April 18, 2007

To: The Wellesley College Community
From: Diana Chapman Walsh
Subject: Tragic Events at Virginia Tech

Dear Friends,

I have written on Wellesley’s behalf to the Virginia Tech community, in sympathy and solidarity with all those who are affected directly by the sad and shocking events on Monday. In this time of national mourning, all of us are reminded again of our vulnerability and our interdependence.

I encourage everyone at Wellesley, please, to reach out to our sisters and brothers at Virginia Tech and to continue to reach out to one another to offer support, understanding, and comfort. In that connection, I would like to invite the Wellesley community to a Vigil of Compassion on Friday afternoon at 4:15 in Houghton Memorial Chapel.

In addition, I want everyone to know that we have for several years been planning systematically to be sure that appropriate protections are in place on our campus. Wellesley College has been acutely aware of elevated safety concerns and we are committed to the safety of the environment in which our students, faculty, and staff live, work, and learn together. I have asked Chief of Police Lisa Barbin to update the community on those plans.

The Student Life Division has mobilized extra support programs for our students, as well as outreach efforts to people at Virginia Tech. Please be sure to reach out for help if you need it, or if you see friends who do. In particular, I hope we can be especially attuned to members of our community who may be feeling particularly vulnerable at this time.

Feelings of sadness, fear, and anger are normal responses to these senseless killings. While there is much we can do to console each other in moments of grief (and much that we are doing, and will continue to do) we also face the reality that there is much we cannot control or understand. We can, though, remind each other that hope and suffering are not mutually exclusive, but rather cohere together at the center of human experience.

Please let us know if there is anything you need from the administration.

Yours truly,

Diana Chapman Walsh
President

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