Response on Campus

Since the Middle Ages, part of the mission of every college has been to provide a place in which to reflect on the problems of the world. When worldly events are as overwhelming as those of September 11, the college community inevitably becomes a forum for question and debate, a sounding board for grief and anger, an instrument for soul-searching.

Moravian College is no exception. Here are some of the responses on campus to the terrorist attacks that destroyed more people and property in one day than any other event in American history. For additional information and images, go to: www.moravian.edu/news/releases/terror

September 12: Students in Anne Dutlinger’s “Graphic Design: History and Practice” class described their reactions to the events of the previous day. Krystol Kessack ’02 of Bethlehem paid tribute with her design to New York City firefighter Kenneth J. King ’77, whose crew was among the first to respond to the World Trade Center explosion and fire. (King, who survived the collapse of the towers, has been engaged in the cleanup efforts.) When the students’ pieces were displayed in the HUB in October, Kessack’s poster impressed Athletics Department secretary Marty Jo Moyle, who asked for a copy and had it framed. The framed poster was sent to him; the original was displayed in the trophy case under his Hall of Fame portrait in Johnston Hall.

September 18: Candlelight vigil and memorial service.

October 2: A public forum held at the HUB to discuss the causes of and repercussions from the terrorist attacks. Participants included professors Gary Olson and Faramarz Farbod of Moravian’s Department of Political Science, and Edward P. Morgan, professor of political science at Lehigh University. Amy Baehr, chair of Moravian’s Philosophy Department, moderated the panel.

October 10-12: On-line question-and-answer session with President Ervin J. Rokke, who came to the College after a 35-year career in the U.S. Air Force, which included diplomatic assignments and teaching and administrative posts at the U.S. Air Force Academy and the National Defense University.

October 16: Performance of Gabriel Fauré’s Requiem by the Moravian College Choir and Women’s Chorus under the direction of David A. McConnell, interim director of choral activities. Proceeds from the free-will offering went to the World Trade Center Relief Fund. “The Requiem is a powerful call for peace and calm and comfort,” McConnell said. “Unlike most requiems, the judgment texts of the Mass are not set to music, so there is no struggle, just a beautiful eternal rest. Surely that is something all of us wish for those who died.”

October 25: Panel discussion on “Civil Liberties in Times of Crisis.” Held in conjunction with Trustees Week, it featured trustees Odell Guyton ’77, Candy Barr Heimbach ’79, and Martin A. Trichon ’70, joined by the district attorney of Northampton County, John M. Morganelli ’77.

Edwin Alicea '02 and Wendy Roman '02 light candles at the vigil and memorial service held at the Peace Pole on September 18.