Mass School Shooting - Essay Example

Business Name: Institution: Listening Experience 1: CNN News Report December 15th 2012 11:00am The CNN reporter Chelsea J. Carter, started by reporting about the tragic event, which was the second in the history of United States after the Virginia Tech School shooting. It is the story of the mass school shooting that took place in Sandy Hook Elementary School, Newtown. Janet Vollmer, a teacher at the school recalled how the gunshots could be heard across the school halls and from the PA system. She opted to shield the truth from the five year old students. I was hurt to hear a real life story where children were getting killed in a place where parents assumed they were safe. The first thought that came across my mind was that something was terribly wrong with today’s society. I struggled to stay composed as the news reporter continued interviewing the teacher. According to the reporter, the 5 yr olds in Vollmer’s class heard the noise but were too young to realize they were gunshots. I felt relieved when Vollmer responded to the reporter by saying that she read a story to them. I anxiously waited to hear what she was about to say. Like the reporter, I wanted to know what transpired between the children and their teacher. “I was not going to tell a class of five year olds that the school was under attack, so I just had to tell them that we would be going to an area that was safe for more story book reading.” Vollmer said. She sounded distressed and in deep emotional pain as she narrated the suffering. I was pleased to hear that she told the children to calm down. If I would have been in her position, I presumed that I would have made the same move. The CNN reporter asked Vollmer how long she had taught at Sandy Hook Elementary. I found this question to be irrelevant to the current situation, given that Vollmer had gone through a traumatic ordeal. Despite the trauma that Vollmer must have had, she was still able to answer the question well. She quickly responded by saying “I have been teaching at this school for 18 years and it is my job to keep these children safe.” I was amused to learn that people can be so dedicated to doing their jobs despite the situations that they encounter. The reporter asked a question that I was dreading he would ask. He asked, “How many children were in the room? Where were you all hiding?” I thought Vollmer would not be able to answer the question. I thought she would cry after she made a long pause before answering the reporter. I was surprised when she said there were 19 children in her class and went on to indicate what she did to calm them down. “I had to hide them at the back of the classroom, lock the doors and put the blinds down.” She said that she had to barricade the door and whisper to the children that there were bad people who were in the hallway. The only listening barrier that I had was that there was so much noise in the background. I assumed the interview was taking place just right outside the school. I could hear so many people murmuring in hushed tones, while others were crying. I had to listen carefully to hear what the reporter and the teacher were saying. What Vollmer said was a relief to me. I was extremely happy to learn that in such a situation, people could still gather the courage to protect others. I was contented to hear that there were those children and teachers who were able to escape the tragic event. Hearing the voice of a person who had undergone through such a tragic experience was very nerve-breaking. For indefensible children to be murdered in a place which was supposed to be safe, this calls for direction of all attention to the issue of gun control. Listening Experience 2: Conversation between two of my friends August 20th 10:00am My second listening experience was based on a conversation I heard between two of my college friends who were discussing about an article they had read from the fortune magazine. The article titled “Overworked, take back your lunch” by Anne Fisher the contributor in Fortune magazine. The conversation was between a worker and the contributor. The worker works in one of the successful and leading organizations in United States. The worker according to one of my friends, Rose was responding to an article that Fisher had written in 2nd June on “taking a vacation guilt-free”. Rose commented that the employee, named as Brown, stated that she was in support of Fisher’s article and that most employees were exhausted to work all the time without a lunch break. According to Rose, the employee stated that they only had a 10 minute break for their lunch and to make matters worse it was lunch at the desk every day. I was so taken aback to hear Rose say that. I could not believe why a company that was successful in America, even though it was not mentioned, could have such poor employee motivational skills. The conversation started with Anne asking about the working conditions as Brown’s place of work and if they were conducive for the employees. According to Ann, the organization may have also contributed to the high levels of stress that the employees were going through. Rose gave a quick answer that I undoubtedly expected. I had expected to hear that the working conditions were not satisfactory. According to Rose, Brown’s place of work was conducive and the payment was good. Brown cited that the only problem was that taking a break or a vacation was out of the question. Rose indicated how Brown was quick to comment that not only was taking a vacation a challenge, but going for a ten minute break was impossible. Anne had asked the right question. I was also curious to know how the employees were treated in such an organization; given taking breaks was a problem. I did not however, anticipate getting the answer that Rose gave. Anne suggested that the employees or Brown were required by law to send a formal complaint to the management. I agreed with Anne’s statement. Working for an organization that did not recognize the need for a break every once in a while may have been very hard. Listening to Anne reminded me that being bold and not scared at one’s place of work is not a ticket to getting fired. When I heard Rose saying that the organization had sacked so many workers in the last two years, I could not help but wonder how the management was planning to increase the overall output in the firm, given that it had poor motivational techniques. “I think it will be extremely difficult for them to address this issue with the management, considering it seems that people get laid off so easily.”Rose commented. As Rose explained to Anne, I realized how much more an employee is likely to be productive when they are relaxed and less stressed. I was surprised to learn how much Brown wanted for change to take place. “If the issue is addressed, do you believe that it will work for the other employees?” Anne asked. Rose paused for a while and came to the conclusion that if there was upward communication, certainly the issue would be solved. I thought that Rose had made a hasty conclusion on how the issue would be solved. In my opinion, Rose did not consider factors such as how the message would be communicated to the management or who would do it and using which communication channels. I thought that ne wrong move would have perhaps made the situation worse that it was already. “I think Brown and the other employees need to work on how to send a formal complaint to the management. It can be written by the supervisor, but address the issues of all employees.” Anne concluded. I found the answer that Anne gave to be brilliant. Listening to Anne was worth it as she seemed to have the most appropriate answers to give. When I heard what Anne told Rose, it was not hard to establish that when people reach specific points in life, it becomes hard to be more efficient when there is no motivation. I had only one listening barrier when I was listening both of my friends. Rose was not clear and concise in her statements. She made long statements and it was hard for me to follow up on what her key points were or what she was meant when she said something. Listening Experience 3: Online CNN news December 4th 6:05pm My third listening experience was based on an online conversation I heard between Emma Lacey, a CNN reporter and a student at the University of Louisville, Georgia Turner. The online conversation took place on December 4th this year. The topic of discussion was on College rapes: the new rules. The topic reflects on the current sexual violence that takes place in U.S. universities and how the government is planning to implement new laws that will take effect in the next few months to come. The CNN reporter started,” Having grown up in a small town which was in Kentucky, Georgia Turner was skilled in playing football and performed excellently in her studies. Turner did not consider parties as part of her young experiences in life until she went to college. The sophomore recalled the first day that she joined the University of Louisville. Turner was exited and two years down the line, she went to a party with people that she had just met.” I was hesitant to hear what the next statement from the reporter would be all about. The reporter indicated that all that Turner could remember from that day was that she went to a party. The next morning as the reporter indicated, Turner woke up with aches all over her body. “My body was bruised all over and I had this gut feeling which alarmed me of the possible rape that could have taken place”. Turner said. For a moment I thought that perhaps she could have been wrong, that maybe she got drunk and got involved in a fight or a game. I listened to how she said her statement and realized that no one would be able to fake such emotional distress, most particularly on an International News channel. I heard as she sobbed away in tears as she narrated the ordeal. She did not report the matter and decided to try and cope for the next month. “I used most of my free time while trying to throw up, in the hope that everything that happened to my body would get out.” Turner said. This was a terrible experience to go through. I was angry to hear that some students do not realize that college is there for celebrations and making accomplishments, not for drinking alcohol and engaging in sex. I was surprised to hear Turner saying that she got help only after a year later. I realized that she may have been traumatized because of speaking out after such an ordeal when she was in the wrong place to begin with, may have been difficult. It was a major blow for me to hear the reporter saying that rape on U.S. college campuses was rampant and had become a national problem. According to Sanday (2007) and Freeman, McGrath, Jamerson, (2012), college rapes are so rampant, because of the diversity that is taking place in the universities. I was more shocked to hear that people assumed that the Universities that they were in would not entertain such occurrences and that people were immune from such violence. The CNN reporter was quick to state that there were facts that suggested otherwise as the management in different Universities suggested. I felt so bad for Turner; she was sobbing a lot as she narrated her story to the reporter. The reporter was sympathetic and advised that it would be good if she attended more therapy classes, to help her overcome the pain of going through such a painful experience. It was time for the local authority or the Universities to take charge of the problem. I was angry that such a problem is allowed to continue for all those years and happening to so many women without people raising eyebrows. Turner concluded by saying that she got a lot of support after she narrated her experience. This was one listening experience that made me feel so bad about going for parties and at the same time, learnt so much. References Brumfield, B. (2012, December 18). Connecticut teachers were heroes in the face of death [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://www.google.co.ke/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=newssearch&cd=4&cad=rja&ved=0CEQQqQIoADAD&url=http://www.cnn.com/2012/12/17/us/connecticut-shooting-teacher-heroism/index.html&ei=Q1bUUJKYE8S2hAea9YD4BQ&usg=AFQjCNHjobg9XEuKj2v3DPh1-Lwp9z-vpw&bvm=bv.1355534169,d.ZG4 Carter, C. (2012, December 15). Teacher: 'I wanted to be the last thing they heard, not the gunfire' [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from https://www.google.co.ke/search?q=teacher:+I+wanted+to+be+the+last+thing+they+herad+not+the+gunfire&hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=ZjN&tbo=u&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&source=univ&tbm=nws&sa=X&ei=JlbUUKO6N4rJhAes74CwBg&ved=0CDYQqAI&biw=1366&bih=664 Fisher, A. (2010, September 8). Overworked, take back your lunch” Fortune Magazine Freeman, J., McGrath, M., & Jamerson, C. (2011). Rape investigation handbook. New York: Academic Press. Lacey, E. (2012, December 4th). [Online forum comment]. Retrieved from http://soundcloud.com/cnn/college-rapes-the-new-rules Sanday, P. (2007). Fraternity gang rape: Sex, brotherhood, and privilege on campus. New York: NYU Press. Read More