A Letter to my Fellow Spartans
We will grieve. We will heal. We will rebuild.
Late night studying while cramming for an exam at the library or The Union, IM sports all around campus, the sound of the band and football team making their way to Spartan Stadium, the excitement of the Izzone in the Breslin, the late nights at the bars with friends, the game day tailgates, the spring walks through the horticulture gardens, visits to The Dairy Store, the painting of the rock… the list could go on and on. These are just a few of the memories that I think of when I look back at my time at college. Michigan State University is a place that I call my second home. It’s a place where we are supposed to make our best memories and find ourselves. On Monday February 13th, 2023, a devastating tragedy struck the East Lansing campus. For the students who attend MSU, those memories have been overshadowed for some, and taken away for others, all because of one senseless act. No one should ever have to go through what those MSU students endured on that day. This tragedy will forever change the lives of current MSU students, MSU alumni, and MSU parents.
To MSU Alumni:
Your feelings are valid. Whether you graduated three years ago like me, or twenty years ago, I am sure you are still feeling a range of emotions. I was shaken and heart broken when I first heard what was happening the night of the shooting. I spent all week wrestling with thoughts in my head. I felt like it wasn’t fair for me to feel affected by what had happened because I wasn’t on or near campus that day. I was sad, overwhelmed, and in complete utter shock. My last semester of undergrad I had two in person classes while the rest were online. One of those classes was in Berkey hall. I have been in The Union more times than I can count whether it be to stop at Spartys, grab ice cream from The Dairy Store, or study with friends in the lounge. I was just in The Union during the fall. Listening to the police scanner hearing them clearing dorms and knowing that students were barricading themselves in the very same dorm rooms that I spent two years living in is an awful feeling. It doesn’t matter how long ago you graduated; we all are connected to the university in some way. I never felt like my safety was at question during my time there. I walked that campus with so much happiness day in and day out. It felt like home to me. I can’t wrap the idea around my head that someone could walk onto campus and take that feeling away from so many. We may have not been there the day of the shooting, but it still struck way too close to home. It is okay for those of us who weren’t there that day to still feel our own grief.
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To current students:
I can’t begin to imagine the pain you are all in. College is supposed to be the best years of your life. Instead, it holds your biggest nightmare. You will grieve the loss of your fellow classmates, you will fear walking on campus for a little while, and you will never forget that night, however, you will heal. That healing process is going to be different for everyone so be sure to give yourself grace over the days to come. This is going to change the way that you think of and remember campus, but don’t let it change the way you think of Michigan State University. We are and will always be Spartans. The community at MSU is one of the best communities that you will ever be part of. For a school with over 50,000 students, there is more sense of community than you can imagine. So, lean on that during the hard times. Remember why you became a Spartan. Remember that you are better off being a Spartan. There is going to be a period of grieving, but Michigan State will get through this, and they will rebuild. Have pride when you wear your green and white, be proud to sing the fight song, and be honored to say Go Green and Go White. “We don’t heal in isolation, but in community.” ― S. Kelley Harrell
To Spartan parents:
You are scared. You fear sending your students back to school. That’s a completely normal feeling to be having at this time. There are parents who won’t want their students going back and that’s okay. However, don’t let fear overshadow the amazing memories that your child can make at college. I’ve always been more of a quiet introvert and often would let my nerves get the best of me. MSU is where I became myself. It’s the place where I learned who I am and who I want to be. I grew in more ways than I ever thought I could there. I never once feared for my safety on campus. Being a Spartan is what will heal these students. Being part of this community will help these students to grieve. We all need to be there for these students during this time. I’ve already seen it in just this week following the aftermath. So many people are getting together on campus to pay their respects, to provide snacks and positive notes of encouragement to students, and much more. The support that this community has to offer is so strong. Encourage your students to take advantage of that support from the university and to hold onto each other during this difficult time. They will get through this, one day at a time.
Michigan State University is considered home for so many. We will all get through this and come back stronger. We are a school that embraces and sparks change, and I believe we will do just that moving forward.
Once a Spartan, always a Spartan, and WE ARE RESILIENT!
