Remembering 9/11

September 11, 2019

Dear Faculty, Staff and Students:

For all but the youngest of us on this campus, we only need to blink our eyes to replay the horrors of September 11, 2001. It is a day in infamy most of us would like to forget. But we cannot. We should not. We will not.

Sometimes, it takes the worst of us to bring out the best of us. On this day, it is important that we take time to remember and honor the hundreds of first responders who raced into the collapsing towers to try to save just one more life. They knew the risks they faced. Firefighters, many off-duty. Police officers. Medics. Volunteers. Of the 2,977 who died that day, 417 were emergency workers. Many first responders are still dying, the result of exposure to carcinogenic toxins.

It is said, "Time heals all wounds." Those of us who have experienced deep losses in our lives understand that this is not true. Over time, wounds turn to scars. We learn to live with them. But we still grieve. Grief connects us to our humanity. Grief is normal. Especially on anniversaries.

Sincerely,

Ira K. Blake, Ph.D.
President