in “ Amazing Grace.” A moment
of silence followed, and just as at
the first moment of silence days
earlier, people quietly went their
way afterwards.
With the shooter in Roseburg
dead, students at Clackamas are
left wondering about their own
safety. In a time where 994 mass
shootings have happened in the
last three years, what processes
does the college have in place to
protect students?
A lo o k in to C la c k a m a s ’
e m e rg en cy resp o n se guide
elu cid ates stu d e n ts’ options
in the case of a m ass shooting.
Essentially, if the shooter is
outside, the college advises staff
and students to barricade the
doors and turn off the lights.
If inside, attempt to evacuate.
If a shooter enters a classroom,
the guide states “ There is no
one procedure th a t can be
recommended in this situation. ”
“ A n y attem p t to overcom e
the individual with force should
only be used as a last resort and
initiated only in the most extreme
circumstances. If you must fight,
fight to win and survive.”
CCC security guards now wear
b u lle tp ro o f v e sts. They are
also armed and licensed by the
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office.
Numerous guards on campus are
trained to kill an active shooter.
The security staff includes five
fu ll-tim e police officers, three
p a rt-tim e officers and three
additional p a rt-tim e security
officers.
The Clackam as Print spoke
w ith Bobby S m ith, D irector
o f Cam pus Safety, a fter the
Umpqua shooting. The Marine
Corps veteran and retired police
lieutenant is confidant in CCC’ s
security and emergency staff. The
security staff includes both sworn
police officers and trained security
guards, as well as student cadets
during fall and spring as “ an extra
set of eyes.”
Smith said that Campus Safety
has good working relationships
w ith the Oregon C ity Police,
Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office
and the Milwaukie and Wilsonville
Police departments for Harmony
and Wilsonville campuses. Police
officers from each department are
familiar with the layout of each
campus and would be quick to
respond to any incident.
If you have any concerns about
Campus Safety, Smith encourages
students to email him at bobby,
smi th @ clackamas. edu.
CCC h a s p o lic ie s
and
preparedness measures in place
for the worst possible occasions.
Saige Keikkala contributed to this story.
Students and staff gathered at both the moment of silence and the vigil.