Message From President Capilouto: Our Shared Loss, Moving Forward Together

LEXINGTON, Ky. (Jan. 25, 2019) — University of Kentucky President Eli Capilouto sent an email message to the UK community today mourning the loss of two students; offering resources to anyone who needs assistance coping with loss and pain; and promising opportunities for dialogue across campus.  The message is below.

Campus Community,

As we embarked on the early days of our new semester, our community has been ruptured by the loss of two of our students – two of us – departed far too soon. They sat beside us in our classes and at our meals; walked beside us in our hallways and on our campus paths; and experienced joy and sorrow in our midst. Such losses of people so absurdly young and so remarkably full of promise makes dimmer our community spirit and makes heavy our individual hearts.

It is inevitable that we mourn. But it is essential that we not attempt to process these tragedies and the consequent pain alone; because we are not alone. This is a moment that summons us to draw closer to one another, further strengthening the ties that bind.

This is a moment that requires of us the strength to use words like “love” and “compassion”; and the courage to admit we need each other as we question the meaning of events that sometimes elude understanding.

It is this communal responsibility we each and all bear, to hold one another and to lift one another. We will get through these trying times as a UK family.

As you cope with loss and pain, we insist that you consider seeking assistance across the multitude of resources available to you in our shared space. This link takes you to just some of the resources available on our campus to help you with these questions and concerns: http://www.uky.edu/president/mental_health_resources.

At the same time, we must acknowledge that guidance to existing resources is only a start. Over the next several days, we will have more dialogue across our shared space, starting with meetings in our residence halls and in other places. You will receive ongoing communication about these and other opportunities.

My hope is that everyone on our campus – no matter who you are, where you are from, what you look like, or what you believe – can know you are not alone.

Eli Capilouto