Today, I am thinking of Arielle, Brian, and Alexandria, of their families, and join with the entire Michigan State University community to mourn that horrible day, as well as recognize the thoughtful determination Spartans have shown every day since to recover.

As we mark the first anniversary of the shooting, I took the morning to spend some time on campus, checking in with students, faculty and staff, and talking about what the past year has been like for all of us. That includes my own fantastic interns in Lansing, all of whom are MSU students, who joined me throughout the day.

There really isn’t a playbook for how to mark this kind of anniversary, so it was heartening to see so many people turn their emotions into action through the day of service activities offered at the Hannah Community Center and International Center. There were service projects to work on, art options, and even a squishmallow exchange to provide some extra comfort. These activities really showcased what it means to be Spartan Strong.

As a Member of Congress who had not one but two school shootings in her district, I know far too well how these events last long beyond when the news cameras leave — and how it can rip a hole in the heart of a community that’s difficult to heal.

I’m also thinking about the law enforcement and first responders from our local departments and across the state who sped to campus to help and assisted in the hours-long manhunt, the staff at Sparrow Hospital that jumped into action to treat the wounded, and MSU leadership, led by interim President Teresa Woodruff, who quickly organized grief services and planned vigils for students to grieve as a community. One place that’s burned into my brain from that evening is sitting in the ops center at the East Lansing Police Department as the hours-long manhunt took place. It seemed fitting to go back and visit with them and city fire and other first responder leaders on duty that night, and thank them for their actions that evening – and in the grueling year since. We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that there was only one group of leaders who were running toward the gunfire, not away from it. And that they, too, have had to process this tragedy.

And, most importantly, we can’t mark this anniversary without acknowledging the strength and activism we witnessed by students in the days, weeks and months after the shooting. Student leaders organized rallies and vigils both large and small, on campus and at our Capitol.

I have found that when students go through a traumatic incident, and they’re dealing with some form of post-traumatic stress, a fierce determination also develops to enact change through the power of their first-hand experience. I’ve taken solace in seeing students and young people become activists, interns, first responders, testify in Lansing, and even decide to make promoting gun safety a career. I know this generation of MSU students who lived through the shooting will carry their experience out into the world and use it for good.

We should also recognize the concrete change that has come from the shooting. Just five weeks later, the Michigan Legislature passed historic gun safety legislation in the wake of this tragedy. Many students and parents testified at the legislative hearings. And Governor Whitmer proudly signed those bills into law on MSU’s campus in April. They go into effect today.

While there’s more work to do, Michigan’s leaders are setting the standard for how to respond when our children are threatened in their sanctuaries. With legislation, with law, and through convictions in the courts. Taken together, Congress should take note and learn from that example.

I am now on my way back to Washington to continue representing the people of mid-Michigan in Congress, even if my heart is still with East Lansing. It’s hard to explain how much a tragedy like this impacts all of us. The common theme I heard from students and staff today was the way a mass shooting forever changes the very DNA of a community. We are still climbing our way back. #SpartanStrong.

Thank you for reading,

Elissa Slotkin


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