Letter from President Broderick on Sri Lanka
April 21, 2019
Dear Monarch Community:
The thoughts and prayers of Old Dominion University Monarchs everywhere are with the family and friends who lost more than 200 loved ones in a series of horrific bombings targeting Christian worshippers and tourists in Sri Lanka this morning. We condemn these attacks and stand in solidarity with the dozens of our students and several faculty from Sri Lanka, including former Provost Chandra de Silva.
As I watched news reports about this brutal attack, I was reminded that no matter how hard people filled with hatred try to create divisiveness, they do not fully succeed. Right after the bombs went off, journalists reported that hundreds of people of all faiths—Hindus, Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, Tamils and Sinhalese—rushed to donate their blood to save as many victims as possible.
The University Chaplains Association at ODU and Global Student Friendship, in partnership with international students from Sri Lanka, will hold a vigil on Tuesday, April 23 at 7 p.m. on Kaufman Mall to stand in solidarity with the victims of these brutal attacks and in opposition to hatred and bigotry. If you or someone you know is in need of support, please reach out to the ODU Care Team at ODUcares@odu.edu or 757-683-3442.
Sincerely,
John R. Broderick
President