Lehigh marks 10th anniversary of 9/11

The tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 changed the United States and American citizens forever.  Starting this weekend, Lehigh will mark the 10th anniversary of that fateful day with campus-wide events.

At 8 p.m. Sunday, a candlelight memorial sponsored by the Chaplain’s Office will take place in Packer Memorial Church to remember the victims of 9/11. 

“The brief service and candlelight walk we've organized will begin in the Chapel, where at 8 p.m. this day 10 years ago, the Lehigh community gathered to reflect on the horrors of the day and to ponder all the unknowns we were still facing at that time,” says Lloyd Steffen, professor of religion studies and university chaplain. “It is fitting that on this anniversary, we gather again in remembrance of those who died, especially those in the Lehigh family whose lives we want to continue to hold in our hearts and cherish.”

Eight alumni and four parents of alumni lost their lives on 9/11. In 2006, Lehigh’s Association of Student Alumni (ASA) led efforts to plant 12 golden rain trees along a walkway outside the Alumni Building to honor: alumni Philip Guza '67, Allison Horstmann-Jones '92, Garry Lozier '78, Gregory Malone '81, Robert McLaughlin Jr. '93, Edward Pykon '90, Scott Saber '86, and Thomas Sinton III '82; and parents Alan Merdinger (father of Jill '02), Sareve Dukat (mother of Athena '97), Philip Calcagno (father of Kristine '88 and Karen '91), and Jeffrey LeVeen (father of Jeff '97).

This year, ASA is organizing a special interfaith community service event from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday, Sept. 10 at the Burnside Plantation of Historic Bethlehem. This important piece of Moravian community history has suffered damages in the recent tropical storm Irene and is in need of much help in order to preserve the traditions of Moravian lifestyle for future generations, says Victoria Herrmann '12, president of the ASA. For more information, please contact Herrmann at vsh212@lehigh.edu.

On Monday, Sept. 12, events will occur throughout the day in Lamberton Hall. Lehigh will show CNN’s original coverage of the tragic events of 9/11 from 8 a.m. until noon. Former Lehigh employee Kim Plyler will present a lecture at 12:15 p.m., “An Eyewitness Account of the Pentagon Tragedy,” speaking about the attack on at the Pentagon. At 4 p.m., Vic Comras, author of the book Flawed Democracy and a former member of the UN’s Al-Qaeda Monitoring Group, will give a presentation entitled “Can the United Nations Stop Terrorism?” 

All day Monday, there will be an exhibit of international headlines from the day after 9/11.  There will also be an opportunity throughout the day for members of the Lehigh community to sign posters stating where they were on 9/11 and their memories of that tragic day.

On Wednesday, September 21, Lehigh faculty members will lead a retrospective about 9/11 in Maginnes 101 at 4 p.m.

Events are sponsored by the Global Union and the LU/UN Partnership.