Tragedy Comes Home

I'm a proud graduate of Seattle Pacific University, and in the face of extreme tragedy, can say I'm prouder still of the way the university and students have handled themselves.

Thursday my jaw hit the ground as I watched every local news channel cover a shooting in an SPU building. The phrase "tight-knit community" isn't just a newscast catch phrase on this one. I can say from first-hand experience that SPU is a seriously tight-knit, home-away-from-home, community-oriented place. And to have it shattered so ruthlessly was beyond shocking.

I couldn't believe the cross that appeared in my Instagram #PrayForSPU search.

We won't talk about how long it's been since I graduated, but we definitely weren't running terrorism drills in class. I was shocked to hear a student in her senior year being interviewed say she knew what to do because of drills run twice yearly. It's both amazing and terribly sad to me that those are now an expected part of collegiate life.

Please, keep SPU as a whole in your thoughts and prayers. The story may be fading in the news, but for the students, faculty, and alumni the moment has not nearly passed. If you'd like to contribute in any way to the victims, you can do so by clicking here and choosing the SPU Rise Above Fund from the designation drop-down menu, created specifically to support those affected by this tragedy.

Thank you, from this alumna, for any good vibes of all sorts. They're felt.