UB Community Responds to Virginia Tech Tragedy, Counseling Services Reaches Out to Students

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The University at Buffalo community is responding to Monday's shootings at Virgina Tech with a series of events and activities in memory of the victims.

UB Counseling Services is reaching out to students feeling affected by, or having strong emotional reactions to, the tragedy, offering one-on-one support, as well as Web-based self-help information.

Counselors are available in Counseling Services from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Friday and 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday. The phone number is 645-2720. After hours, an on-call counselor can be reached by calling University Police at 645-2222 or 2222 from any campus phone, or by picking up any campus blue light phone.

Information about trauma, grief and coping is available on the Counseling Services Web site at http://ub-counseling.buffalo.edu/tragedy.shtml.

Two memorial services for the victims of the shootings at Virginia Tech are being planned. Both will be open to all members of the university community.

The first service, sponsored by the university, will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow (April 18) in the Student Union Theater on the North Campus. The second will take place at 8 p.m. Sunday in St. Joseph's University Church, 3269 Main St., Buffalo, adjacent to the South Campus.

At tomorrow's service, memorial lapel ribbons will be distributed to all participants. The ribbons will be available free to the university community through Friday at the Student Life Office in the Student Union, Student Union information desk, Harriman Hall Information Desk on the South Campus, Leadership Development Center (235 Student Union) and the Intercultural and Diversity Center (240 Student Union).

The Rev. Msgr. J. Patrick Keleher, director of the Newman Center, will serve as celebrant at Sunday's memorial service, sponsored by the Newman Centers at UB, Catholic Campus Ministry. Participants will sign a book of condolences.

Thirty-three candles, one for each victim of the Virginia Tech shootings, are burning in the Student Union lobby until Friday.

The Student Union lobby also is the site of a Virginia Tech Memorial Site where students, faculty and staff wishing to express their concern and sympathy may create memorial cards or sign a memorial message banner through Friday. Cards also may be created in the Leadership Development Center (235 Student Union) and the Intercultural and Diversity Center (240 Student Union). The cards and the signed banner will be shipped to Virginia Tech on Monday.

American flags on campus have been lowered to half-staff in memory of those killed at Virginia Tech.

Beginning at 2 p.m. today -- the time of the memorial convocation being held at Virginia Teach -- the UB Memorial Flag in Lee Loop on the North Campus will be lowered to half-staff in memory of those affected by the tragedy. The blue-and-white UB flag that waves in the Lee Loop is an emblem of remembrance of UB students who have died. It is lowered to half staff for 24 hours when a UB student dies, or when the university wishes to recognize other student deaths.

Beginning tomorrow, the Virginia Tech flag will fly at half-staff on the same pole in Lee Loop.