Twenty-five years after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, members of the Heidelberg University community gathered this morning to remember the lives lost, honor the heroes who ran toward danger, and reflect on a day that forever changed the nation.
At precisely 8:46 a.m. – the moment the first plane struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower – Dean of Student Affairs Chris Abrams led a simple but profoundly reverent ceremony and reflection at the Peace Pole, outside the Campus Center.
For Chris, who was living in Arkansas at the time, the events of that September morning remain vivid.
“It really didn’t seem real until we learned that it was,” he recalled.
Three things, in particular, remain with Chris from that day and the days that followed: the staggering loss of life; the extraordinary heroism of first responders and the passengers aboard Flight 93 who chose to rush toward danger rather than away from it; and the remarkable sense of unity that brought the country together in the aftermath.
“I remember watching the people in the Towers, calling family members, leaving last messages. It was the same on the planes … truly unfathomable,” Chris said.
Yet amid the unimaginable tragedy, he also remembers something else – a nation united by compassion, courage, and a shared sense of humanity.
He described the many examples of people coming together following the attacks as “a great day for us as a people and as a country.”
“Things that seemed important that separated us weren’t really important at all,” he said.
The setting for Heidelberg’s remembrance was intentional. The ceremony took place at the Peace Pole, a symbol of the university’s commitment to peace and understanding. “Let us use this moment to recommit ourselves to unity, peace, and love,” Chris said, “and use this remembrance to be the change we would like to see in the world.”
The ceremony concluded with a prayer for peace and justice led by Campus Chaplain Noah McCarn. Members of the Heidelberg community then observed a period of silence, continuing until 9:03 a.m. – the moment the second plane struck the World Trade Center’s South Tower.
Twenty-five years later, the details of that morning remain etched in our collective memory: the lives taken, the families forever changed, the courage of those who responded and the countless acts of compassion that followed.
At Heidelberg, the remembrance offered a moment to pause, reflect, and carry those lessons forward – choosing, as Chris reminded the community, unity, peace and love.
May we always remember.