President Mary Spilde asked that the following statement be read at the vigil held at Lane Community College on October 2, 2015, to embrace the Umpqua Community College family after the tragic mass shooting on Thursday.

Statement from Lane Community College President Mary Spilde:

Yesterday, a tragedy occurred at Umpqua Community College in Roseburg. We are deeply saddened by these events, and our thoughts and prayers are with all those affected by the shooting. This is not the first time this has happened but it takes on a more real quality when it is so close to home. Many have questions for which we do not have the answers; in the coming days we will learn more and there will be more discussion and more political conversations, but today and in the near future our focus must be on the victims and their families and taking care of each other.

When things like this happen we all react differently. It's important to allow for the different emotions that will play out over the next days and weeks – anger, helplessness, despair, profound sadness. It's even more important under these circumstances to be there for each other, to care for each other, to support one another.

There is not much that is good that comes out of these kinds of situations but senseless violence like this does remind us about what really matters in our lives. Life is so fragile, as we saw yesterday, which makes it even more important that we create conditions of caring and support.

At fall in-service this year, I quoted Mary Oliver: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

The victims made a choice with their precious lives to get or provide an education. That their lives were cut short in that pursuit is tragic. I have said before that our students are heroes. Against many odds they come to community colleges to learn something, to make a better life for themselves and their families. The students at Umpqua were doing the same, coming to get an education; similarly, teachers and staff are called to the noble work of education and should not expect their lives to be endangered in this way. What a waste of these wild and precious lives.

Today, while we offer condolences and healing to the Umpqua community we can also reach out to one another, make peace with each other, make a commitment to create the caring community that we so desperately need.

Today, I hope we will all reach out to our loved ones and talk to them, hug them, and hold them and the Umpqua community in our hearts.