In Remembrance of September Eleventh

Author: Eleanor Parker

On Thursday, Sept. 11, members of the Middlebury College community remembered and acknowledged the events of two years ago in their own way. For those who wanted to come together in a quiet setting to remember the day, there was a memorial service held in Mead Memorial Chapel at 12:15 p.m.

The service remembered the dead, offered hope and affirmed life through the use of candles, readings and music. College Chaplain Laurel Jordan shared her thoughts about the service, which she said was held "in order to create space and time to reflect, meditate and remember."

The soothing mood of the service was set from the start with guitar music played by Sam Guarnaccia and a brief candle-lighting ceremony. A number of candles stood at the front of the chapel and all in attendance were invited to come forward and light additional candles until all were aglow.

The ceremony's program explained the candle-lighting as a "way we remember and honor the dead and also express our hope for the future."

Following the candle-lighting, Jordan and Associate Chaplain Rabbi Ira Schiffer read from a piece entitled "One," which highlighted the way tragic events unify people into "one family," transcending race, gender and class.

The piece seemed to evoke buried memories of the events of Sept. 11, 2001: "As the soot and dirt and ash rained down ... As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building ... As we mourned together the great loss ... As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes." Although the piece was not in fact written about Sept. 11, it was an appropriate and effective reading for the memorial service as it highlighted unity and togetherness in a time of crisis and tragedy.

The reading of "One" was followed by Jordan's reading from part of W.H. Auden's poem "September 1, 1939," which reflects on the day the Nazis invaded Poland at the start of World War II. Auden concludes the poem declaring that he hopes to be an "affirming flame" in the gathering darkness.

Over the past two years, Auden's poem has gained a new appreciation and attention as it is built upon the theme of light and hope during a time of evil and darkness.

After all of the readings had finished, Jordan and Schiffer read aloud the names of members of the extended College family who died two years ago on Sept. 11. The names read included alumni and former students of the College, as well as family members of the current College community.

After the names were read, members of the congregation were invited to voice names of other victims from the tragedy. There were approximately 25 names read aloud. The service ended with the reading of a Benediction which was based on the International Prayer for Peace.

All together, the memorial service in the chapel was a quiet and calm ceremony in remembrance of those who tragically and valiantly gave their lives both within and beyond the College family. Such a moving service as last Thursday's will most likely reoccur in years to come if members of the community continue to find it helpful and inspiring.