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It has been almost a year since tragedy struck our campus on Dec. 6, 2023. In the months since the shooting, we have learned so much about ourselves and each other and about what we mean when we say “the UNLV family.”

The expression has helped me, and I suspect many others, find comfort through difficult days. It offers a way to express our emotions and to convey to those hurting just how much they mean to us. To be family is to share an almost indescribable bond of love and support for one another.

In this issue, you’ll find two stories that go to the heart of what it means to be a Rebel — to be part of this family — from a few of the people most profoundly impacted that day.   

You’ll learn about Detective Nate Drum and Officer Damian Garcia. They are the two University Police officers who heroically confronted and stopped the shooter. Both are committed to their profession and an asset to University Police. Damian is  a gregarious, joyful person who brings wisdom and care to our campus. Nate is steadfast and determined, and in the story, he shares how one of his former professors unknowingly had a profound impact on him.

You will also read the story of professor Daraboth “Bot” Rith and his wife, Dimanche Pharath Rith. Bot was the fourth victim on Dec. 6. His injuries were so extensive that it took months for him to recover physically. He chose to recover in private until he was ready to once again be what he says he is meant to be: an economics professor. That came this fall, when he returned to full-time teaching.

I hope in Nate, Damian, and Bot’s stories you find the same powerful message that I did: Though we may come from different cultures, different places, and different decades, we are all part of this Rebel family.

As a campus, I believe we’re getting better every day. There is a collective power that comes from sharing our joys and pains, our struggles and triumphs. I thank all of you for your resiliency and your support of your fellow Rebels. I’ve learned that there’s no single playbook for how to do this, and it requires all of us working together and supporting one another to get where we want to be.

The UNLV family will gather Dec. 6 to remember those we lost — professors Naoko Takemaru, Jerry Cha-Jan Chang, and Patricia Navarro Velez — and to reflect on the resilience, strength, and spirit of UNLV that has helped us heal since. More information about the event can be found at UNLV.edu/strong.

I continue to be awed by the way our community has come together for one another — checking in on colleagues and classmates to see how they’re doing, offering services and support for those in need, and proving — time and time again — what it means to be UNLV Strong.

This is a truly special place, and it’s because of each and every one of you.

Keith E. Whitfield,
UNLV President