Turning history into hope: the 9/11 memorial

As hundreds of American flags shone out against the grey sky above the Great Lawn, a small group of students gathered together to remember and pay tribute to the lives that were lost eight years ago. The weather reflected the somber atmosphere inside Egner Memorial Chapel on Friday, Sept 11th. The ceremony began with a welcoming speech from Peter Bredlau, Muhlenberg Chaplain, and an introduction by Student Body President, Jon Falk. Falk, '10 spoke to the students, urging them to reflect on their memories of that fateful day.

For a few moments, all the people in the chapel were absorbed in their own thoughts. Falks' words conjured up the unforgettable images of fire, smoke, and ash. Falk spoke of catching glimpses of the iconic World Trade Center towers crashing to the ground on the television at his middle school while changing classes.

No one could help but to remember the sense of mingled confusion and fear felt as a middle school student, unsure of what was actually happening on that day. It was clear in the faces of those students present, a kind of communal understanding of that feeling and fear. Although eight years had passed in that moment the fear was suddenly very real and present again, as if the events had just occurred.

President Helm began his speech by addressing emotions that all who experienced and remember the events of Sept 11th, 2001 go through and wrestle with. There is a strange feeling of guilt for those that live through great tragedy, a feeling of guilt that stems from our ability to move on and return to normal life: the ability to forget.

"Such is the resilience and perhaps the frailty of the human spirit that our memories have already begun to fade," said Helm, reminding us of our own human nature, and the way we inevitably heal.

"It is human to heal," he said, "and in healing to reshape memory into lessons from which we can learn." His words advised students not to feel guilty for moving on, but to transform that acceptance into a more fervent desire for justice and change.

President Helm read out the names of the four Muhlenberg alum who died that day: Alan Merdinger, Davin Peterson, Phil Parker, and Craig Lilore. As the names of those four victims echoed in the chapel, the names of the countless other victims were spoken in the hearts of those gathered.

Although only a small number of people were present in the chapel that day, the rest of the Muhlenberg community was given an opportunity to take a moment to reflect during the sounds of the bells tolling from the College carillon.

The bells marked the time between the two World Trade Center crashes, moments that silenced the country, and stopped our breath, eight years ago.

While it is impossible not be to be saddened by the memories of that tragic day, President Helm urged students to remember that "this is not the time to wallow in sentimentality." The healing Americans have undergone since that tragic day is what is needed to grow and seek out change. As witnesses to a terrible moment in history, students have the task ahead of them to shape these painful memories into history.

The lessons that we learn from history will, as President Helm said, "comprise the truest and most permanent memorial to those who died and sacrificed."

These words hung heavily in the air as the ceremony moved from speeches to song. David Cooper '11 played "Taps" on the trumpet as the American flag in the chapel was lowered.

All were silent as the haunting melody pierced the breathless quiet of the space. The song unlocked the floodgates of the memories each present had stored up, and emotions, remembrances, and prayers poured from their hearts.

Despite the rush of inevitable emotion, the blaring sound of the trumpet inspired that feeling of patriotism and pride that united the country during the days following the attacks. The words of President Helm of the work that lie ahead took on more meaning and strength. The ceremony came to a close, and everyone dispersed and started to return to activities of another ordinary Friday afternoon. The rain continued to pour from the sky and the wind continued to blow.

The hundreds of bright flags continued to stand firm in the grass, although attacked by the wind and the rain; a reminder of how proudly and bravely the colors of the nation do not run.