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Ohio University President Robert Glidden

By Robert Glidden This past fall was an emotional time for all Americans, and most certainly this was true for our nation's young people. Students' grief and confusion was palpable across campus in the months that followed the September terrorist attacks. Yet as I watched them react to that horrific chain of events, I became acutely aware of my pride in their words and actions. Let me tell you why. At candlelight vigils that drew hundreds of people, including one quickly organized for the evening of the 11th, students articulated compassion and concern for victims and their families. They wept; they consoled; they questioned. And they implored their peers to cherish the world's diversity rather than place blame on a whole group of people for the apparent actions of an unrepresentative few. Students who volunteered in New York City presented this hard hat to President Robert Glidden when they returned. It is signed by the Ohio University and Ohio State students who made the trip. Photo by Joshua Duplechian Some students needed more of an outlet for their emotions than attending a vigil or donating to a relief fund. Among these was Bryan Randolph, who went to New York City four times, gaining Red Cross certification to assist relief workers at the World Trade Center site. While I was chagrined to learn that Bryan had withdrawn from fall quarter classes, I understood his decision and admired his commitment -- as I did that of the other students who joined him in New York. Some of our international students used fall quarter as a time to increase understanding. Working with East Green Resident Director Abdulbaset Abdulla, they joined others involved with the Islamic Center of Athens to share their philosophies and beliefs with other students and local residents. An open house they conducted at the center drew an overflow crowd. Other students exhibited resolve in pursuing their own dreams. They became determined to overcome their concerns and proceed with study abroad and other international learning experiences. There are many other examples of how our students worked to relieve the grief of others, promote respect for diversity or simply carry on with their own plans despite new obstacles. You will read about several of them in the story that begins on Page 12. I am proud of these students -- and of the University community that was there for them during these difficult times. The events in New York; Washington, D.C.; and rural Pennsylvania, as well as the subsequent military action in Afghanistan, gave students much to grapple with fall quarter. Campus vigils drew hundreds. Photo by Rick Fatica They will look back on that Tuesday morning in September throughout their lives, recalling where they were and who they were with when the details of the tragedy began to fit together like the pieces of a terrifying puzzle. And there was, in my opinion, no better place for them to be than on a close-knit university campus as they pondered and discussed the significance and repercussions of these events. While it is challenging to identify positive trends at a time like this, it was obvious that the campus pulled closer in the face of this tragedy. Such events compel us to reconsider our priorities, strengthen our sensitivities and renew our commitments to friends and family. In that sense, the feeling of community that has been a hallmark of campus life at Ohio University for generations became even more apparent.