Mods, please indulge me: Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers

[Cruelladeville]

Doctor P--My thoughts and prayers are with you. Your job will be quite difficult for the next few weeks.

I want to commend you and NIU for being prepared. My daughter takes a psychology class at your university, and I was scared to death about her safety, even though I knew that she was working several miles away when all this took place. Thanks to all of you and your message to your students to CALL HOME, I got a phone call from DD. She was amazed that I was so scared for her, no matter how illogical. Thank you for communicating immediately with your student body--I am convinced you all saved many lives.

 

[JimMIA]

just bumping because I think a lot of folks probably missed this on a holiday weekend.

 

[Nikisha421]

so sad and so tragic to hear about some of the events that are taking place in our country.

 

[tksbaskets]

I will keep you and your community in my prayers. May God give you strength at this time and help you guide and council the student in your care.

TK

 

[El&Asmom]

My thoughts and prayers are with you, the NIU community, and the families of the victims.

We are in the Chicago burbs, and it feels so close. I heard on the radio on my way to work about the shootings that night, and all they said was that one person was injured and was on the way to the hospital. My heart sank thinking thank God no one was seriously hurt. As the reports started coming in, it became horrifically tragic.
These shootings are always beyond comprehension, but for some reason this one struck me deeper than most. Maybe because of the proximity, hearing about kids who died from our surrounding towns. Maybe it's because I'm a mother, and I can't stop thinking about the tragedy these parents are going through. Either way, something needs to be done to stop these senseless killings. Our government needs to start worrying about what is going on at home and pass tougher gun control legislation. We can't continue to allow our children to die at the hands of these criminals.

 

[welovewdw]

Our thoughts and prayers are with you.

Our 19 yo dd is now a sophomore at Virginia Tech but was a freshman there when the shootings occurred - she had classes in the classrooms where the tragedy occured but on different days. I have great sympathy for what you're going through -

Kim

 

[alldiz]

Many prayers for you, your family and the entire school

what an awful thing to go through
Kerri

 

[dianeschlicht]

Our prayers are with everyone caught up in this impossible situation. THANK GOD you were in your other office!

 

[Plutofan]

Our prayers are with you and your community.

 

[BCV23]

Continuing prayers as you and your colleagues return to work today, Doctor P. I hope you're doing OK.

 

[jejojual]

Our thoughts and prayers are with you, the faculty and administration, the first responders and the community as a whole. We will pray for strength and healing in the days ahead.

 

[BCV23]

Speaking of those first responders, they were incredibly fast. 29 seconds after the first 911 call. I'm sure it is very hard for them to deal with their memories.

 

[Luigi's Girl]

So sorry you had to go through this. God Bless

 

[spiceycat]

thank you for telling us the situation.

so sorry your once security and safe place is no longer either.

as Diane says - thank goodness you were not in that area.

 

[RLRDA]

Sending thoughts and prayers your way!

 

[kimberh]

DoctorP
I will pray for your family and the school. I am so sorry this has happened!

 

[Sandy321]

adding continued thoughts and prayers.

I know that teachers, staff, professors are getting together today, and the Virginia Tech 'family' has reached out, and has come to NIU to offer support, and any help they can in dealing with the aftermath... may God bless and send His peace...

 

[bcvdreamer]

You will be in our prayers.

 

[Doctor P]

Thanks again for all the support. As I write this, I am sitting in my office about twenty five yards from the scene. I have been in this office most of the past two days. Amazingly, if you did not know this tragedy occurred next door you would see no outward signs. The building is unblemished on the outside, the glass is all repaired, there are no visible signs from the numerous victims. Just very quiet and sedate.

Things in the office today have been very quiet and sedate. I made sure I got to the office before any secretaries arrived this morning and left my hallway door open for students, colleagues, and others to wander in if they wished. I talked with each of the secretaries individually to make sure they knew I was concerned with how they were doing and asked them about how much they witnessed. None of them said that they had heard any of the shots fired (something I had feared since we are so very close to where he started shooting). They did see many of the victims, including some of the seriously injured, before help arrived. That seemed very sobering, though at the time they said they could not believe their eyes.

In any case, we are beginning to recover a bit. It was terribly unsettling today to have the campus crawling with news media. They are just doing their jobs, but it is quite intrusive and makes make private moments very public. Fortunately, I visited a couple of the shrines and the (outside) of the building this morning and had my private moments with news media there but not yet set up to capture me paying my respects.

Our dean stopped by our offices this morning and was very comforting to our staff. That was very thoughtful and helpful.

We have much work yet to do, but students are beginning to trickle back and the campus seems more normal with each passing hour. Thanks again for all the thoughts and prayers.

 

[JimC]

We will keep you, your family and your extended university community in our thoughts and prayers.