April 11, 2016
Dear UT Community,
In ways large and small, many of you have sought to honor Haruka Weiser’s life and memory during the past few days.
Haruka’s classmates in the Dance Repertory Theatre are paying tribute with their moving performances of “Bodies & Souls,” a contemporary dance production for which Haruka was a member of the wardrobe crew. Carmel and I had the honor to attend the performance and speak with the students on Saturday night. Also on Saturday, thousands of UT students and community members paused for a moment of silence in her memory before the annual Longhorn Run.
As I spoke with many of you over the weekend, you asked how you can pay tribute to Haruka. The Weiser family has requested that all gifts be directed to the Haruka Weiser Memorial Fund. At an appropriate time, the family will determine how to best use these gifts to create a fitting tribute to honor Haruka. Here’s what they wrote:
"Haruka Juliana Tsunemine Weiser, our beloved daughter, sister and friend, was taken from us too soon. We will forever miss her; the pain of our sudden and tragic loss is unfathomable. We are grateful for all the support, kindness and prayers that have been offered to us. Words cannot express the outpouring of love we have received...We remain steadfast in our desire to honor Haruka’s memory through kindness and love, not violence."
In addition, you can send condolence messages to the family at honoringharuka@gmail.com or by sending a letter to:
Family of Haruka Weiser
c/o Office of the Vice President for Student Affairs
The University of Texas at Austin
PO Box 7699
Austin, TX 78713-7699
Our Campus Safety and Security division is actively working to expand the SUREwalk program and is coordinating with the Texas Department of Public Safety as it prepares to conduct a thorough review of campus safety procedures.
As we begin the last few weeks of classes and prepare for final exams and commencement, our counseling center is available to help students through these difficult times. I also urge you to continue to support your fellow Longhorns and to stay focused on the things that matter most in your lives.
Sincerely,
Gregory L. Fenves
President