MSU has shared its plans for the remembrance events that will take place on the two-year anniversary of the Feb. 13, 2023 campus shooting that killed three students and injured five.
In a university-wide email, the Office for Research and Support Coordination said it has worked alongside a committee of students, faculty and staff in its plans to provide a commemoration day that offers options for service, community engagement and supportive resources.
The email additionally stated that most classes will not be held Feb. 13, and assignments won’t be due and exams will not be held that day. Although classes return on Feb. 14, assignments and exams will also not be due then.
The university will remain open, including dining halls and CATA transportation, as well as services to support mental and emotional health for students, according to the email.
Plans for the anniversary include a “Caring Through Service” event hosted by the Center for Community Engaged Learning. This event will be held at the Breslin Center Hall of History between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., where students can create wellness kits and friendship bracelets, among other activities.
The MSU Alumni Chapel will also be open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. with volunteers assisting with support resources.
Outdoors, there will be tented and heated spaces open from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. featuring luminary kits, hot cocoa, comfort dogs and QR codes to give feedback on the permanent memorial design. The three locations are:
People can light their luminaries across campus starting at 8 p.m.
There are also plans in place for music to be played at Beaumont Tower, followed by a moment of silence and the ringing of the tower’s bells from 8:10 p.m. to 8:25 p.m.
Beaumont Tower, the MSU Union and Berkey hall will be lit green from 6 p.m. Feb. 13 until 6 a.m. Feb. 14.
There are also three opportunities for students to engage with community art.
Exhibits created on the one-year anniversary will be installed in Berkey Hall and the MSU Union — where the shooting took place — ahead of Feb. 10.
From now through Feb. 15, the MSU Union Art Gallery will feature the “Reclaiming Space” interactive exhibition. Additionally, “Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Activism” is another interactive exhibit that will be featured Feb. 5 through Feb. 13 at the Broad Art Museum.
In a statement provided to The State News by a university spokesperson, Amber McCann said the events and activities planned “provide an opportunity for members of the MSU community to reflect, grieve and honor those we lost, those injured and all impacted by the tragedy that occurred on our campus in 2023.”
The Office for Research and Support Coordination's email also listed mental health resources for community members, including MSU Counseling and Psychiatric Services and the MSU Employee Assistance Program. Both will have drop-in appointments available on Feb. 13 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
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