Message from the President

In the aftermath of last week's violent attack on a Naropa University student, all of us are struggling with our individual and collective sense of outrage and sadness over what has occurred. I am horrified and deeply troubled by the nature of this crime. I ache for the victim and for each of us. As president, I want to reaffirm that all speech and actions motivated by hate propaganda, religious intolerance, racism or homophobia are unacceptable and have no place on this campus or in our community. They are contrary to everything for which Naropa stands.

During this difficult time, it is particularly important that we as a community recognize and support each other's needs with care and compassion. The gravity of this violence has and will continue to affect us deeply, sometimes in ways we cannot anticipate. We will continue to support all members of our community through services provided by Student Affairs, the Counseling Center, the Chaplaincy Project and by our Elders Council. I would ask anyone among us who is in pain to avail themselves of these resources. Please urge others whom you see to be in pain to do likewise.

As we move forward from this shocking event, I believe that we have a powerful responsibility to strengthen our understanding and act on our commitment to celebrate diversity and difference within our community and in the larger world. It is my fervent hope that we can co-create at Naropa an educational community which serves as a model for the world of social justice and equity in which we wish to live.

Finally, I ask that the privacy and protection of our student continue to be our primary concern in the days and weeks ahead. Above all, we hold her in our hearts.

Tom Coburn