Editor’s Note: The below was originally sent as an email to WKU faculty and staff on Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023 as part of the ONE WKU campaign. It is being published at the request of the author.
As a community we have watched the events unfolding in Israel and Gaza with horror; such acts can never be justified. Right now, there are people in our campus and Bowling Green community who are clearly hurting, and they are our priority. As the conflict continues, additional innocent individuals are being injured or killed and we, as a community, are gravely concerned for Israelis and Palestinians who are suffering in that region. Though WKU is half a world away from the war, many of our community members have connections to the Middle East and will be carrying the weight of these atrocities in the days to come.
We are not able to affect the outcome of any war, but we can decide as a community to support and care for one another. WKU is committed to the belief that embracing our multicultural communities is part of our core values, and that empathy and compassion are our greatest strength.
Looking out for each other’s well-being is paramount, so please check on your friends and neighbors who may be impacted. If individuals in our community are struggling with how to process these events, please know the WKU Counseling Center and mental health services are here for all of us.
And at a time when we have all witnessed increased acts of antisemitism and anti-Muslim and anti-Arab violence worldwide, we can’t allow our politics, grief, or anger about the conflict to spill over into abusive behavior or harassment. It is important that our community finds ways to support the victims, and hope for a swift end to the violence and war.
We Are ONE WKU
Molly Kerby is WKU’s Assistant Provost for Institutional Effectiveness and a professor of sociology.
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