Since the loss of Georgia Tech senior Scout Schultz, staff and students at Georgia State University reflect on the pain and loss that followed.
Images around Georgia State’s campus reference September 18, when violence broke out at Georgia Tech after a vigil for Schultz. It resulted in a burned police car, two injured officers, and three arrests.
A statement from the Georgia Tech Police Department reports the number of arrests later rose from three to seven for charges including aggravated assault, misdemeanor offenses, and felony interference. The police department is not taking further questions on the incident.
Sarah Abdelaziz, a Woman’s, Gender, and Sexuality studies professor at Georgia State, said the investigation into students involved silences their voices.
“I think it tells them that they can’t project their voice. I think that it tells them that they need to fall in line and go with the sort of administration policy. I think it tells them that to be quiet is to be safe,” Abdelaziz said.
Abdelaziz also said Georgia State falls short in understanding what students are dealing with.
“I think also for me to realize that a lot of students on campus have no idea what’s happening to their fellow students. They have no idea that Dallas took their own life. They have no idea that multiple students have been arrested on campus and no idea about any of these things,” Abdelaziz said.
Anita Punja, who goes by Dallas and was a close friend of Schultz, took their own life. 221B Con, a fan convention dedicated to Sherlock Holmes, commemorates Punja in a Facebook post.
Cassidy Ryan, a close friend of Punja, shares their response when first hearing the news.
“I was actually a close friend of theirs, and I got the text when I was on a date, and I just dropped my phone and lost it completely. I felt like my entire world shattered in that moment,” Ryan said.
Ryan also said if there is something to remember about Punja, it is their personality.
“They were absolutely brilliant and the way they expressed themselves was so beautiful. Bright pink hair, bright smile, the coolest outfits I’ve ever seen in my life and just so kind to people all the time, the kindest person that I’ve ever met in my life,” Punja said.
The investigation among protestors is on-going. If you or someone you know is struggling with mental health, please contact the counseling and testing center at (404)-413-1640.
Note: This story was written for PRN, the student-led news station at Georgia State University.
