9/11 Tribute to unite university

It was a day that will live in infamy for years to come and will be commemorated this Sunday on the Homewood campus. Sept. 11, 2001 brought terror and chaos to not only the New York City area, but to the entire nation. When al-Qaeda crashed two jets into the Twin Towers, fear resonated all across America.  Whether stranded in Manhattan or pulled out of school early a few states away, there was a strange feeling that something was terribly wrong. Hopkins was closed down for the day after the attacks, following security protocol. Looking back 10 years later, the effects of that day are still felt, especially in the Hopkins community.

This year marks the 10th anniversary of September 11th, an attack that took the lives of approximately 3,000 Americans. College campuses across America are having ceremonies and events to remember those who were lost 10 years ago, and Hopkins is no exception.

 On Sunday, Sept. 11th, there will be a 10th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony followed by a discussion panel and candlelight service in Hodson 110. The JHUMA(Johns Hopkins University Muslim Association), Hopkins Hillel and SEED (Students Educating and Empowering for Diversity) are hosting this touching commemoration to give everyone on campus the opportunity to come together and think about what happened 10 years ago, and how the world has changed since. 9/11 is a time for people to come together, reflect, remember, and mourn, all of which are a part of this ceremony.

"September 11th has and continues to shape the world view of college students today," Debbie Pine, Executive Director of Hopkins Hillel, wrote in an email to The News-Letter. "I hope the commemoration ceremony will give students an opportunity to reflect, remember, mourn the loss of life and be thankful for our nation and our community that is committed to freedom and pluralism."

Pine expressed her pride at the unity the student groups showed in organizing the memorial event.

"I believe that JHUMA and Hillel are committed to pluralism while encouraging all students to explore religious expression openly," Pine stated.

Carla Hopkins, Assistant Director for Community Partnerships and Diversity Education, is very proud of the diversity the commemoration will display.

"SEED, JHU Muslim Student Association and Hillel collaborating on this event represents in many ways how varied subgroups of American culture bridged notions of differences and stood in solidarity as Americans who were concerned for their country's sense of safety and concern for their fellow citizen," Hopkins wrote in an email to The News-Letter.  "This collaboration also shows how progressive the Hopkins community really is."

Junior Rafee Al-Mansur is the lead director in planning the commemoration. One of the important parts of the ceremony is the 10 moments of silence. Each moment of silence is for another group affected by 9/11, as remembrance is one of the most important aspects of the ceremony.  

"The goal of this event is to really bring Americans together, regardless of race or religion, to remember an event which has changed America forever," junior Al-Mansur wrote in an email to The News-Letter. "As a Muslim, I really want to show that being a devout Muslim doesn't make me any less American. America is the only country I know to be home, and I'm proud of that. "

The event will feature four keynote speakers: Professor and Vice Dean of Undergraduate Education Steven David, Imam Hassan Amin, Analyst Hoda Elshishtawy, and Professor Andrew Cherlin.

Following the keynote speakers, the JHU All-Nighters will be performing the National Anthem.

"I feel honored to be a part of this great event," sophomore Dan Kahn, a member of the All-Nighters, said. "I remember exactly where I was 10 years ago, and living an hour from the city, I knew of many people affected by the tragedy. It has always been a difficult day of memory, and singing in this ceremony will be a very special way to remember those who were lost."

Regardless of location, many others remembered where they were only a decade ago on 9/11. David, who first suggested the event, was driving to Hopkins when the planes hit. It was a day that he will never forget. He will be focusing his speech on how American foreign policy has changed since 9/11 and touch on the engagements in Iraq and Afghanistan following 9/11.

Other faculty members have begun thinking about the tragedy as well. Most people know her as the nice lady who greets and swipes everyone into the FFC, but Samantha Peterson will never forget her 9/11 experience. She was in middle school, 7th grade, and her class was in the middle of giving speeches. The principal ran in to the room, whispered something to her teacher, and a TV was immediately rolled in to the classroom.

"Everyone knew something was wrong, but nobody really had any idea what it was our teacher and principal were whispering about," Peterson said. The news was then turned on for the whole class to see, and the students just sat there quietly, amazed by what they saw on TV. The scariest part for her was seeing a classmate hysterically cry because his mother worked in the Pentagon, and he had no idea if she was alive.

"I still can't believe it has been 10 years since that day. It seems odd that people are still dying in Afghanistan and Iraq as a result of what happened 10 years ago, but it's important to remember what those people are fighting for," Peterson said.

George Shimanovich, the kosher chef in the FFC, was working when the planes stuck the Twin Towers. He remembered trying to call his mother to make sure everything was fine, but the phone lines were so jammed, that the call couldn't be placed.

"It was a scary time for me, as I'm sure it was for all Americans, regardless of where they were," Shimanovich said.

Students, too, have reflected on their experience of that day. Megan Carney, a freshman, was living in Atlanta at the time. She was in 3rd grade when an announcement was made that the whole school had to be evacuated immediately. "It wasn't until I got home that my mom told me what had happened. We watched the planes hit the Twin Towers over and over, because it was all over the news," Carney said.  

Her most vivid memory of the time around 9/11 was seeing so many pictures of people covered in soot, digging through rubble, trying to find any signs of life. "I think that every year around 9/11, we are reminded of a bad time in our history but how we fought through the struggles to come out as a better country," Carney said.

Freshman Paulina Munoz's mother commuted to the city everyday for work. Unable to contact her mother, she was terrified. Luckily highways reopened later that day and her mother was able to come home.

"I still remember watching people jump out of the windows, the buildings collapse and the image of the first plane hitting the tower. However, I believe that it's important to remember that we are the ‘United States' and although we definitely should still mourn the terrible attack, we should also take pride in our nation's unity," Munoz said.