It has been 24 hours and I’ve been trying to figure out how to properly put this down on paper. I’ve never had this much difficulty writing down my thoughts. It almost feels like the words are in pain too.
With every demoralizing picture, post, story, and link I’ve seen, the same emotions and memories that flashed before me throughout last night did so all day today. For those of us who do call East Lansing home and/or have called East Lansing home and are currently far away, I want to personally thank the strength and bravery of all who are there and sharing their story.
In the words of my mother, who has called East Lansing home for 40 years, “My heart breaks for the students on campus. What's been my lifelong happy place is now a place of trauma for them. It's so sad and needless.” And as she and over 700,000 other Spartans have said, Spartans Will. “When we speak about Spartans Will, it means that we will remain encouraged,” said one professor. “As a teacher, I hope I can be the calming voice to help them, and conversely, I hope they can inspire me too,” said another.
I have dedicated my social media channels to sharing as much from others as I can. After this next text that I wrote in the moment last night, the remainder of this post will include images from members of our Spartan community that have struck me to the core.
“Thank you to everyone who is leading by example and looking out for one another and confirming/deny everything coming out. When tragedies like this continue to happen in the only country in the world where this is a major societal issue, leaders emerge taller than ever.
Anyone that knows me knows how much my roots run in my blood and everything I do. I was born and raised in East Lansing. All but about 24 months of my life has been spent in East Lansing. Many of my family members and friends, including my entire immediate family and me, are Spartans. Each building that gets named conjures up specific memories that are now flashing before me.
Policymakers, administrators, rule-makers: It will continue to amaze me how communities combine to do more work than the people that enact how we are ‘supposed’ to live our lives. WHEN WILL THIS END?”
Our School. Our Community. Our Spartans.
🙏💚🤍
P.S. - See this link for Requiem for the Spartans, bone-chillingly-written by The Atlantic's Tim Alberta, an MSU graduate himself.
More images taken by others from this week:
I was fortunate enough to watch the Vigil at the Rock on Wednesday evening live via the university's livestream. It meant the world to me to be able to be there with my family and friends in spirit.
Each school and each community, include those close to us in Ann Arbor and Kalamazoo, means more than words can express.
Even knowing that the Spartans and Wolverines will be playing a basketball game in Ann Arbor this Saturday, the University of Michigan's Vigil for MSU means an infinite amount. Thank you 🙏💚🤍💙💛
Members of my extended family are both Broncos and Spartans, so this means so much 🙏💚🤍🤎💛