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Closer to Home

It would have been just one more distressing story about a controversial, possibly threatening student essay; gun possession on campus; and an expulsion and involuntary hospitalization in Virginia. There are almost too many layers to untangle: The 23-year-old student who wrote the violent short story for a college writing class was a former sailor in the Navy. Guns found in his car were legally owned, although in violation of campus policy. His work of fiction references Sueng-Hui Cho and the killing spree at Virginia Tech last year. And the professor subtly threatened with death in the work of fiction is named "Mr. Christopher." That’s because the assistant writing professor at UVA-Wise—the one whose life may have been threatened—is Christopher Scalia, son of the U.S. Supreme Court justice.