By Tatum Hubbard
Many of us say it about August 31st, 2019. I’ll never forget where I was when I got the news. It was Labor Day weekend, and I was with my closest friends, and all our children, for a final summer get-a-way. In my role at The University of Texas Permian Basin, it’s not unusual to receive calls from our University police. But the phone call I received that day was different. Even among all the confusion about what was happening, it was evident that our campus was at the center of the chaos.
Our first concern, of course, was protecting the students who call our campus home. When dispatchers received the first calls, several groups of student-athletes were engaged in outdoor practices. Our semester had just started, so students new to our campus were out exploring and building friendships.
Faculty and staff were settling into their offices. Community members were walking on our trails. When I think about that day, I am grateful for the emergency response team, student affairs professionals, and coaches at UTPB who knew immediately what to do – place the safety and well-being of others ahead of all else.
On that Saturday in 2019, I was four hours away. I remember feeling such guilt that I wasn’t there. What could I have done? I have no idea. But my hometown was under attack. Our friend group gathered outside, held hands in a circle, and prayed. Then we got in the car and drove home. I, like many of you, searched for any information I could find on social media and on news sites. I found CBS 7’s live stream and watched as my former co-anchor and dear friend Jay Hendricks crouched behind the news desk, telling us that law enforcement were inside the mall looking for the shooter. I know Jay so well, I could hear the terror in his voice. To me, he was every one of us on August 31st – petrified, confused, devastated.
Over the next few days, UTPB became a gathering spot for law enforcement, investigators, and government officials. Since then, we’ve been honored to partner with other community groups to organize what’s become known as the “Shine a Light” ceremony – a deliberate attempt to shift the narrative away from the darkness of that day. In August of 2024, we will unveil the Bright Star Memorial, a beautiful piece of art surrounded by a pavilion that’s designed to support reflection and remembrance.
The lighted cylinder, a gift from the City of Odessa and Odessa Arts, will illuminate messages from the victims and their families.
What did August 31st teach me? Life is precious. Another day is not guaranteed. We must love each other.
Tatum Hubbard is the chief of staff and vice president of communications and marketing at the University of Texas Permian Basin.
