Sent to Campus Community Tuesday, April 17.

Friends

I cannot think of anything more terrible than what the Virginia Tech community has endured during the last two days. Their losses are staggering - and they are grieving under the remorseless lenses of many cameras. At this point all we can offer them are our prayers and deepest sympathy.

Virginia Tech is close enough to us geographically that many of us know and care about individual members of that community. I thank the Student Government Association for their quick response in creating a banner of support to be sent to Virginia Tech and asking us to wear something orange today to signify our care for all members of the Virginia Tech family.

In addition to SGA's splendid efforts, I would mention a few other opportunities for members of the Meredith community who would like to share their thoughts or who need support:

* Our regularly scheduled Chapel service on Wednesday at 10:00 am
* Friday at 10:00 am the Counseling Center staff will be in the Chapel Meditation Room to offer support to any member of the Meredith community who would like to join them.

This violence has dealt a blow to our colleagues in Virginia, as it would to any campus under these circumstances. No level of crises planning could really prepare a college for the reality of this tragedy, but this tragedy should encourage us to develop the best preparation we
can using real situations to guide us. Ann Gleason, our Dean of Students, has urged us to review our own plans. You can
link to our emergency preparedness plans by clicking on the following link http://www.meredith.edu/marketing/crisis-plan.doc

Dean Gleason's team and the Senior Management Team is committed to reviewing our plans to examine our readiness for this and other types of crises. If you have suggestions for us in this review, please let me or Ann know.

Tonight I am thanking God for the safety of each and every member of our Meredith community and knowing how fragile that safety is.

Maureen Hartford