Dickinson Remembers 9/11

Picture of President Durden and ROTC Program Alumnus
Campus and community members gather for moving Patriot Day ceremony

by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson

Dickinsonians and community members gathered on campus this morning to observe a moving Patriot Day ceremony. Held at the flagpole in front of Old West, the event was organized by the Dickinson ROTC to honor the approximately 3,000 people who lost their lives during the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks.

While community member Donald Roeder played "Taps" on his bugle, members of the Blue Mountain Battalion ROTC raised the flag and then lowered it to half-staff. The ceremony also included the laying of a memorial wreath by President William G. Durden '71 and a nondenominational prayer led by Norm Jones, dean of diversity and student development.

Each year Dickinsonians gather to mark the anniversary with hope that "from the ashes will raise a new spirit of beauty and unity in the world." Jones said, adding, "May our prayers and practice bring the beginnings of a new era of peace, secrurity and joy to new generations."

It was a meaningful message for students such as first-year ROTC member Casey Scalise, who was in elementary school in 2001 and has spent more than half of his life in a post-9/11 culture. "We come [to the Patriot Day ceremony] to recognize this event in history and how it changed our country," he explained. "It reminds everyone of why we are who we are today."

Photos by Jen Crowley '13

Published September 11, 2012