Play2Train , originally uploaded by notmarian.

 It seems that state and local agencies are trying out virtual worlds like Second Life to prepare for emergencies. There’s Play2Train’s build for the state of Idaho and the State of California Health Department is using it to simulate emergency triage in hospitals. And, low and behold, even the Army is saying that virtual worlds are a great way to train civilians for a variety of scenarios. Here’s an article: http://www.govtech.com/gt/261426?id=&topic=117693&story_pg=1

NIU COD, originally uploaded by notmarian.

The College where I work is a sister school to NIU. Many of our students go there after they complete their first two years with us. We are all so very shocked and saddened by this tragedy and feel a profound sense of grief. Its difficult to know what to tell students when we feel just as vulnerable as they do. Our College has done a great job offering counseling and banding together as a huge family.

We should also remember the 3 students that died on February 8, 2008 at Louisiana Technical College at Baton Rouge. A troubled nursing student came to school with a gun and killed two of her classmates then turned the gun on herself. This Community College did not get the press that the killings at NIU and Virginia Tech did. I will not speculate on that. But I am thinking about Karshieka Graves, Taneshia Butler and Latina Williams of LTC in Baton Rouge.