Umpqua Community College students return to class

Eleven days after a mass shooting left nine people dead and nine others injured, Umpqua Community College resumed classes Monday morning amid a swirl of emotions.

“It felt really like a dark place, like everything was eaten up by this act, by this horror,” said student Kellie Freilinger, describing how she felt walking to class on the cool, sunny morning.

Gov. Kate Brown also toured the campus, meeting with staff, students and community members before speaking to reporters.

“The students that I met and talked to need a lot of support and a lot of love,” Brown said.

There was no shortage of that — hundreds lined the street up to the campus, holding signs, waving flags and offering good wishes.

Therapy dogs were abundant on the grounds, some coming all the way from Illinois.

“Dogs are good listeners — they show unconditional love,” said Tim Hetzer, the president of Lutheran Church Charities. “They’re confidential and don’t take notes.”

With another hurdle crossed, students leaving school after class said they felt progress.

“It’s one foot in front of the other and getting things done,” Freilinger said. “We need to move on from this.”

The college is moving forward, too. There is talk of plans to improve campus security, and officials will have to decide the fate of the building where the horror took place: Snyder Hall remains covered in black tarps.

“If we all stay together and help each other, we’ll pull through it,” Freilinger said.