Ajay Nair, senior vice president and dean of Campus Life, and Bridgette Young Ross, dean of the chapel and spiritual life, issued the following letter to the Emory community on June 13.

Dear Emory Community,

We are stunned by the horrible and senseless shooting in Orlando on Sunday morning. We extend our deepest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims. We also offer our profound condolences and caring support to all members of our university community who are grappling with this tragedy.

This tragedy reminds us that we must not allow terrorism and hate to change who we are — a campus community that strives anew every day to be ever more welcoming to all, regardless of sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, disability, religion, ideology, or the many other distinctions that make us unique individuals.

If you are struggling with the tragedy in Orlando, please remember that you do not have to face it alone. We, in Emory Campus Life, offer our support in various forms. Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS) offers confidential individual and group counseling for students. The Faculty Staff Assistance Program (FSAP) provides similar services for employees. For a more complete list of resources, visit success.emory.edu/resources.

Here are some ways you can help others:

• Attend a community gathering at Cannon Chapel on the Atlanta campus, Tuesday, June 14, from 11:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by Emory’s Office of Spiritual and Religious Life (OSRL) and two Emory Campus Life offices – Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Life and Multicultural Programs and Services (OMPS).

• Participate in the #WeAreOrlando gathering at the Center for Civil and Human Rights in downtown Atlanta, Tuesday, June 14, at 7 p.m. Check the center’s website for details.

• Join the Emory Muslim Students Association to provide donations to families of victims and survivors.

• Write to the families of victims and survivors on Tuesday, June 21, from 1-3 p.m. in the Office of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Life, in DUC E232; or from 3-5 p.m. in the Office of Multicultural Programming and Services (OMPS), in DUC E207.

Emory University is a polycultural community that celebrates the intersections of identities and respects the diversity that strengthens our community and society. We stand in solidarity with the people of Orlando and with the LGBT, Latinx, and Muslim communities on our campus, in Florida, nationwide, and worldwide.

Sincerely,

Ajay Nair
Senior Vice President and Dean of Campus Life

Bridgette Young Ross
Dean of the Chapel and Spiritual Life