To the UConn Community:

I write to invite you to attend a vigil for the Ukrainian people on Monday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m. on the Student Union patio on the Storrs campus.

The unspeakable tragedies that continue to take place in Ukraine grow worse by the day, as does the suffering of the Ukrainian people. As we watch events unfold, it is easy to feel helpless. A vigil is a healing event, an opportunity for the community to come together and mourn as one for all victims of the war.

I have asked Kathryn Libal, who is the Director of UConn’s Human Rights Institute and an Associate Professor in the School of Social Work, to give remarks.

In addition, Solomiya Ivakhiv, who is an Associate Professor of violin and viola in UConn’s School of Fine Arts and is Ukrainian, will perform musical selections with her students as part of the program on Monday. Music is a beautiful way to memorialize and honor people who are suffering or have lost their lives. It will be a moment of peace, humanity, and reflection in memory of the victims of this ongoing war while also calling attention to important issues of democracy and humanity.

Please join us on Monday, March 28 at 1:00 p.m. behind the Union, if you are able to.

Sincerely,

Radenka

Dr. Radenka Maric
Interim President, University of Connecticut