This is a time of great shock for us all. Our thoughts and prayers are with
those who have family and friends caught up in this tragedy. As members of the
George Mason community, we must pull together as a community, carry on with our
daily lives and work together to support each other as we learn to deal with
this tragedy. As we do so, we must also think about what we can do to help
ensure that such an event does not happen again, either here or elsewhere in the
world.
As stories unfold over the coming days, we will be subject to many emotions.
Dealing with fear, anger and sadness, and supporting our collective grieving, is
the first phase of our response here at George Mason. As part of that, it is
important to resume our daily routine, to show that even such terrible acts
cannot shake our collective strength. And in time, we will move to another
phase, where we will use the intellectual resources at George Mason to help
develop anti-terrorism policies and create the research that will expand our
understanding of violence and how to prevent it.
In the meantime, it is important that we try to assess the facts clearly, keep
calm, and provide a supportive environment for each other. I will continue to
communicate with you as issues arise which affect the university community.
Alan G. Merten