Dear Barnard Community,
Last year, our community unexpectedly lost Alicia Lawrence, Deputy Dean of the College and Executive Director of Residence Life and Housing. Alicia was a light within the community and beloved by students, staff, and faculty alike. When she passed away, we shared that we would gather as a community to honor her memory at a future date. The COVID-19 pandemic has remained unpredictable, and it has become apparent that a wider in-person memorial is not possible before another class graduates from Barnard. We still, however, want to honor and remember Alicia.
On Friday, April 16, 2021, to remember and celebrate her life, Barnard will unveil a tree planted in Alicia’s memory. We will also invite members of the community to join us on campus that day to plant a bulb in her memory. Both the tree and the bulbs symbolize life, beauty, and energy -- things Alicia graced us with throughout our time together.
Additionally, over the past year, many of us have experienced the loss of loved ones, including staff members Fernando Calvo, Keri-Ann Miller, Joseph Priolo, and Miguel Vergara. In the true spirit of Alicia’s legacy of inclusion and embracing others, we invite you to plant bulbs that day in memory of those in the Barnard community who are no longer with us, as well as those you hold close to your heart.
To help us prepare materials and ensure physical distancing, please sign up for a time slot to participate in bulb planting, which will take place from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., rain or shine. As a reminder, you must be a part of the College’s testing program to access campus.
If you cannot be here in person, please consider planting a bulb, a plant, or lighting a candle wherever you are in memory of Alicia and others. We will share a recording of the tree unveiling, remarks, and bulb planting later in the day on April 16.
We are grateful for the time we had with Alicia and other members of our community, and we look forward to honoring them later this month.
Sincerely,
Leslie Grinage, Dean of the College
Tirzah Anderson, President, Student Government Association, ‘20-’21