I opened Facebook as I waited for my iced drink, and after the second scroll, my focus was on the glass screen instead of the barista calling my name. As I walked into the Posse Los Angeles office, I knew my morning wouldn’t start off with a pile of papers. I sat my drink down, took my seat and anxiously scrolled through my feed. The tiny screen was saturated with pictures of UCLA, and the word, “shooting,” was attached to all of them.
“Have you heard what happened this morning?” said my director as she walked into the intern office. She didn’t need to give details; I knew she was talking about the shooting that happened only an hour ago at UCLA. I slowly nodded my head and felt a knot in my throat. UCLA is only 20 minutes away from the office; a dozen of my friends and former trainer attend it, and we have Posses there. This campus is close to home.
A few minutes after the question, the other intern arrived. Halfway through her good morning, I interrupted with, “Have you heard?” She seemed a bit confused. “Haven’t you checked your phone?” I asked surprised. She told me her phone had stopped working last night, so I scrambled to open the LA Times. Before I logged in, the sound of a live newscast spilled out of the director’s office. Silence followed as everyone in the office converged around her desk to see the status of the situation. The second intern and I decided to stay in our office. We were intimidated to walk into the room, lacking full knowledge. We grabbed our binders and laid out our work on the desk. We tried to prepare packets, but we couldn’t. We were watching the news as well.
“I can’t believe this. I know so many people there,” said my partner. Everyone in the office was contacting everyone they knew at the school. From our Posses, to mentors, friends and even family, the whole office was united in an effort to know our loved ones were fine. I pulled out my phone and began texting all my contacts there as well. Despite the silent activities we were tasked to complete while we visited the office during our pre-collegiate training, this was the quietest it had ever been.
As I began to get the notifications that my friends were safe, I still couldn't recline in the chair. My back was tense, and beads of sweat raced across my face. I was still shocked, angry and anxious. At this time, the victims had not been identified, and the news reported that this was possibly a premeditated plan.
Despite her being in New York, I opened my text app and began typing in my mentor’s number. I texted her a lengthy message, thanking her for the patience, love and support she provided me throughout the last year at HWS. I even texted my parents and called my grandma to thank them as well.
As you may have seen, dozens of publications are all contributing to conversations surrounding this tragedy. News outlets are producing theories for the murder motive; they are highlighting UCLA’s response to students' mental health, as the school is allowing extensions and resources, and they are even criticizing national gun policies. I have read many of these and recommend them highly if you want details about the incident, as this article cannot give a substantial amount of logistics.
What I can say is that it's not right how frequently it takes a tragedy for us to contact people.Learning that one of the victims was a faculty pulled at my heartstring, which is why I reached out to my mentor. While the gesture was a heartfelt one, we must remember that even mornings that begin like routine can also fall off track fast. I recognize that life's journey is short, but it can be cut shorter spontaneously. Thus, we have to make sure to cherish not just every minute we have, but every second we have with those around us.
It is definitely important to reach out to people during a crisis, but that shouldn't be the catalyst for conversation. I hadn't reached out to some of my friends at UCLA in months. I hadn't even thought about visiting the campus at all. This scare shocked me into remembering about this sacred place in Southern California. I know I am not alone in this reaction. We should remember that, no matter the distance in time or space, every person we know has a place in our life. The sad part is that often we forget about the time, attention and support we get from people until it may be too late.
My heart and condolences go to the family of the victims, as well as the greater UCLA community. This was a tragedy that affected more than just this school; it rippled out to all of Southern California, the whole state and the larger nation as well. I know I will reflect on this event and apply what I learned from this day into every day as best I can. I can only hope you leave this article with a greater appreciation for those who educate, motivate and support you.
