Dear Otterbein Community, I am deeply troubled by last week’s attack on a synagogue in Pittsburgh and other hate crimes that have dominated recent news headlines, and I am surely not alone. As members of a university community based on humane values, we all condemn such reprehensible acts and the hatred that creates such violence. We stand strong in our values and keep victims of violence in our prayers. Some of you wonder what we, as individuals and as a community, can do to counter and respond to hatred like this. As individuals, we can educate ourselves and become advocates for issues we care about on a local, state, and national level. Otterbein has a number of initiatives to assist you with this through the Center for Community Engagement and the Office for Social Justice and Activism. We can become involved citizens by voting, attending town hall meetings, and making sure our voices are heard. If you haven’t completed an absentee ballot, I encourage you all to join me in voting next week on Tuesday, Nov. 6. Your civic participation is important. It’s not only our right, but also our duty as citizens of a democracy. As a university, we understand that we are creating future leaders for our society. We seek to create these leaders in a model community with values like equality, service, inclusion of diversity, and civil discourse. The most important thing we can all do is keep focused on this work, because we know the world needs our graduates now more than ever. Thank you for all that you do as members of the Otterbein community and as global citizens.  Sincerely, John