A panel discussion with representatives from Andrews University, Goshen College, IUSB, Notre Dame, South Bend Police and WNDU-TV

Nearly one year after the massacre at Virginia Tech that claimed 32 lives, a panel of professional communicators, media and law enforcement will participate in a panel discussion, "What Have We Learned from Virginia Tech?" This discussion will take place on Tuesday, March 25 at 7:15 pm in the Whirlpool Room in Chan Shun Hall on the campus of Andrews University and it is open to the public.

The panel members are Richard Aguirre, director of public relations, Goshen College; Ken Baierl, director of communication and spokesperson, Indiana University of South Bend; C.J. Beutien, news director, WNDU-TV; Gary Horvath, chief of community relations, South Bend Police Department and a 25-year veteran newspaper reporter; Phil Johnson, director of security police, University of Notre Dame; and Rebecca May, director of University Relations, Andrews University. Pamela Harris, a professor who teaches crisis communication at Andrews University, will serve as the moderator.

On April 16, 2007, a Virginia Tech student turned gunman killed 32 people and wounded many more before committing suicide, making it the deadliest school shooting in United States history. This panel of respected communicators will engage in public dialog to discuss crisis communication, crisis plans, and the Virginia Tech case. The discussion is based on an article that appeared in Strategist Magazine by Larry Hincker, chief spokesperson for Virginia Tech, who wrote about his experience during that time of crisis on his campus.

This event marks the first publicly invited meeting of the new Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA) campus chapter at Andrews University, which was officially formed in November 2007. Brittany Shorter, a senior communication major, is serving as chapter president.