Students Gather to Remember and Discuss 9/11

September 11, 2002

[DOWNLOAD VIDEO: "Unforgettable Moment" 251KB] "It was a moment that I'll probably never forget, when I saw that circle," Krasniqi recalled today, when the gathering of students, faculty and staff was much smaller. [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "It's Different" 285KB] "Time heals everything, really," the student body president remarked. "It's really different from last year ... today, I think [many students] have moved on," that instead of getting together en masse, "they are able to find a different coping system."

Many of the student speakers say their outlook on life has changed since the traumatic events that unfolded a year ago; that they now understand the importance of seizing each day. Senior Jermaine Taylor called upon his classmates to [DOWNLOAD VIDEO: "Opportunities" 843KB] [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "Opportunities" 390KB] "take advantage of the opportunities and the time that they have, because life is not forever, this is a gift and we all have to cherish it because tomorrow it can all be gone. Just go home and tell the people you love that you truly do love them."

Junior Jonelle Van Buiten said, in post-9/11 America, students must [DOWNLOAD VIDEO: "What Matters" 1500KB] [DOWNLOAD AUDIO: "What Matters" 719KB] "Evaluate your priorities and figure out where your strongholds are, and who you can turn to in times of need, and what's truly important to you. When the rug is kind of pulled out from under us, it really makes us think about all of the things that don't matter, they just kind of disappear. And what's left is what is really going to continue to matter in years to come. I just really hope that everybody was able to see that, and will be able to continue to use that experience in times to come."

DePauw's week-long observation of the 9/11 anniversary continues tonight at 8 o'clock with an interfaith Ceremony of Commemoration in Bowman Park. You can learn more about the schedule of events by clicking here.

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