Spring * 2002

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Like the rest of the world, NC State stood in shock as the events of Sept. 11 unfolded. Immediately, we thought of our families. Many faculty, staff and students called home and found comfort in connecting with parents, spouses and children. The Parents’ HelpLine received numerous calls from parents seeking reassurance that their students were safe. The university also called upon its family for comfort, healing and action.

At noon on Sept. 11, nearly 500 students gathered on the Brickyard to pray for the victims and the nation. Similar vigils, sponsored by the Chaplains’ Cooperative Ministry, were held throughout the week.

On Wednesday, Sept. 12, about 8,500 faculty, staff, students and members of the public gathered at Reynolds Coliseum for a memorial service to help the university community reflect on the attacks and grieve for the nation’s loss. Classes were canceled, and university offices were closed for two hours to allow the entire NC State community to attend the service.

Students immediately responded by organizing a relief campaign to collect funds for the Red Cross. More than $15,000 has been raised. On Sept. 18, long lines wound through Talley Student Center as supporters waited to give blood. The same day, a student-organized rally expressed sorrow, condemned terrorism and violence and promoted acceptance of ethnic, religious and gender differences.

Members of the NC State faculty spearheaded efforts to make sense of it all. Holding true to the university’s land-grant mission, representatives of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences took their expertise directly to the people, participating in public forums, roundtables and panel discussions across the region, from Stanly County to Southern Pines.

The university also honored and remembered members of the NC State family who were personally involved in the tragedy. NC State alumnus John Cerqueira (2001) was honored at the Sept. 29 football game for helping to carry a disabled woman down 68 floors in the burning World Trade Center.

On Veteran’s Day, the university held a ceremony to remember Navy Lt. Eric A. Cranford (1992), who died in the terrorist attack on the Pentagon. Cranford graduated from NC State with dual degrees in economics and political science.

The Parents and Families Weekend tailgate included a moment of silence in which to remember Sept. 11. Students from the Entrepreneurs Club reported on the Attack on America Scholarship Endowment, a fund being established for children of victims of the Sept. 11 attacks and other disasters. New Horizons Choir’s powerful rendition of the national anthem moved the crowd of 2,000 to stand in silence.

Our sense of family often gives us strength in challenging times. Once again, the NC State family has proven to be a source of strength during a time of crisis. Thank you for being a part of the Wolfpack family and empowering our university community. We invite you to continue to share the NC State experience with your student, and we hope that you will join us for our spring events. Have a safe and happy New Year.

* Americana
* Bulletin
* The Nubian Message
* First Year College Parents' newsletter
* The State of Living & Learning
* Technician