We first and foremost want to express our heartfelt and most sincere sympathies to the students of RPI and our extended community. We are overcome with fear and uncertainty. With this letter we are making a very personal plea for calm. Many of us feel angry, sad, horrified, infuriated, and scared. We ask that students be patient with each others’ ways of expressing grief, understanding that people show emotion in different ways.
It is unacceptable to misdirect anger toward innocent individuals and groups. There is a natural tendency to become confused and look for a direction in which to lash out. If we are to maintain our pride in being decent human beings, we must not let this impulse take over. We must bear in mind that those people around us, regardless of their backgrounds and origins, are as innocent as those victims in New York and Washington.
RPI is unique in its diversity of student population, in regards to race, religion, socio-economic origin, sexual identity, and many other factors. We are a unified campus in our pursuit of academic excellence and strength of character. Historically we have always worked well together, despite our many differences and interests. It is our greatest hope that we will continue to do so.
In closing, we wish to direct attention towards two specific groups. The first are the volunteers, organizers, and donors involved with the Red Cross blood drive. They accomplished an amazing amount of work despite logistical limitations. We applaud them. The second group is the RPI students who belong to military reserves and have been mobilized at this time to New York City. Our thoughts and best wishes are with them.
