It is not a nice thing to hear freaked-out special news reports, in the middle of the day as you're sitting in your academic office, about a shooting rampage at a college in Montreal.
It reminds you of December 6, 1989, when you were still in high school but you spent the night shocked, scared, crying about the fourteen women who were murdered at a Montreal college that day. When you were already volunteering at a national women's organization and, all of a sudden, really knew why.
Today's isn't another "Montreal Massacre"; this man was shooting men and women. But you realize, in the wake of Sept 11 commemorations, that you - a Canadian, and a feminist, and an academic - have your own dark day. And that this triggered it. That's why you haven't been able to work, or even to warm up, since you heard the news.
It is still early - reports are confused and conflicted about what happened. All I can say is: Really, really hoping that every one of the victims of this shooting pulls through.
3 comments:
I haven't gotten any work done in the past few hours either. Too busy reading all the various news sources online. So far, it looks like only 1 person (a 20 year old woman) has died, besides the shooter, and hopefully all the other injured will pull through.
There is a very high transfer rate between this college and my university. Many of our students went to college there before coming to university here, and many, many of the grad students who complete the program in my dept end up teaching at Dawson college after they finish our program. I can think of close to half a dozen off the top of my head. I hope they are all okay.
I really hope everyone you know is safe and unhurt, Pantagruelle. So awful.
It is awful. I just got word though that all of the people associated with my university are ok, so that's a relief. I learned though that omeone I know had to harbour students in her office for a while until the police swept the building and rushed everyone out. Scary.
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