Dear Lehman Colleagues:
We are closing in on the end of the semester and this week many folks will take some well-deserved respite from the pressures of work and study. While many of us have lots to give thanks for, others in our community struggle with multiple challenges that test the limits of their resiliency on a daily basis. During a week like this, my thoughts go to those people that are part of our community who struggle with the many challenges they face.
Additionally, our campus community is impacted by events further afield. The recent attack in Colorado Springs reminds us of how precarious things can be, particularly for individuals whose identity is so often marginalized. No one in Club Q that night in Colorado Springs would have predicted their lives would have been so impacted by gun violence fueled by hate and intolerance. The recent shootings in Virginia further remind us that violence can be random, or it can be targeted. Either way, such violence does ripple through our society, and we can recognize how folks, even at Lehman, can be affected by events seemingly so far away.
Such events can also remind us why doing the real work of inclusion and equity matters at colleges and universities. We are in a special position to model such commitments and to create expectations and an environment for our students who, in turn, can take these lessons and exemplars out to their communities beyond the college. Senseless violence or violence born of hate is so difficult for us to understand but we can fathom why some who feel targeted might experience a greater sense of exclusion right now. So, let us keep those affected by senseless violence close to our thoughts and commit to ensuring that Lehman can be a standard bearer for diversity, equity, and inclusion.
Have a wonderful few days off, however you choose to celebrate or not, and we will commence the sprint to the end of the Fall semester next week.
All the best,
Fernando Delgado, President
@LehmanPresident
