Skip to main content

Seven Society Calls for Action

Each of the seven banners reads, "No man is an island,/ Entire of itself./ Each man's death diminishses me,/ For I am involved in mankind./ Therefore, send not to know/For whom the bell tolls,/ It tolls for thee." Cole Geddy

Just before sunset on a December evening near the end of the fall semester, seven large, identical banners were raised on seven buildings around Grounds. Accompanied by a letter to the University community from the Seven Society, one of UVA's oldest secret societies, the banners featured a quotation from English poet John Donne that touches on accountability and the interconnectedness of all people.

The banners and letter helped reinforce an earlier message from President Teresa Sullivan that reminded students, faculty and staff that living in a community of trust requires kindness and respect, along with the responsibility to speak out when they witness actions that violate the community of trust. Reflecting on a semester that included an alleged hate crime and a sexual assault on Grounds, and the tragic death of a student while studying abroad, the Seven Society encouraged the University to come together to fight against injustice and apathy.

The letter sent to the University community