Condolence Books Available for Students, Faculty and Staff

The DePaul community is deeply saddened by the tragedy at Northern Illinois University on Thursday. The victims, their families, their friends and the NIU community are in our thoughts and prayers.

Our Office of Student Affairs has been in contact with its counterparts at NIU, offering counseling and ministry staff to work with its students.

Here at DePaul, books of remembrance have been made available for our students, faculty and staff to express their sympathy and solidarity with those whose lives have been changed forever by the heartbreaking violence at NIU and other college campuses in the past year.

The entire education community must join together with police and mental health authorities across the nation to put an end to the senseless shootings that began as an anomaly in Colorado nine years ago and have since become all too commonplace in classrooms and on or near school grounds. Students should be safe in school, and we must find ways to restore feelings of security for every student, faculty and staff member. DePaul stands ready to contribute to these efforts.

Members of the DePaul community who have concerns about their safety or the safety of a family member here are encouraged to contact the Dean of Students Office:

Lincoln Park Campus: (773) 325-7290

Loop Campus: (312) 362-8054

Public Safety is available at (773) 325-7777 or http://publicsafety.depaul.edu.

Condolence Books Available

Members of the DePaul community, NIU alumni and the general public are all invited to stop by one of three locations to sign the books and include their prayers, condolences and support for the victims of this tragic event, as well as their friends and families. The books will be delivered to the NIU campus upon completion.

The books are available on the Loop Campus at the Lewis Center Chapel (25 E. Jackson Blvd., 1st floor) and the DePaul Center (1 E. Jackson Blvd., 11th floor Student Center), as well as the St. Louise de Marillac Chapel in the Lincoln Park Campus Student Center (2250 N. Sheffield Ave., 1st floor). Both chapels will also be available for silent prayer and reflection during this time.

Additionally, the DePaul community will pause for a moment of silence to remember the victims of this tragedy at noon on Tuesday, Feb. 19. Later that day, the university will host a community prayer service in solidarity with the NIU community. The service will take place at 5 p.m. in the Interfaith Sacred Space, located on the ground floor of the Lincoln Park Campus Student Center.