Abena Atiemo

It’s been hard to smile for the last few days.
On the last day of class, we all got an email that told us to “Run. Hide. Fight.” On Tuesday I remember running for my life towards the Union where me and other Niners were trapped for over 2 hours, waiting to hear any news about the state of our campus.
On the last day of class, we lost 2 people from our Niner Family, Reed Parlier and Riley Howell.
Tuesday wasn’t supposed to be like that.
But here’s what makes this whole situation unique. Over the last few days, I’ve seen the absolute best of UNC Charlotte. I’ve volunteered with amazing people, I’ve gone to marches with resilient students, and I’ve been comforted by absolute strangers when walking through campus. We’ve all seen better days, but I’ve never EVER been prouder to be a Niner than right now. UNC Charlotte is my home, and it always will be. There’s truly nothing finer than being a Niner.