Posted on behalf of President La Jerne Terry Cornish
Dear IC Community,
After such a glorious Commencement weekend, it is hard to believe I am writing to you again about another senseless tragedy. Nineteen elementary school students and two teachers lost their lives on Tuesday due to gun violence. The Texas school shooting is unimaginable, yet the unimaginable keeps happening in our country. As someone who began her career as an English teacher in the Baltimore City Public Schools and spent 20 years preparing students to teach as an associate professor of education at Goucher College, this feels personal.
Please join me in praying for the students, teachers, and families in Uvalde whose lives were irrevocably changed Tuesday. Pray also for the day when we as a nation choose to say, “No more” to gun violence in our country because we really can choose to do something about this issue.
Once again, I ask that we come together as the strong, empathetic and resilient community we are to support those in our community who have been traumatized by another school shooting in America. As always, support services for students are available through the Ithaca College Center for Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) by calling 607-274-3177. Students needing immediate assistance should contact the Office of Public Safety at 607-274-3333 or the on-duty residential life staff.
Faculty and staff can access the counseling services of the Employee Assistance Program (EAP) by calling 1-800-327-2255. The Office of Religious and Spiritual Life has a website dedicated to grief resources.
Please take time to take care of yourselves, and one another.
With gratitude,
La Jerne Terry Cornish
President