The same terrible story, this time in Buffalo
To the members of the MIT community,
On a day of unspeakable suffering for the people of Buffalo, New York, I write simply to express what I expect many of us are feeling: the overwhelming sorrow and exhaustion that, again, in our own nation, someone set out, with a twisted, righteous hatred, to murder a group of innocent unarmed strangers targeted simply for the fact of their identity. At a grocery store in Buffalo. At a synagogue in Pittsburgh. At a church in Charleston. At a mosque in California. At a nail salon in Atlanta. At a nightclub in Orlando. And so many more – so many that we have all lost count. As I write, I have just learned of another mass shooting today, at a church in Laguna Woods, California.
In a world full of so much that we cannot control, let us focus on what we can: caring for and comforting each other in a time of grief and pain.
So that members of our community can come together in mutual support, the MIT chaplains, the Institute Community and Equity Office and other campus partners are planning a vigil on campus Tuesday evening. You will hear more once the details are set.
And as always you can access the full suite of our campus support services for students and for employees.
With deepest sympathy,
L. Rafael Reif
Key Campus Resources
- Student Mental Health and Counseling Services: Working with students to identify, understand and solve problems, and to help transform that understanding into positive action.
- Student Support Services: An easily accessible hub of support for undergraduates.
- GradSupport and the Graduate Assistance Information Network offer a wide variety of resources to help grad students and families deal with the unexpected.
- MIT Office of Religious, Spiritual, and Ethical Life: Chaplains are available to offer support and counsel to anyone in the MIT community.
- Dean on Call: Students living on campus can dial 100 from campus phones or 617-253-1212 to reach MIT Police, then ask to speak to the dean on call. The dean on call is available Monday through Friday, 5 p.m.–9 a.m., and on Saturdays, Sundays and MIT-observed holidays.
- Free, confidential, 24/7 assistance is available for faculty, staff and postdocs from MyLife Services.