A time of mourning

“No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main… Any man’s death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind; and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls; it tolls for thee.”

President John T. Casteen III and Abby Fifer, student council president, quoted this passage from John Donne in sending a message to all U.Va. students about plans for Sept. 12, the day after the tragic attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. Classes were suspended from 10 a.m. to noon “for quiet meditation, group discussion and perhaps a time for us to assert our common belief in the dignity of human life and the horror of terrorism,” Casteen and Fifer wrote. Each school held memorial vigils at designated locations during that time.

The University remained open and classes were not otherwise canceled, by direction of the governor’s office. The Sept. 13 football game against Penn State has been postponed.

Buses took students from the Grounds to Charlottesville Fashion Square mall for Virginia Blood Services blood drives Tuesday and Wednesday. Another blood drive was scheduled for Sept. 14 at U-Hall from noon to 6 p.m.

Counselors were available for students at Newcomb Hall. Faculty and staff can contact the Faculty and Employee Assistance Program at 924-9296 for counseling; students can call 924-5556.

The U.Va. Health System implemented its emergency preparedness plan, ready to receive patients if necessary. The Pegasus emergency helicopter was dispatched to the Washington, D.C. area Tuesday evening.

See http://www.virginia.edu/topnews or call the University’s emergency numbers at 924-SNOW and 243-SNsOW as new information becomes available.