Public and Campus Community Attend
Sept. 14 Memorial Observance
More 1,200 members of the UCSB community and the general public assembled at Storke Plaza Friday, September 14, for a "Memorial Observance." President Bush had designated that day as a 'national day of prayer' in memory of the victims of the September 11 terrorist
attacks on the United States.
Chancellor Henry T. Yang presided over a program that included readings, speeches, musical interludes, and a powerful minute of silence led by local clerics representing all major religious denominations.
The text of Chancellor Yang's speech follows.
Remarks by Chancellor Henry T. Yang
Memorial Observance, September 14, 2001
Storke Plaza, UCSB
Thank you all for coming.
President Bush has proclaimed this to be a "national day of prayer" in memory of the victims of this week's terrorist attacks on the United States.
All across America, gatherings such as this are being held to mark a sad and horrible chapter in the history of this country, and, indeed, in the annals of civilization.
Here in Santa Barbara, we wanted to offer our campus family as well as the local community an opportunity to come together to acknowledge the profound impact that this terrible tragedy has had on us all, to remember those who have perished, and, to reflect.
I know that all of you share with me great sadness and shock at these events. Some of you no doubt have experienced personal losses. In a tragedy of this magnitude, there are fewer than what some refer to as "six degrees of separation." It seems as if almost everyone knows someone who has a relative who is linked to someone who worked at the World Trade Center in New York. Or at the Pentagon. Or who was on board one of those four planes - those doomed aircraft whose destiny was so stunningly cruel.
UCSB has lost an outstanding young woman who was on her way to take up her duties as our new women's gymnastics coach. Mari-Rae Sopper was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 77 from Washington to Los Angeles - the plane that was hijacked and crashed into the Pentagon. Although most of our student athletes had not yet had an opportunity to meet her, they were extremely excited about her impending arrival. The team had planned a "Welcome to UCSB" barbecue for Mari-Rae this weekend. Instead, they are planning a memorial.
A prominent scholar on his way to speak at a conference now taking place on this campus, the Annual Meeting of the Association of Pacific Coast Geographers, was on board United Flight 175, which crashed into the World Trade Center. Robert LeBlanc was a professor emeritus of geography at the University of New Hampshire. His colleagues in the worlds of teaching, research, and exploration mourn the loss of a man known for his exciting mind and adventurous spirit.
One survivor of the attack on the New York buildings was quoted in a newspaper account as saying: "It felt like the end of the world." All of us saw the images on television, and the pictures in the newspapers - we must admit, it even looked like it might be the end of the world.
But, it was not. If this tragic episode marks the end of anything, perhaps, as some commentators have suggested, it marks the end of American innocence. I cannot say. But I will say what our response to this tragedy signifies, and that is a re-affirmation of America's resolve - to be free, to be tolerant, and to be a leader among nations.
At a time like this it is difficult, if not impossible, to find words that are adequate to convey even a small fraction of the sadness and grief that we feel. But we are here to share those emotions, even as we struggle to express them.
What makes this occasion special is that it shows us as the community that we are. I tell our new students that when they come to UCSB, they not only enroll in a university - they become part of a community. And it is at times such as this that our community comes together to begin the healing, and to remind ourselves how much we depend on each other.
I can assure you that the knowledge that we are part of a community will help guide us, and comfort us, in the days to come.
Soon - tomorrow, in fact - our new students will begin to arrive and move in to their residence halls. Within a week, our entire student body will be back with us. I think that we will need to be particularly supportive and sensitive to our students as this quarter begins. This tragedy has taken a toll on everyone.
I would again like to thank you so very much for joining us for this Memorial Observance - a program being held in remembrance of the many lives that were lost in this week's tragedy. And in acknowledgment of all the lives that have been forever changed by it.
Thank you.
TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
September 11, 2001
Dear Colleagues:
I know that all of you share with me great sadness and shock at the tragic events that have been perpetrated on the United States today. The sympathy that we feel for the victims of these terrible attacks and their families knows no bounds.
I have been in close contact with our colleagues across the University of California system as well as members of our own campus community. We are all contemplating the ways in which these events will have an impact on our campuses. The UC Office of the President, after consultations with all the Chancellors, has decided that the best course of action for the campuses at this time is to remain open and in operation. (I am sending you, below, President Atkinson's statement, for your information.) At UCSB, we have taken steps to enhance the security and safety of members of our campus community. And, as at all of the campuses, we have asked supervisors to provide maximum flexibility in accommodating the special needs of any individual employees.
In addition, I have asked our Counseling and Career Services, Student Health, and Human Resources departments to ensure that counseling is available today and in the coming days to our students, faculty and staff members who seek such services.
As we are quickly turning to the start of our new quarter, all of us at UCSB should make special efforts to provide extra support and understanding to all our students, especially those coming to UCSB for the first time. New students are scheduled to move in to campus residence halls this Saturday and Sunday. There is no change to those plans. However, we will be flexible in trying to accommodate the schedules of families whose plans have been affected by today's events.
To keep incoming students and their families informed, we are posting this message and any subsequent updates on the UCSB home page on the web, under a "Campus Update" heading.
The consequences of this profound national tragedy will be with us for some time to come. As we face the challenging days ahead, I want to thank you for your professionalism, your dedication, and your compassion.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
September 11, 2001
MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY COMMUNITY
I know that all of you are shocked, as I am, by the terrible tragedies
that have occurred today in New York and Washington, D.C., and that
many of you have friends and family in those regions.
The University will remain open, though I am informed that the Lawrence
Livermore and Los Alamos national laboratories have been closed for
today by the Department of Energy.
I am asking the chancellors to encourage supervisors and managers to
provide maximum flexibility to accommodate the individual needs and
circumstances of employees. I also am encouraging the chancellors to
ensure that counseling and psychological support services are available
to members of the University community.
We are making every effort to ensure the security of our students,
staff and faculty at all campuses, medical centers, national
laboratories and Education Abroad centers. The personal safety of all
members of the University of California community is uppermost in our
minds.
This week's meeting of the Board of Regents has been cancelled.
Our hearts go out to those who have lost loved ones in today's horrific
tragedies. We will provide additional information about the
University's response to these developments as it becomes available.
Richard C. Atkinson
President