President Davis-Blake's Message Following the Tragedies in Texas and Ohio

Over the weekend our nation was struck by two senseless acts of violence that left 31 people dead and many more injured. As updates have come in, I’ve struggled to find the words to express how deeply saddened I am by these tragic acts. While attacks of this nature are never easy to process, their occurrence less than 24 hours apart is particularly jarring. In El Paso, a gunman targeted shoppers at a Walmart close to the Mexican border, many of whom were back-to-school shopping with their families. In Dayton, members of the community were fatally shot as they enjoyed a night out.  

Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Both attacks have left their communities and the entire nation shaken. Today, we too often find ourselves divided by differences of opinion or belief. No matter how deep the division, such differences should never lead to violence.

As we begin to process these tragedies, we must remember that Bentley University is a place where we embrace different opinions and welcome people from different backgrounds. Those beliefs are captured in our Core Values, which we articulated as a community this past year, naming Collaboration, Diversity and Respect at the heart of who we are as an institution. Learning and education are antidotes to fear and hatred.   

These next few weeks, as students return to campus and we welcome the class of 2023 to our community, it’s important that we remember these values and what they mean to us. We’ve long been a community where hate finds no home, and we’ll continue in that tradition as we look to the future. 

Tragic attacks of this nature can be difficult to process. As you do so, please know that members of our Student Affairs staff can always be reached at GA_StudentAffairs@bentley.edu. Additionally, students can contact our Counseling Center at 781-891-2274 and faculty and staff can contact the Employee Assistance Program.

We are a community of students, faculty and staff from around the world, all with unique experiences, perspectives and opinions. Let’s remember that and learn from those differences this coming year. 

Alison Davis-Blake
President