As events continue to unfold in the Boston area, all of us at Penn extend our condolences to those in the MIT community over the death of one of their police officers. This was a tragic loss, and a reminder of the daily risks our police take in order to keep us safe.

It is difficult to understand what drives people to commit the type of senseless acts that occurred this week in Boston. Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone in that community. Today we are all Bostonians, and proud of the spirit that marks this wonderful American city.

For students who are feeling stress because of these events, therapists at Counseling and Psychological Services are available to help those in need to cope with personal challenges.

At Penn we have a number of public events scheduled for today, and I want to assure everyone that our public safety personnel have taken extraordinary measures to keep those events safe. Our police are in contact with colleagues throughout the region and are taking all precautions that are warranted to make sure that people on campus today can enjoy the celebrations around our Time to Shine campaign.

The most important thing that we can all do today and everyday is to care for — and be there for -- each other.