Students and faculty at Aurora University will take time Friday on campus to reflect on the events of Sept. 11, 2001, as well as honor those who lost their lives that day during the terrorist attacks on the United States.
Beginning at noon, a 20- to 30-minute remembrance event will be held outside Eckhart Hall on the campus quad, featuring a local color guard and an Aurora University singing group as well as students who will speak.
Barb Calvert, director of programs for the Wackerlin Center for Faith and Action which is offering the program, said that this year’s remembrance was moved from a candlelight vigil to a noon event “because a number of students would be gone for the weekend.”
“We wanted students to be available for the ceremony and when we learned a number of them would be home this weekend, we elected to move this to a midday event,” Calvert said. “We’ve made some changes in the program by moving it out to the quad and having it near the flagpole by Eckhart Hall.”
Friday’s program will begin with a song from the university’s a cappella group, The University Blue Notes, followed by the introduction of the East Aurora High School Color Guard and the playing of the national anthem.
Calvert said a student master of ceremonies, Adriane Kattner, will welcome guests, followed by three students who will each speak on different topics.
“Ricky Perkins, a student here at AU, will offer a background on 9/11 since many of our freshmen here were less than 5 years old when it happened and really may know nothing about it,” she said.
Aurora University’s Maggie Hackett will then offer a “foreign focus” highlighting how the events of 9/11 affected other countries.
“Too often, we think 9/11 was just something that happened to the U.S. but it affected countries all over the world,” Calvert said. “Maggie will talk about what happened afterward in other places.”
AU student Mary Fran Gualandri will then read an original poem entitled “Smoke” followed by closing remarks from Kattner and a prayer from university chaplain, the Rev. Dr. Mark Woolfington, who graduated from the university.
Small flags will be offered to guests who are invited to place them around the permanent flagpole found on the quad by Eckhart Hall.
Also in Aurora, Aurora police and fire personnel will stage a short remembrance ceremony at 8:30 a.m. Friday at the Central Fire Station on Broadway.
David Sharos is a freelance writer for The Beacon-News
