Skidmore reflects on #OrlandoShooting

The chaos and confusion that occurred in the aftermath of the assault on the Pulse nightclub in Orlando, Fla., earlier this month continues to ripple across the nation.

For Assistant Professor of English Cecilia Aldarondo, an Orlando native, “gay clubs like Pulse are places of refuge.” She’s spent a lot of time over the past four years examining the idea of safe spaces for LGBTQ individuals while making her first documentary film, Memories of a Penitent Heart. The film tells the story of her uncle who was asked to repent his homosexuality by his devout Catholic mother. For Aldarondo’s uncle and many others, clubs like Pulse provide critical sanctuary.

As the country examines the reasons behind the violence in Orlando, Professor Yelena Biberman-Ockali and Gage Willand ’16 look for links between radicalization and violence. The bottom line: “We may not be able to prevent radicals from causing massive casualties, but we can control whether their attacks achieve their desired goals.”

Aldarondo's film will be screened at Round Lake Auditorium on Friday, July 22nd.

Jessyca Dudley ’06 is one individual who is working to control the outcomes of violent attacks. Her work as a researcher with the Joyce Foundation focuses on preventing gun violence. Through Joyce’s grant-making, Dudley supports evidence-based policies and practices to reduce gun deaths and injuries in the United States. 

On June 13, Skidmore lowered flags in honor of the lives lost and in solidarity with the families and loved ones who mourned the shooting at Pulse. A rainbow LGBTQ flag was placed prominently at Porter Plaza outside Case Center to acknowledge the loss, especially within our gay community.