Dear College of Science Faculty and Staff, Whatever may be imperfect about our k-12 education system, school is wonderful. Caring teachers help you learn interesting things, you make some friends, and there is free breakfast and lunch if you need it. For some kids, school is a safer, less stressful place than home. And school is there, a reliable destination that parents count on every day. So, when that safe, reliable place becomes a place of horror, when a fourth-grade class is gunned down, the teachers too, while cradling their students, it destroys so much you count on. The terrible shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, TX this week was a violation of every trust. We mourn the twenty-one people killed, nineteen fourth graders and two teachers. We mourn that our laws allow a troubled teenager to purchase a lethal, fearsome firearm. Every shooting, every massacre brings an outcry for gun control. And I mourn with anger, that politicians and our political system are not brave or powerful enough to stop, really stop, access to firearms. After every tragedy - whether shooting, police violence or something more personal, we keep going. As President Aoun noted yesterday in his letter to the Northeastern Community, quoting Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., the only thing we can do is to keep moving. “Dr. King said, “If you can’t fly then run; if you can’t run then walk; if you can’t walk then crawl; but whatever you do, you have to keep moving forward.” Let us move forward together.”School has kept going after Uvalde. You have kept sending your kids to school, hoping as always that they will come home fine. Across the country, dedicated, talented teachers who work for low pay, in high pressure positions continue to teach into the end of the school year. I hope most young students do not know about Uvalde, and that parents and students warmly thank their teachers, even more this year. I hope you will be able to find some peace as we move through Summer 1, Summer 2 and summertime. My deepest gratitude for every contribution you’ve made to the College of Science this academic year. I wish you and yours a restful, healthy, and safe summer.The Weekly becomes the Monthly with publication on Fridays June 24, July 29, and August 26. We'll go back to the Weekly on Friday September 9.
Best regards,
Hazel Sive PhD
Dean, College of Science
Northeastern University