On Nov. 13, at least 129 people were killed in Paris, France in a series of terrorist attacks. Many communities are now showing solidarity toward France, including Oswego State.
Landmarks around the world lit up in blue, white and red, the colors of the French flag. John Kerry, United States Secretary of State, said the U.S. grieved with France for the loss of life that occurred.

“The United States and France are not only friends, we are family,” Kerry said in a statement. “And today, the entire world joins our family in heartbreak yet again.”

The Paris attacks impact the whole world, said Eloïse Colson, who was a student at Oswego State in 2014-2015 and now studies in Montpellier, France.

“We are all humans and we can only feel sad and frightened about it, no matter how far people are from the places of the event,” Colson said.

The familial feelings toward those experiencing loss in France also come from students and faculty at Oswego State. Kevin Speer, the Residence Hall Director in Hart Hall, said the community here is affected by the attacks.

“It struck home for a lot of us because we have students here who are from France,” Speer said.

Speer said his goal is to facilitate conversations about the attacks and to help students feel safe in the home atmosphere of their residence hall.

Aude Buchmuller, an Oswego State graduate student from Paris, said she was comforted by her fellow students in Hart Hall.

“They were all shocked about what happened and did everything that was in their power to help me and the other French students feel better,” Buchmuller said.

Colson said her sister and numerous friends were in Paris at the time of the terrorist attacks. She went to bed early on Friday night and woke up to dozens of text messages from friends asking if she was still alive.

“I read and I began to cry,” Colson said. “Facebook has this thing where you can say that you’re safe so I went over this and gradually calmed down. So the panic turned to incomprehension, sadness and questions, for which I still have no response.”

Buchmuller was waiting for the Whiteout game to start when her phone began ringing with friends asking if her family was alive. Buchmuller had to wait for word from her family and friends in France, wondering if they were safe.

“I could only wait and wait,” Buchmuller said. “The worst part of being in the U.S. when something happened in your country is the wait.”

Finally, Buchmuller heard from her childhood friend’s parents.

“They told me that she was shot when she was eating at a restaurant with some friends and was taken at the hospital,” Buchmuller said. “We went to Lakeside to get coffee and we were sitting when I received an email. I was staring at my phone and couldn’t open the message because I already knew the answer. I opened the message and it was saying ‘Sarah couldn’t make it.’ I left crying under the pouring rain outside.”

Buchmuller said she was in disbelief that something so terrible had happened in her neighborhood.

“Now I’m sad and mad because many innocent people are dead,” Buchmuller said.

Colson said the attacks have brought her country closer together.

“I feel like there is this unconscious rebellion in the French people that we will do exactly the contrary than what the terrorists want,” Colson said. “Stay united, talk about tolerance, peace and religious coexistence, explain to the children that violence isn’t the solution.”

Hart Hall also decorated a wall on its first floor with supportive messages to those who were affected by the terrorist attacks. The wall art has handprints all over it and space for students to leave notes in their own languages. Speer said he wanted to provide students with an outlet to show love and support for anyone impacted by the tragedy.

“I would thank everyone for the wall they created in which everyone, Americans but also international students, wrote messages about what they felt and messages of support,” Buchmuller said.

There are currently 14 Oswego State students studying abroad in Paris, according to Keith Davis, Assistant Director for Education Abroad. Davis said his office reached out to the students right away and made sure they were safe and had contacted their families.

“We are continuously following up with students to make sure they are being safe,” Davis said.

Davis said that so far, the Oswego State students in Paris are planning to finish their semesters there.

“It is a tense time, but I think our students have taken it really well,” Davis said. “We tell students this is their fighting for their democracy by staying and being there. If a student doesn’t feel comfortable, we would let them come back, but thus far we haven’t had any students who have said that.”

The Office of International Education and Programs is actively providing services such as counseling to the Oswego State students studying in Paris. Davis said the attacks are not deterring students from applying to study abroad in France, and that about 20 students are signed up for the spring semester program.

“There’s no indication that it’s not safe for them to be there,” Davis said.

Since the attacks, many are arguing that Syrian refugees should not be allowed into the United States and are using the event for their political platform. Governors from 26 states have said they will not allow the refugees into their state. Despite the controversy, Colson said people should take time to simply mourn with France.

“Don’t jump into politics too quickly,” Colson said. “Those who died Friday night weren’t doing any politics.”