Tuesday, April 17, 2007
To the Campus Community:
The response of the PLU community to the horrifying shootings yesterday at Virginia Tech has demonstrated once again the profound caring and compassion that is at the heart of the university. Last night our student leaders organized a candlelight vigil on Red Square to grieve and offer support to the friends and families of the victims. A second vigil is being planned for tonight at 10 p.m. in the same location.
A Day of Solidarity will be held tomorrow, Wednesday, to continue our expression of sorrow and support for students, faculty and staff at Virginia Tech. Chapel and a prayer service will be held in Lagerquist Concert Hall in the Mary Baker Russell Music Center at 10:30 a.m. Following Chapel, the Day of Solidarity will continue in Red Square throughout the day with opportunities for members of the campus community to write letters of condolence to the people of Virginia Tech until 6:30 p.m. There will also be an opportunity to write a note, create a drawing or place a hand print on banner art that will be sent from the Lutes to the Hokies as an expression of our support. The day will close with a hymn and time for prayer from 6:30 to 7:00 p.m.
Of course this is also a time to be aware of our own emotional state as well as that of our campus colleagues. If you feel the need to discuss your reaction to these events with others, or if you know someone in need of support, be sure to take advantage of resources such as the Employee Assistance Program for faculty and staff at 1-800-777-4114, and for students, the counselors who are available to you at Counseling and Testing at 535-7206, and the support network available through Campus Ministry at 535-7464.
We know all too well that college campuses are not sanctuaries from the vicissitudes of modern life. And so we are mindful to be alert and cautious, understanding that our safety depends on mutual support and preparation for times of danger and distress. To that end there are policies and procedures in place here at PLU that we have all followed and practiced and that we should remind ourselves of today. Please take a moment to visit the following links for this important information.
At http://www.plu.edu/~safety/emergency-preparedness/ you will find our Emergency Procedures Manual, our Emergency Operations Plan, and, of particular relevance to the recent incident at Virginia Tech, our Lockdown/Stay in Place Procedure.
At http://www.plu.edu/campussafety you will find our Crime Prevention Guide, the list of persons restricted from campus, and information on the special relationship that PLU has established with the Pierce County Sheriff’s department, including employing a Sheriff’s sergeant as the director of Campus Safety and having deputies working specifically on the streets surrounding the university to provide fast response times and legal authority when it is needed. Also listed is the policy and procedures for reporting workplace violence.
Thank you for taking the time to review these pages. Students, please forward this message to your family members, as they may be interested in it. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact our Director of Campus Safety, Jesus Villahermosa, at 253-535-7441 or via email at jmv@plu.edu or Emergency Programs Manager, Jennifer Wamboldt, at 253-535-7233. They are available to answer any questions you may have.
At PLU, we of course have our own memories of tragedy on campus and on days like Monday many of us discover again that the wounds are still tender and the images all too vivid in our minds. So we turn, as we did six years ago, to the powerful reality of our faith and the healing power of God’s love that comes to us most clearly in the presence and support of friends, colleagues and family.
Blessings to each of you,
Loren J. Anderson
President