Written by Ed Osborn
In observance of the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001, which left more than 3,000 people dead, Eastern Connecticut State University will hold a number of events during the week of Sept. 5, 2011.
"Each year at Eastern, we mark the passing of Sept. 11 with a moment of silence and personal reflection," explained Eastern President Elsa Núñez. "We felt this year's 10th anniversary of 9/11 was an opportunity to come together as a community and spend time remembering those who perished that day. As Americans, we should never forget what happened 10 years ago. We owe it to the innocent people who died that day and their families to honor their memory."
To honor those who lost their lives and to support the causes of world peace and global understanding, students working in the Center for Community Engagement spent the summer making 1,000 paper peace doves that will be displayed in the Student Center throughout the weeks of Aug. 29 and Sept. 5. Students, faculty and staff will write their names on the doves and then display them prominently in the center.
On Sept. 7, Professor Charles Wynn will describe how the events of Sept. 11 inspired him to write the book, "And God said, 'Let there be evolution!'; Reconciling the Book of Genesis, the Qur'an and the Theory of Evolution." The book explains how Darwin's Theory of Evolution can be reconciled with Christianity, Judaism and Islam. Wynn's lecture is the first event in this year's University Hour series, and will begin at 3 p.m. in the Student Center Theatre.
At 11 a.m. on Sept. 9, a memorial service to honor those who perished on Sept. 11, 2001, will be held in front of Gelsi-Young Hall. A permanent tree "9/11 Tribute Tree" has been planted at that site to honor those who died.
On Sept. 10, Eastern students can sign up for a trip to the Connecticut Historical Society's 9/11 Exhibit in Hartford. The event is open to the first 20 students; to register, send an e-mail to cce@easternct.edu.
At 9 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, Eastern students will hold a candlelight vigil at the Foster Clock Tower. If it rains, the vigil will take place in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Room in the J. Eugene Smith Library.
Throughout the week of Sept. 5, Eastern's Center for Community Engagement will be working in four local elementary afterschool programs to help children understand the events of 9/11. A giant banner, with handprints of schoolchildren and Eastern students, will be on display at the University's Student Center and hung in the Windham Town Hall the following week.
