The one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks has passed, but more than 60 students gathered on the first day of classes to honor the heroes and memorialize the victims, which included six Northwestern alumni.
“One of the big purposes is to show the new members of this Northwestern community that we are united on this campus, and we won’t be separated in terms of race and ethnicity,” said Afreen Tariq, administrative vice president of the Muslim-cultural Students Association. “We value each other’s differences.”
Wednesday’s candlelight vigil at The Rock, organized by members of the administration and several cultural student groups, started the year on a somber note.
“I didn’t know (the six NU alumni who died) personally, but that’s something that affected our community,” University Chaplain Timothy Stevens said. “I think that for most of us, it’s just a day that we’re always going to remember that affected all of us.”
Weinberg sophomore Rakesh Baruah, a member of South-Asian Students Association, said Sept. 11, 2001 hit him in an illogical way. Strumming on a guitar, he expressed his emotions through a song he wrote called “This September.”
“We must now move forward,” Baruah sang. “Never let this spirit die.”
Hillel representative Richard Goldberg echoed this sentiment of living life to its fullest. He said there are two choices: mourn the tragedy or celebrate the drive to improve.
“Jewish, Christian, Muslim … What did any of it matter on 9-11?” said Goldberg, a Medill sophomore. “We witnessed the ability of human beings to rise above their differences.”
Tariq, a Weinberg junior, said her religion teaches taking an innocent life is like taking the lives of all people. The goal of the vigil was to discuss what America has been through in the past year, remember the lives lost and show that the NU community will not be divided by hate, she said.
The impact of the terrorist attack touched the lives of people throughout the world. Despite some backlash against Muslim and Arab Americans, Weinberg senior Bassel Korkor stressed the need for unity and cooperation.
“It’s a good place and a good time to be together,” said Korkor, a member of the Middle Eastern Students Association. “Let us reach out to Arab Americans and their communities, not alienate them. We don’t ask for special treatment. We ask to be treated for who we are, not who the hijackers were.”
Emphasizing the power of community at NU, Vice President for Student Affairs William Banis quoted a hymn: “If there is to be peace in the world, let it begin with me.”
NU has the opportunity to set an example of tolerance, he said, as the community encompasses people from diverse backgrounds.
“This can be a laboratory for learning that lasts a lifetime,” he said.
The vigil concluded with a moment of silence, and students said they recognized the importance of this event.
“It was very needed,” said Noor Riaz, a Weinberg senior. “It was great that the
