Reflecting on our stressful last few days

Nov. 9, 2021

Dear Cornellians,

For all of us here on campus, it’s been a difficult, frightening few days. Sunday’s bomb scare, followed, just two days later, by today’s shelter-in-place while a gunman was being pursued near North Campus, would have been stressful enough in ordinary times. As it is, they add still further to the disruption and strain of the last 20 months that we are all feeling already.

As announced earlier, all prelims scheduled for this evening will be rescheduled. I ask all of you to be sure to take the time you need to take care of yourselves and each other. Check in with your families and friends; recognize that this is an exceptionally stressful time; and if you feel that you are struggling, remember that there are many options available on campus that can help.

Community support meetings will be held this evening and tomorrow. Tonight’s meetings will be held in the following locations at 8 p.m.:

• Suite 100, Barnes Hall;
• One World Room (basement), Anabel Taylor Hall; and
• Virtual Zoom

Tomorrow’s meeting will be held in the Toni Morrison Hall Multipurpose Room at 7 p.m.

I want to publicly thank our Cornell University Police Department for their swift response to both these episodes, as well as the many other local and regional law enforcement agencies for all of their work to keep our community safe.

Thanks go, as well, to the Cornell staff, especially the Cornell Emergency Services personnel; the Ithaca Fire Department; and Bangs Ambulance; who responded swiftly and professionally to these potential crises. And I am grateful to everyone, across our community, for remaining calm, and following the instructions needed to deal with these emergencies.

I hope, with all of you, that the weeks remaining before our much-needed Thanksgiving break will be peaceful ones.

Sincerely,

Martha E. Pollack
President