| TO: | The Gonzaga Community |
| FROM: | Thayne M. McCulloh, D.Phil., President |
| SUBJ: | Thoughts & Prayers for the Victims of the Atlanta Shootings |
| DATE: | March 19, 2021 |
As you all have learned from the news headlines this week, and many have experienced in more personal ways, tragic shootings occurred in Atlanta, Georgia on March 16, in which six of the eight victims were women of Asian descent. My deepest prayers go out to the families and friends of all eight victims of these horrific murders, as well as to the entire Asian, Asian American, and Pacific Islander community in our nation, in Spokane, and at Gonzaga for whom this incident once again instills great fear.
As I communicated in my message to the campus community on March 12, denounce in the strongest possible terms the wave of racism and crimes against Asian Americans, Pacific Islanders, and other individuals who identify as, or have origins in, East Asia, Southeast Asia, or the Indian sub-continent. It is the responsibility of all of us to fight back against racism and xenophobia in all of its forms. Attacks or crimes targeted at someone because of their color, race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, sexual preference or religion are absolutely unacceptable on our campus, and anywhere for that matter. Perpetrators of such acts will face serious consequences.
Gonzaga University stands in solidarity with, and is committed to obtaining justice on behalf of, any member of our campus community who experiences bias, discrimination or racism of any form. We are also committed to every member of our campus community feeling safe and respected. If you or someone you know has suffered an incident on campus involving discrimination, harassment or hate, I urge you to complete a Bias Incident Report so we can refer to the appropriate University office and immediately investigate. If there is an emergency situation threatening your safety, please call 911 or the Campus Security and Public Safety Office at (509) 313-2222.
In addition, I urge members of our campus community to seek out the following services, to support them in times of fear, anger and tragedy:
Center for Cura Personalis
Monday–Friday, 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
(509) 313-2227
ccp@gonzaga.edu
Health & Counseling Services
M-T-W-F: 8:00 a.m.– 4:30 p.m.
Thursday: 10:15 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
(509) 313-4052
studenthealth@gonzaga.edu
Office of Mission and Ministry
Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.
(509) 313-4242
missionandministry@gonzaga.edu
After Hours:
For 24-hour assistance, please contact Campus Security at (509) 313-2222. Campus Security will direct you to the Student Development on-call professional.
Online Resources:
An online wellness toolbox is available with various resources.
Faculty and Staff:
We encourage you to access SupportLinc services through Human Resources. Counselors are available for all employees through 1-888-881-LINC. The Office of Mission and Ministry is also available to offer support; please call (509) 313-4242 or email missionandministry@gonzaga.edu
First Call for Help:
Phone (509) 838-4428 for assistance. This 24-hour resource is available to provide a supportive listener, immediate help for individuals in crisis, and connection to community resources.
“Be gracious to me, O God, be gracious to me, For my soul takes refuge in You;
And in the shadow of Your wings I will take refuge Until destruction passes by.