For Some Students, University Quiet on 9/11

American flags around campus were at half staff Wednesday in memory of the terrorist attacks that transpired in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001. Several minutes of the morning service at Memorial Church were devoted to reflecting on the tragedy, and some other events were held around Harvard in memory of the day.

Two years ago, on the 10th anniversary of 9/11, there was a Harvard-wide event at Sanders Theater to commemorate the tragedy. Last year, many students gathered in front of the John Harvard statue for a moment of silence in recognition of the day.

This year, several students said that they felt that the campus was relatively quiet about the anniversary on Wednesday.

“This year it snuck up on me,” said Scott W. Peters ’16. “I saw Facebook statuses that said, ‘Never forget.’”

Some students said that they were surprised, and others said they were disappointed, that there were not more events on campus organized in commemoration of the day. Faculty of Arts and Sciences spokesperson Jeff Neal wrote in an email that the events he was aware of events occurred at Memorial Church and individual Harvard Schools, including the Law School and Divinity School.

“[I thought] maybe we would’ve gotten an email from the school,” said Mia A. Capone ’16. “I definitely had the ‘Where were you?’ conversation at least three times today.”

Charley M. Falletta ’16 organized a commemorative event in memory of 9/11 in the Quincy courtyard Wednesday evening. Falletta, a Reserve Officers’ Training Corps cadet, played “Taps” on the trumpet in the courtyard for a crowd of about 25 students and other community members.

In an interview after she played the tune, Falletta, who specified that she was speaking as an individual and not for ROTC or for the military, expressed regret that others in the community may have gone the day without realizing its significance.

“This is a turning point in our country’s history, and it’s something that I do feel is already, [after] 12 years, is slipping away a little bit,” Falletta said.

Many students took their own time to reflect on the day and what it meant to them.

Madalyn S. Bates’s ’14 family members were traveling to different places across the country on Wednesday, on different flights. She reflected on the fact that, had her family members been traveling in 2001, the situation could have been much different.

“This time in 2001, for some of the families that were traveling, it was their last time [together],” Bates said.

After the morning service at Memorial Church, Ann W. Stevenson, interim associate rector for pastoral care, reflected on the day.

“I think it’s a day of mourning. I also hope it’s a day to reflect and learn lessons from the violence we inflict on each other. At the heart of things, everyone wants peace,” Stevenson said.

—Staff writer Laya Anasu can be reached at laya.anasu@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @layaanasu.

—Staff writer Madeline R. Conway can be reached at mconway@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @MadelineRConway.