By Lisa Copeland, PTMP
Only a few days have passed since our campus was shaken, and yet it feels as if time has stretched and folded in on itself. I’ve watched our faculty, staff, and students move through these days with a heaviness that’s hard to put into words. What we’re feeling isn’t just grief — it’s a deep, disorienting devastation that touches every corner of our routines and relationships.
In the earliest moments, everything feels unreal. Shock settles over the community like a thick fog. People speak softly, move slowly, and look at one another with the same unspoken question: How do we even begin to process this?
As the days unfold, the weight of what happened will begin to sink in. Classes will shift, hallways feel unfamiliar, and the rhythm of campus life falters. Faculty will try to steady their students while carrying their own heartbreak. Staff are working to restore a sense of order even as their own sense of safety feels shaken. Students navigate fear, confusion, and the loss of trust in spaces meant to nurture them.
With time, deeper layers of impact begin to surface. Anxiety will linger in unexpected moments — a loud noise, a drill, a memory. Healing becomes something uneven and deeply personal. And for some in our community, this isn’t the first time they’ve lived through such a tragedy, making the pain even more complex.
I don’t have answers. But I do believe healing grows stronger when shared. I welcome you to share what has helped you or your loved ones find even the smallest steps toward recovery after loss.
Lisa Copeland, PTMP, is an Associate Director for Data & Administration at Old Dominion University. Lisa can be reached at lcopelan@odu.edu.