The following is a message from College of Charleston President P. George Benson:

On December 14th, as the College was preparing for our December commencement ceremonies, we learned that 20 children and six brave staff members had been murdered at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut.

We continue to mourn this tragic loss of life, and we know these killings are especially tragic for our 275 students and many faculty and staff with ties to Connecticut.  We offer all those from Connecticut our deepest sympathies.

In honor of the Sandy Hook victims, the flag of the state of Connecticut will be flown at Randolph Hall on Wednesday, January 9, our first day of classes for the 2013 Spring Semester.  The flag will first be flown at 9:30 a.m., the approximate time the killer first entered Sandy Hook Elementary.

During the day tomorrow, I encourage all members of our campus to turn their thoughts to the victims at Sandy Hook, or to stop by the front of Randolph Hall for a moment of reflection.