A/APA Community Support & Resources

Date: April 18, 2007

Dear Students,

The Virginia Tech tragedy has profoundly affected us all. As an Asian Pacific American myself, specifically a Korean American, I am stunned by this senseless act of violence by an individual who hails from my country of birth. Over the next few days, I hope that you are able to take time both individually and collectively to reflect, grieve, and process the complexity of what has happened. My heart goes out to the VT students and families who are reeling from this horrific event. The pain they are experiencing has to be indescribable, and I know that you as a student body share in my fervent desire to help their community heal.

I have heard that there are some UVA Korean/Korean Americans who are concerned for their safety. To these students, I want to assure you that your University supports you. Acts of intolerance and/or bigotry are not acceptable. If you are the victim of a bias incident (written, verbal, physical or otherwise), please call me immediately at 434.982.2683. The site www.virginia.edu/justreportit: is also available as a reporting method. As always, the University police are available 24/7 to respond to any needs that may arise.

Support and Services

I want you to know that support and services are available to you. The Counseling & Psychological Services office (CAPS) will have drop-in hours on Thursday (4/19) and Friday (4/20). They can be contacted at 434.924.5556.

Media

Various media sources have been contacting UVA A/APA organizations in order to get student reactions and responses for their stories. Please do not feel obligated to respond to any inquiry for information. See below for some considerations:

• If you do wish to respond, it may be best to do so in writing and avoid telephone interviews to ensure accuracy of your comments.
• If there are certain questions you are uncomfortable answering, you are always entitled to respond, "No comment."
• A general response to a question of, "What do you think about what happened at Virginia Tech?" could be: "At this point, my thoughts are with those who were killed or injured and their friends and families."
• A response to whether or not you fear you will be targeted because of your race or ethnicity in the aftermath of the shooting could be: "In my view, the events at Virginia Tech were not based on race or ethnicity. This was an individual act and does not reflect anything more than that."

For those who want to talk in person, my office is located on the 2nd floor of Peabody Hall. Please call ahead or email me at SLWE@virginia.edu: to confirm availability.

As an A/APA student body we stand together with the larger University community in giving our full support to Virginia Tech.

In solidarity,

Dean Wilcox Elliott
Office of Student Life