Good evening everyone. I'm reaching out with a few updates to
offer some thanks, talk briefly about a planned memorial
service and to acknowledge the resumption of classes.
Some of you may have heard some of this news already,
but I want to make sure you hear all of it.
First, I hope you're taking care of yourselves,
taking it easy on yourselves, and leaning on each other.
You've been through an extraordinarily difficult experience,
including the loss of three students and the
injuries to two others, but also a 12-hour ordeal of
sheltering in place and the fear and uncertainty that
attended each one of those hours, whether you're a
student, faculty, staff member or parent.
Second, I'd like to thank student leaders for
organizing the silent vigil on Monday night,
which was as powerful as it was beautiful.
And thanks as well, for letting us know what would
be most useful for your fellow students as we resume classes.
Thanks, in turn, to Provost Baucom and the Deans
for listening to our students, and thanks
especially to our faculty for making these accommodations.
There's nothing normal about what we're going through as
a community and I deeply appreciate everyone's flexibility
to meet this moment, including our outstanding staff,
who have been helping out in countless ways.
Third, as you may have already heard, there will be no football game this weekend,
per the decision of the football team and supported by
our Athletic Director, Carla Williams and Head Football Coach Tony Elliott.
Instead, there will be a memorial service at 3:30 PM in J.P.J.
to honor the lives of Devin Chandler, Lavel Davis Jr. and D'Sean Perry,
as well as the two students injured in the shooting, Mike Hollins and Marlee Morgan.
The event is open to all and will also be livestreamed.
More details will be coming by email shortly.
Fourth, just a reminder that spaces to gather, as well as support services,
including walk-in counseling, continue to be available.
You can find more information about all of this on the
student affairs website. Our student affairs team has also
been offering additional support and accommodations to those
students who were on the field trip, as well as those directly impacted
or closely associated with the victims of the violence.
Fifth, the criminal investigation is underway, and
we are also inviting an external review with respect to
the University's interactions with the suspect,
and whether we did all we could to prevent or avoid this tragedy.
This will likely take a while but we will share,
and act upon, what we ultimately learn.
It's possible and perhaps likely that we will never find one single thing
that will explain this. It may also be that
we never truly understand why this happened.
But what we learn, we will share.
Finally, in case this is even remotely helpful, especially to our students,
I know from past experience that grief and mourning can
be unsettling and unpredictable. And if you're like me, you
may not be sure when, if ever, to get back into a normal routine.
I've come to learn that it's different for everyone and that
getting back to a normal routine doesn't mean
that you as a person are necessarily back to normal. Grief will run the course it needs to run.
In my experience, it never fully disappears, it just shows up in different ways over time.
I hope you'll continue to give yourself grace,
and ask for help, if and when you need it, especially given
that the grief in this instance was compounded by fear and trauma.
Returning to a routine like starting classes again also doesn't mean, importantly,
that you're being disloyal to, or betraying the person you lost.
I appreciate that it might feel that way to some of you,
as I've had that feeling before myself.
First when I lost my father, again when I lost my mother,
and then again when I lost my law school roommate.
Returning to some sense of routine when you're ready, and as hard as it might be,
doesn't mean that any of you or any of us have
forgotten or will ever forget Devin, Lavel, or D'Sean.
It's just a sign that life is, thankfully, persistent.
It continues to beckon all of us, even in the darkest days.
And shared grief, as the vigil showed, is a keen reminder that
it is our bonds with each other and with a common community,
that give us the strength to endure, and that are more real
and powerful than our perceived differences.
I hope all of us can carry that knowledge with us in the days ahead,
and can continue to draw strength and comfort from one another.
And let me say once again that, as hard as things
are right now, it remains a humbling privilege
to be a part of this remarkably caring community. Thank you.