Shooter took horror course [Excerpts]

The instructor described Seung-Hui Cho as "unremarkable" in his class on horror films.

Virginia Tech's English department offered a new course last fall -- Contemporary Horror -- and Seung-Hui Cho enrolled.

The course description for English 3984 warned students that the course was not for the faint of heart and described films they would study and analyze, including "The Texas Chainsaw Massacre." It described a new genre of horror films in which lead characters could no longer count on surviving "the invasion of zombies, homicidal maniacs and vampires."

In late October, The Roanoke Times wrote a feature story about the Contemporary Horror class and profiled instructor Brent Stevens.

Stevens said then that as the public has become more accustomed to seeing blood and gore in the news, horror films have become increasingly violent. The goal of the class was to get students to think analytically about the books and films they reviewed. Students were encouraged to keep a journal about their personal fears.

Last week, The Roanoke Times phoned Stevens soon after Cho's murderous rampage on Monday. Stevens, then grieving the loss of a favorite student, Ross Alameddine, said he had not known Cho.

Later, he realized Cho had been in the Contemporary Horror class, one of 35 students. He then released a statement that described Cho as "unremarkable, at least, in his dealings with me." Like other faculty members who taught Cho, Stevens said Cho did not participate in class.
[TBC: And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. John:3:19And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.
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