Faculty and staff at Temple University have been coping with the loss of Temple students Jenna Burleigh, Richard Dalcourt, and Cariann Hithon. In response, Temple staff organized “The Night of Healing” to provide support to their fellow faculty and students.
The purpose of the event was to provide a safe space for people who were affected by the three deaths that took place this semester, while also facing mid-semester stress. The faculty of Temple University encourages that the conversation continues.
President Richard Englert, was present at the event, providing support to affected individuals.
“This is an opportunity to showcase some of those supports and to give people an opportunity just to talk,” said Englert.
Students and faculty met alongside members of the University Interfaith Council, Counselors from Tuttleman Counseling Services, and members from Temple Student Government, providing a platform to help the Temple community understand the range of emotions they have experienced and continue to experience. These professionals further recommend to seek assistant outside of the event, reminding them of the resources Temple has to offer.
Student Nasir Mack says this was a necessary event.
“Spaces like these are very important,” said Mack. “It’s very important for students and it’s very important for faculty to have these types of conversations.”
Both sides shared their confusion, hurt, and anger. The reward wasn’t a solution, but an echo of empathy. Aminta Ghilyard, a Temple student, shared her feelings about the events leading up to “The Night of Healing.”
“It wasn’t one race; it wasn’t one gender. So, I think each of them unfortunately have their own unique-ness which is just really sad,” said Ghilyard.
Rob Fauber, a physiologist and professor at Temple explains that self-expression is important.
“The important thing is to simply be able to notice what your response is and how you’re feeling. What you’re thinking. What you’re questioning without necessarily having any particular judgments about that and then to be able to sort of share that,” Fauber expressed.
Temple continues to encourage faculty and students to take advantage of the counseling services the University provides.
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