TUCSON, Ariz. (KGUN) — A press conference organized by the Arizona Students' Association (ASA) to address student voting access was unexpectedly postponed today after a tragic shooting on the University of Arizona (U of A) campus.
The event, which was set to focus on the limited voting centers available to students, was rescheduled out of respect for the victims and the close proximity of the incident.
Miranda Lopez, regional director of ASA and a graduate student at the U of A, shared her decision to delay the press conference.
"I did not feel that it was appropriate to be having a press conference,” Lopez said. “Especially when it’s so close in distance to where it actually happened."
Lopez also voiced concerns over the university’s response to the shooting. While classes proceeded as scheduled, she criticized the administration’s decision, calling it "crazy, for lack of a better word."
She compared the administration’s response to the 2022 shooting of Professor Thomas Meixner, which Lopez also found was lacking in support for students.
"This response mirrors a similar situation from a couple of years ago when students sought a break for their mental health after a tragedy,” she said. “But the university refused."
Lopez says this leaves students in a precarious situation, balancing their mental well-being while avoiding anything that would lead to negative consequences from the school.
"Students are unsure whether they should attend classes,” she said. “But they feel compelled to do so."
In addition to frustration over classes continuing, Lopez also pointed out the nearly 40-minute delay between the shooting and the university informing students of available mental health resources.
The administration’s first message to students declared that “classes will be held today, as scheduled,” while the second message said that law enforcement did not believe that there was an “ongoing threat” on campus.
She says that messaging focused too intently on the safety conditions of the campus while neglecting the mental health impacts of having a tragedy occur in such close proximity.
“Well that’s not people’s worry right now,” she said of the administration’s initial messaging. “People’s worry right now is can I go to class today and not have a mental breakdown.”
She emphasized the need for a more immediate and compassionate response.
"The university needs to do better,” she said. “Not just in informing students, but in providing mental health resources and giving them the option to skip classes after such events."
The Arizona Students' Association aims to reschedule the press conference later this week, with updates expected on the group’s Instagram account.
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Joel Foster is a multimedia journalist at KGUN 9 who previously worked as an English teacher in both Boston and the Tucson area. Joel has experience working with web, print and video in the tech, finance, nonprofit and the public sectors. In his off-time, you might catch Joel taking part in Tucson's local comedy scene. Share your story ideas with Joel at joel.foster@kgun9.com, or by connecting on Facebook, Instagram or X.
