TALHASSEE, Fla. (WFLA) — Following the fatal mass shootings at Florida State University, the heartbreaking community continues to heal.
Students and staff returned to campus on Monday to resume classes a week before the final. Many students expressed concern and confusion about the university’s decision to resume classes.
FSU senior leaves a heartfelt police note after shooting
Students like FSU freshman Madalyn Propst said no one wants to go back to an aggressive crime scene and they have to worry about taking the test.
“It feels like they’ve taken their hearts off campus,” Propst said.
There were students alongside countless memorials spread across FSU’s campus, but some wondered if the campus needed to heal more time.
“I’m here today and don’t need the first day back to school, but it feels very empty,” said FSU senior Christian Maldonado. “It’s not really sitting well in class. I was full the whole time.”
The president of Richard McCullough University gave students who could not return options such as remote learning the option to abandon all mandatory attendance policies and require incomplete grades, but many said it wasn’t enough.
“It’s insensitive. It feels like a slap in the face from our administration. They know they can close less, they give us a week off for snow at the beginning of the year, and they hope we will pretend that nothing happened and go to the finals a day after filming,” Propst said.
Police said Phoenix Echner opened fire on the school’s student union on Thursday, April 17th. Over the weekend, university and community members stayed up all night to honor the lost lives and victims.
Christian Maldonado, a senior studying music education, said there is a message for those who look back on his years as a proud Seminole.
“The FSU community is incredible and it means they’re doing a lot for us. It means people are spending their day here providing a hug,” Maldonado said. “There were people who just had cookies for people who walked before, and I’m so happy they’re doing it. The world says you need to be kind, but you shouldn’t take this size to realize that people are kind.”
FSU students shared on your part that they appreciate the option to opt out or opt out of a particular class, but that some people need to take the final exam to improve their grades, while also not even able to imagine trying to change their focus on research.
“Personally, I’m really not ready. I’m not in that headspace. I don’t know if I’ll be,” Maldonado said. “I didn’t do anything this weekend. I didn’t check my email once. I showed up today and don’t know what’s going on. When I might have to get the final to pass the class, it’s definitely difficult in that situation.”
