University of Idaho Staff and Faculty discussed and reflected on their methods of dealing with their own trauma and helping students as the result of the November homicides at the Big Sky Health and Wellness Symposium on Wednesday.
The discussion panel included Dean of Students Blaine Eckles, UI Provost Dr. Torrey Lawrence, UI Executive Communications Director Jodi Walker, Campus and Athletics Psychologist Dr. Trich Nash, Division Ops Officer Lee Espy and Swimming and Diving student athlete Holly Keir. Track and Field student athlete Kalani Hardaway also moderated the discussion panel.
The diverse set of speakers allowed for different perspectives and actions taken during the November homicides for both staff and students to be discussed. Dean of Students Blaine Eckles began the conference with the entire timeline of the homicides from November to present day. After the timeline was shared, the discussion panel began.
Both Student athletes discussed how the homicides affected them and how they dealt with it in their own way. Keir talked about how she would use swimming practice to compartmentalize her feelings, and how she felt responsible to look after her teammates, most of them being freshman. Hardaway would talk about how the support from her coaches helped her deal with the grim atmosphere on campus. Keir also commented on the support she received from her coaches shortly after the homicides, stating: “We knew Coach Mark, Coach Jim and Coach Robin would all be there for us. It was all about our safety first, and it was also about trying to have normalcy. I felt nothing but support from the coaching staff.”
Division Ops Officer Lee Espy discussed the positive relationship between the University of Idaho and the Moscow Police Department, stating that communication between the MPD and UI in November influenced the Vandal alert notifications in the first few hours following the MPD responding to the Homicides. UI staff then proceeded carefully in informing the victim’s families, classes and clubs or organizations that the victims were apart of before notifying the media of the victim’s identities.
Eckles commented on the media presence on campus after the homicides, stating: “This was the first time that I’ve had experience of the media trying to drive a narrative or a storyline through their questioning of me, and one of the branches of media kept trying to drive a wedge between the University and the MPD, referencing: Do you think they are capable? Do you think they are handling this well? Are they competent to do this work? These were intentional words to try and get us to say something that would undermine the MPD.”
Eckles also commended Walker in her strategy of “just sticking to the facts” when it came to dealing with the media. This would be the strategy that all UI staff would follow when it came to answering media questions. Eckles also discussed the decisions made by the university to keep campus as flexible as possible and to accommodate students after the homicides.
Dr. Nash shared the long-term effects that the homicides will have on campus stating: “We have not been seeing all the long-term effects, because this didn’t happen very long ago. We haven’t seen all the long-term effects that come up after any tragedy.” She also explained that this wasn’t just a campus tragedy, but a community tragedy.
Espy commented on how the security on campus changed directly after the homicide. Internal security on campus was doubled, and additional external security was also hired. UI also worked with Idaho State Police. At times there were up to four or five ISP officers patrolling campus and living on campus. Security teams also received a temporary pay increase to ensure stability within the team. The campus Safewalk program began to extend their services to students traveling off campus and continues to do so.
Espy also briefly announced that UI will be using the RAVE Mobile Safety service, and students will have access to this service next semester.
Ben DeWitt can be reached at [email protected] and on twitter @BenDeWitt321