Not all are like that and many are decent people and would most likely help others if they knew there was a need. However for someone who is an introvert to start, I imagine not having social contact on an isolated campus can result in a mental break.
This is an environment where young people are thrown together from different parts in the country after going through the rat race of having to do really well on a test and being told the results will determine the rest of their lives. I guess what I am trying to say is that college campuses are really abnormal places that really screw with people mentally. The fact that this guy had been there for such a long time and only one person attempted to speak to him is a window into how messed up these places and education really is.
You said — “The fact that this guy had been there for such a long time and only one person attempted to speak to him is a window into how messed up these places and education really is.”
That’s a totally false representation of Cho. He basically *did not want to talk* to people. It didn’t matter if people tried — and many did try. Even his teachers tried. In class, just to answer simple things, something that would be nothing at all, he wouldn’t do it. If he was asked to say something, he would walk out of the class. Even being asked his name, he would say “question mark”.
No, it had nothing to do with others reaching out to him. Many did. Many tried. He rejected it all. It’s all in his lap and on his shoulders. It’s all totally his fault and no one else’s and certainly not the culture or the atmosphere of the campus.
That guy was not only whacked and disturbed, he was evil, too.