727 days since the MSU mass shooting

It’s been 727 days since Michigan State University students Brian Fraser, Arielle Anderson and Alexandria Verner were gunned down on campus, while five other people were injured. Thursday will mark two years since the tragedy.

In journalism, we tend to write about a lot of terrible anniversaries. This one hits particularly hard for my family and thousands of others who had loved ones on campus the night of Feb. 13, 2023. It’s impossible to walk by the MSU Union or Berkey Hall without reliving the fear, the terror, the loss.

But somehow, days like this can still creep up on us. So if you need support and want to be on campus, here’s some information that may be helpful.

MSU is canceling classes on Feb. 13, just as it did last year. But the university will remain open, including dining halls, mental health support services, recreational sports facilities and CATA transportation.

Resources and support are available at:

• MSU Counseling & Psychiatric Services at the Olin Health Center, 3rd Floor, 463 East Circle Drive; 517-355-8270.

• MSU Employee Assistance Program at 110 Linton Hall, 479 W. Circle Drive, 517-355-4506, will have drop-in appointments available from 8 a.m. through 4:30 p.m. Thursday.

Visit the websites or call for more details or to inquire more generally about available services.

Service and advocacy opportunities are available at:

• The Breslin Center Hall of History (Gilbert Pavilion Entrance) between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Thursday. The Center for Community Engaged Learning for Caring Through Service will host an opportunity to support mental health initiatives, create meaningful connections and give back to the community by:

1. Assembling essential needs kits for Community Mental Health (CMH), addressing a critical need identified by our community partner.

2. Creating a Wellness Kit for yourself, a friend, or to donate to MSU Counseling & Psychiatric Services (CAPS). As part of the assembly, participate in a friendship bracelet activity to foster connection and creativity.

3. Learning valuable strategies for advocating on issues that matter to you and your community.

Indoor supportive services are available at:

• The Breslin Center’s Hall of History from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday.

• The MSU Alumni Chapel from 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday.

These locations will be staffed with volunteers to assist with resources/support, luminary kit pick up, and QR codes for feedback on the permanent memorial.

Outdoor supportive services:

Tented, heated spaces will be open and staffed with volunteers to navigate resources and support, offer luminary kits for pickup, provide bottled water and hot cocoa, and direct community members to QR codes to provide feedback on permanent memorial design proposals. Comfort dogs also will visit these spaces.

The three locations are:

• At the corner of Farm Lane and Auditorium Road, near The Rock.

• At the corner of West Circle Drive and East Circle Drive, near the Grand River Ramp.

• At the corner of Beal Street and Chestnut Road, near the Sparty statue.

Community art is on display at:

• Exhibits created on the one-year commemoration will be installed in the two impacted and now-renovated spaces in Berkey Hall and the MSU Union ahead of Monday.

• The “Reclaiming Space” exhibition at the MSU Union Art Gallery is open through Saturday and provides an opportunity for individuals to add their personal touch and creativity to the murals and sculptures that make up the exhibition.

• The Broad Art Museum is hosting “Art in the Aftermath: Healing Gun Violence through Artivism,” an exhibition of activist art produced by individuals affected by our nation’s epidemic of gun violence until Thursday.

Beaumont Tower bells/Lighting of buildings:

There are plans for music to be played, a moment of silence and then the ringing of the Beaumont Tower bells from 8:10 p.m. to 8:25 p.m. Thursday. Beaumont Tower, as well as the MSU Union and Berkey Hall, will be lit green from 6 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. Friday. A livestream of this is available for viewing by Spartans around the world via the Spartans Together website.