After a week off from classes following tragic events that took place on Sept. 10, Utah Valley University (UVU) has once again opened its doors to its students. This transition period has been met with a mix of emotions.
Justin Conder, a senior Political Science major from Millcreek, Utah, expresses the difficulty of feeling secure on campus after the Charlie Kirk shooting.
“It’s kind of hard to go back to feeling safe,” said Conder. “Once you’ve had an event like that happen, it’s really hard to put yourself into a safe mental space.”
Students such as Brevin Olson, a senior Cybersecurity major from Monticello, Utah, conveys a feeling that UVU is already closer to a return to normalcy.
Olson was at the event at the time of shooting and during the mass panic and rush to escape the sight of the event.
“I didn’t know if it was an assassination or a mass shooting,” said Olsen. “Everyone thought they were in danger, it was a scary experience.”
Olson says the initial half-week return to campus was, “pretty stressful honestly… with all the tension in the air you didn’t know what was going to happen those first three days back.” However, this following week, Olsen says has felt, “almost back to normal.”
He furthers by saying even if things aren’t quite back to normal yet, they will be eventually.
“Things are going to get back to normal,” said Olsen. “we’re still super close to the situation… it’s still very relevant but as soon as more time passes, I think UVU will be back to normal.”
Conder says this return to “normal,” may be a longer process for many students. Conder said, “The people who ran, the people who barricaded themselves, none of those people are ever going to feel the same way.”
Conder was in the Pope Science Building, having left the event just moments before the shot was fired on Charlie Kirk. Despite not being at the event, the chaos quickly spilt to the rest of campus as he fled from sight of the shooting.
Sage Kenison, a junior majoring in History and Social Studies from West Jordan, Utah, witnessed the confusion off campus, as she was returning to UVU after being off campus for class right at the time of the shooting.
“I rolled down the passenger side window to try and ask what was happening, but no one responded,” said Kenison. “Right as we were pulling into the parking lot, a girl in another car rolled down her window and told us there was a shooter on campus and we needed to turn around.”
Despite not being at the event or on campus, the return to class has still been a work in progress for Kenison, “You never really think that something that big will happen around you, and so when it does it’s really scary and feels like your entire reality has shifted slightly.”
In response to the shooting, UVU has taken steps to help students feel safer on campus. There has been an increase in police presence as a volunteer force consisting of officers from across Utah County. They will be on campus for an undisclosed period.
This increase in security has been met with mixed emotions from some students. Some see the increase in security as a temporary fix to a more complicated issue. Kenison says that it “…obviously isn’t a long-term solution to any safety concerns.”
Controversy has sparked in the aftermath of the shooting, with many expressing frustrations with the response by UVU in the immediate moments following the shooting. Delays in getting the correct information and instructions out to students lead to further confusion on campus.
While the initial response has experienced some scrutiny, students like Conder express confidence in how UVU will respond if something like this were to happen again.
“In the immediate aftermath they could’ve been a lot quicker to responded, and some of those concerns have been addressed,” said Conder. “I’m sure UVU will do just fine moving forward in making sure that’s not a problem in the future.”
In addition to the increased security, UVU is offering its Mental Health Services and Student Health Services for free until further notice.
In a statement from UVU President Astrid S. Tuminez on September 22, it was announced that UVU will be working with an independent third-party in reviewing the security guidelines in place on campus, committing to improving campus safety where it can be done.
“We believe the findings of the comprehensive, third-party independent review of this targeted act of violence will offer valuable insights on how college campuses improve response and preparedness moving forward,” said Tuminez. “We will integrate the findings into our efforts to strengthen and improve safety practices for UVU and all of Utah higher education.”
For any students still struggling in the aftermath of the shooting, reach out to Student Health services through their phone number, (801) 863-8876 or find more information on their website.
