A National Tragedy; A Local Response
Nothing could have prepared the WPI community for the news that
flashed across campus on Tuesday, Sept. 11. Airliners flying into
buildings. Glass and steel towers crumbling into rubble and
ash. Thousands of workers fleeing for their lives; thousands more
and hundreds of travelers losing theirs. The quiet business of a
summer day exploding into anguish, pain and worry. A million
questions racing through minds - without answers.
The shock was intense and mind-numbing. But somehow the people of WPI
responded, and with surprising speed. Almost immediately, viewing locations
were established across campus for students, faculty and staff to gather and
watch the unfolding events in the company of others. The staff of the
Counseling and Student Development Center mobilized to offer solace and
support to those affected by the tragedy and those finding it hard to cope
with a world turned upside down.
The University sent employees home to their families and cancelled
classes that first day. Many events scheduled for the days ahead
were also cancelled or postponed, in part due to the near
impossibility of traveling any distance. There was the also need
for a pause in the routine: a chance to let realty soak in, to let
body and soul recover from the unrelenting blows of one
inconceivable and incomprehensible event after another. Seeking
solace and the comfort of a group, many members of the community
took part in a nondenominational prayer service that first
evening.
Work and study began again the following morning. As President
Edward Alton Parrish noted in a message to the community that day,
"At a time of great uncertainty, I believe we can all benefit by
trying to achieve a sense of normalcy and routine by engaging in
familiar activities in a supportive environment. Also, I believe that
it is important that we do our part to demonstrate that the
perpetrators of yesterday's acts of terrorism have not succeeded in
their aim of disrupting our lives and curtailing our freedom."
While striving to return to a routine, the WPI community also
reached out to help meet the needs of those affected by the
tragedy. Many rushed to local blood donation centers-some standing in
line for many hours to make a donation. Many responded with gifts of
clothing, food and other items needed by the victims of the attacks
and by the teams working at the sites of the disasters. On Wednesday
evening, community members organized a forum on terrorism and a
candlelight vigil.
At week's end, President Bush declared a National Day of Prayer and
Remembrance to honor the victims of Tuesday's attacks. Again, WPI and its
people rose to the call. Hundreds of students, faculty members and staff
members gathered in Harrington Auditorium for a prayer service. President
Parrish spoke briefly about the campus reaction to this terrible tragedy,
while Rachel Bowers, president of the Student Government Association, and
Chris O'Malley, SGA treasurer, offered readings from their faiths.
Father Peter Scanlon, director of WPI's Collegiate Religious
Center, offered inspirational messages that gave us the opportunity to
reflect on how we can begin to reconcile the terrible events and the
suffering we have witnessed with our own faith in a higher
being. Perhaps more important, he asked us to think about the lessons
we might take away from the events of this week to apply to the way we
live our own lives.
That evening, the community gathered in Harrington again. They lit
candles and marched in a solemn procession that stretched in an
unbroken chain of light nearly all of the way around the
Quadrangle. The march ended in Reunion Plaza for a moving tribute to
the victims and their families. President Parrish spoke, international
students read prayers from their own faiths and cultures, and members of
the audience came forward to share their own experiences and
perspectives on the events of the week, on the events that may line
ahead, and on our own need to learn from what we have all witnessed
and to move on with our lives.
It was a memorable conclusion to a week that will remain seared in
our memory. But then again, it was only the beginning to a story that
will continue to unfold in the days and months ahead. Return to this
page to find the latest news about WPI's ongoing response to the
national tragedy.
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