Program for Remembrance and Reflection: Remarks from Jessica Miller

Like many of you, I have spent the past few days in shock. Tuesday I watched as surreal images flashed across the television screen and I felt my sense of security disappear. As the day went on, I only grew more despondent. I waited in agony through classes and meetings to hear whether my friends and relatives on the East Coast were okay. I was lucky. No one I know was seriously injured in the attacks. Others on this campus were not so lucky. There are students, faculty and staff within our community who have suffered terrible loss. Our hearts go out to them as they attempt to deal with this horrific occurrence. Yet it is not enough for us to simply empathize. We must do all that we can to support those affected by Tuesday’s strikes. We face a great challenge as a community: to be proactive and supportive in the midst of crisis and fear.

Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr once commented that, “the old law about ‘an eye for an eye’ leaves everybody blind”. Those words have never rung truer in my mind than in these past few days as reports of harassment against our own students are confirmed. I implore each and every one of you to not give in to feelings of retribution and hate. Now, more than ever, we must come together as a campus and treat each other with respect.

This campus has mobilized in ways that I never thought possible. I am proud to be a member of this community. I can only hope that as the days go on we do not let our anger, our fear and our hurt allow us to justify acts of violence against members of our own community who, while appearing to be “different” than us, feel just as much sorrow and pain. As horrified and saddened as I am by the indescribable tragedy of Tuesday’s attacks, I have seen what we can do when we come together and I am confident that within our strong, vibrant, and active campus community, we can find the strength and support needed to heal in peace.