September 11, 2002 Ceremony

Sept. 11, 2002
University Remembers Sept. 11

Penn State held a University-wide observance of the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11 on Wednesday, featuring a remembrance of the 10 known Penn State alumni who lost their lives in the terrorist attacks on New York and Washington and the hijacked airline crash in Shanksville, Pa. The solemn interfaith ceremony, organized by a committee of Penn State students, faculty, staff and local officials, attracted more than 1,000 members of the University community and offered reflective and inspirational messages and music from University leaders, musicians, and alumni who witnessed the attacks first hand from inside the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. For more on this and more than 50 other Penn State events commemorating Sept. 11 today and throughout the week, go to http://www.psu.edu/ur/sept11/

The American flag was unfurled at 7 a.m. on Wednesday in observance of the one-year anniversary of Sept. 11.

Students, faculty, staff and members of the community line-up outside of Eisenhower Auditorium, waiting to attend the service of remembrance.

Members of the University community attending Wednesday's interfaith remembrance of Sept. 11 had the opportunity to browse vignettes of the 10 Penn State alumni who lost their lives in last year's attacks on New York and Washington and the plane crash in western Pennsylvania.

A bell was tolled 11 times in memory of the 10 Penn State alumni victims of the Sept. 11 attacks, plus one chime to honor the thousands of other lives lost on this tragic day one year ago.

Timothy Hurtz, associate professor of music at Penn State, provided oboe interludes throughout the ceremony.

U.S. Navy Commander David Hulse, a 1982 Penn State alumnus and graduate of the University's Naval ROTC program, lights one of the candles honoring the victims of Sept. 11. Ten candles represented the 10 Penn State alumni lost; an 11th candle honored all other victims of the attacks.

The Penn State Concert Choir, under the direction of Lynn Drafall, presented an offering of solemn songs throughout the service.

Commander David Hulse offered his retrospective on Sept. 11, and thoughts on where the nation should go from this point. Hulse was attached to the National Military Command Center in the Pentagon as the attacks took place.

Anne Prosser Warrell, a 1994 Penn State alumna and international finance manager for Clearstream Banking, was on the 90th floor of the north World Trade Center tower when the first plane hit, and was able to escape just minutes before the first tower collapsed. Her inspirational message encouraged people to remember the past, but look to the future.

Rodney Erickson, Penn State's executive vice president and provost, read the names of the 10 Penn State alumni who were lost in last year's attacks to close Wednesday's service.

The Penn State Concert Choir and director Lynn Drafall led the audience in a rendition of "America the Beautiful" at the conclusion of the ceremony.