Author of book about Columbine here Nov. 5

By Andrew Wigger

awigger@civitasmedia.com

Author Dave Cullen will be the ninth author to visit Newberry College in the Gerding Series.
https://www.newberryobserver.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Dave-Cullen-2.jpgAuthor Dave Cullen will be the ninth author to visit Newberry College in the Gerding Series.

NEWBERRY — Dave Cullen, author of the 2009 non-fiction book Columbine, will be the next author in the Newberry College Gerding Author Series. Cullen will be giving a lecture on Columbine at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 at the Newberry Opera House.

Dr. David Rachels, English professor and chair of the humanities department at Newberry College, was responsible for bringing Cullen to Newberry for the series. Rachels was inspired after teaching Columbine at a previous college.

“Students cannot remember Columbine, but they can relate to this book because they just graduated high school,” he said. “Because of the success I had teaching the book, I said to the other English professors ‘what if I could get Cullen’ and they told me to go for it.”

Rachels sent Cullen an email and told him about Newberry College and the Gerding Series. Cullen responded and they worked out a date. According to Rachels, Cullen enjoys coming to schools and speaking with students.

”Columbine is the definitive account of Columbine shooting in 1999. Cullen’s book took 10 years to research, interview and tell the point of view of the victims, their families and the killers,” Rachels said. “I am a big fan of the book. I read it after it came out, I was floored by it. I remember when Columbine happened. Everything I thought I knew about Columbine, I was wrong.”

According to Rachels, the media got a lot of information wrong when it came to Columbine. For example, people believed the killers committed the crime because they were bullied by jocks.

“Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold were not targeting anyone in particular. They just wanted as many victims as possible,” he said. “Columbine was not just a school shooting. Harris and Klebold planned to bomb the school and shoot people as they ran. They had bombs in their car to bomb the first responders. However, they were not good bomb makers, and they just went in and shot people, but that was not their plan.”

When it comes to teaching the book, Rachels says it is an easy book to teach because you can talk about almost anything along with it. Some topics he has discussed with the book include religion, education, family and school security.

Professor Amanda Hodges said the book has opened up the students’ eyes.

“I think Columbine is a study that has opened up our students’ eyes that were invisible to them. They do not remember a time before shooter drills, security cameras or surveillance,” she said. “It has allowed them to question schools responses in different ways.”

Newberry College student Bryt’ni Hill said reading Columbine has been thought provoking.

“I was in the third grade when the shooting happened, so I do not remember much more than it being talked about on the news. When the Virginia Tech shooting happened, I was in high school. Columbine was brought up again and I learned of the similarities and differences between the two masterminds,” she said. “Reading the book really lets the reader get into the minds of Eric and Dylan in the time leading up to the massacre, and showed how different all three of the men were.”

Rachels said this is one of the most important books published in the last 10 years. He encourages students and community members alike to come.

The Gerding Series normally takes place in the spring, but it was changed to the fall so members of the Gerding family could attend more of the events.

“The Gerdings are long time friends of the college. They wanted to enhance the cultural and literary life of the college and community. They generously decided to fund a visiting author, whose book would be read and discussed by a significant portion of the student body,” said Dr. Warren Moore, Newberry College English professor. “We have been very fortunate to have such good friends as the Gerdings, and we are very appreciative of their generosity.”

Reach Andrew Wigger at 803-276-0625 ext. 1867 or on Twitter @TheNBOnews.