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Tuesday, April 17, 2007
News of death via IM
What happened on campus Monday is starting to sink in with students. It's also starting to sink in with me.

I was scrambling to get my story out this evening when I received an instant message from a student I previously interviewed. Here are excerpts from our conversation:

Student: (5:52:26 PM): hey, kristi
Student: (5:52:34 PM): do you know anything about ross alameddine?
Me: (5:56:08 PM): hey, no what's up?
Student (5:56:54 PM): I just found out he died
Student (5:57:07 PM): and he and I were really good friends
Me (5:58:12 PM): wow, i am so sorry -- how did you find out?
Student (5:58:23 PM): a friend of mine IMed me
Student (5:58:36 PM): and I found out on facebook when a reporter figured it out and asked me to tell him about ross
Student (6:00:43 PM): he was in the french class
Student (6:01:26 PM): we used to hang out all of the time
Student (6:02:03 PM): and I was thinking about seeing if he wanted to hang out this weekend

Online communication is something I do every day. I never imagined a conversation like this one.

-- By Kristi Keck, CNN.com Writer
Posted By CNN: 7:57 PM ET
  6 Comments
Hey Kristi

The one great thing about IM is how quickly you can reach out to someone. However, it's not as comforting as a hug.

This event will probably affect those covering it as well as those involved in it.

Our thoughts are with all of you as well as the victims.
Posted By Anonymous Christina, Windber, PA : 9:39 PM ET
I strongly believe that if Virginia Tech security and the police had lock down the school after the first shooting. The second massive killings of students and teachers could have been prevented. Everyone is talking about WHAT IF now, but what if can’t bring them back. You would think after 9/11, and the previous school shooting that people would over react to a situation like this. It’s not always better to assume that everything will be O.K.,and than to hope for the best. During 9/11 people were told to go back into the south tower (IT’S SAFE!) after the first plane hit. But you know here in our so-called great country, we always look for someone to blame or point the finger at.
Why can’t we learn? Assume the worse, prepare for the worse. I was a born and raised in New York, went though the tragedy of 9/11,and I’m also college student. You know what I’ll always go home and continue to go to school. But as these horrifying things happen in my lifetime, I will continue to cry both inside and out.
My Heart goes out to the victims and their families.
Posted By Anonymous ARIEL Philadelphia,PA : 9:42 PM ET
News of a death via IM. It goes to show us all that news of death, no matter how that news is delivered, cuts to our very core.
No amount of tech gadgets can soften the words or make the impact of death feel less devastating. Take Care
Posted By Anonymous Lorie Ann, Buellton, Calif. : 10:35 PM ET
My thoughts and prayers go out to all who have been touched by the tragedy at VTech.
I just wanted to say that the blog entries have been exceptional from every single blogger since this tragedy first happened. Each with a unique perspective and so heartfelt. Thanks for keeping us informed w/out the formality of being on the air. You are all doing an incredible job.
Posted By Anonymous Cheryl, Johnston RI : 6:57 AM ET
I will be honest about what I see:
I see a country mourn the deaths of 32 students brutally slain.
I did NOT see this country show close as much commotion for the 60-thousand or more Iraqis brutally slain as a result of this same countrie's unjustified invasion of Iraq.
However horrible the campus slaugther may have been, it is nothing compared to the horrors the US invasion has brought upon the Iraqi people.
Posted By Anonymous Geronimo - Argentina : 7:27 AM ET
all of our hearts go out.we all pray for the famillys and frinds that lost a love one in this shooting.we pray and give thanks to all the hospitles and officers for the job thay have done in helping in the time of need.for the shooters parents thay have a big time of healing infront of them we need to think of them to,like i heard said no parrent should have to go threw this and that is true.this was one man doing that the man we should have anger twards.i hope in years to come we can come up with a better way to go threw our life ware it would be safe for us and our kids.the students that went threw this we need to open our ears up to them and lisson to what thay have to say,and as our hearts are open to them we need to lurn from them.my prayers is for everyone to get threw this ok lurn go on with our life with a better understanding anda better way in liveing.we need to do this for the victums because its them that are going to change us if there is going to be change in this world.God bless everyone,
(so often i hear the words freedom of speach,and nothen can be done because of that freedom.well freedom of speach should not be there if it hurts other are may lead down a wrong path thats not freedom for no one)we all need to take a look at things,we want our kids to have a better life than we did,when we see sighns of someone strugling in life we need to act on it not be afrade of stepping on toes.there got to be somekind of lesson to lurn threw sorry lets look for that lesson and act on it ,act on it unitedly together.
Posted By Anonymous rodney rector pa : 8:58 AM ET
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