Earlier this year, some unwitting bozo from an entryway over stumbled into my common room through the emergency exit, setting off the door’s alarm. He apologized and stumbled away, and we called facilities to turn the alarm off. After 10 minutes, there was a knock on the door, but it wasn’t facilities, it was Luchang Wang, SM ’17, who lived right below us in Silliman entryway M. She asked if we needed help and swiftly disabled the alarm with some wondertool she pulled out of her pocket. She demanded no thanks, just smiled and left when the job was done. Facilities never came.

I can’t claim to have known Luchang well, but in the last few days it has become clear that the humble kindness she offered in disabling our alarm was completely in character. Every commemorative Facebook post I’ve read offers a different anecdote to a similar effect. Our community’s loss is palpable, not just in Silliman, but throughout the university. We at the Herald offer our deepest condolences to Luchang’s friends and family, and hope that our campus takes this time to come together in Luchang’s honor.

In the wake of this tragedy, Emma Goldberg, SY ’16, discusses the challenges and importance of setting aside time from busy schedules to mourn as a community in Opinion.

In this week’s cover article, Alessandra Roubini, JE ’16, questions Yale University Properties and who it serves—the Yale or New Haven communities, or some combination. In Features, Joanna Lee, SY ’17, compares the Ferguson responses of various campus organizations, and in Opinion, Alexandra Williams, SM ’17, responds to the widely publicized Tahj Blow, SY ’16, incident.

There’s lots more: Read about Selma and CitizenFour in Reviews. Check out Culture for bluegrass and cheese. But first, take a minute for Luchang.

Love,

David Rossler

Managing Editor