President Connie Ledoux Book addresses the Elon community on importance of remembering those affected and the everlasting impact made of the attacks on the campus.
Members of the Elon community gathered at the Phi Beta Kappa Commons for the weekly College Coffee tradition on Tuesday morning. This College Coffee was a little different that usual, as it was to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.
Twenty years ago, students, faculty and staff were alerted to the tragic events unfolding in New York City and later in Washington, D.C. by then-President Leo Lambert at College Coffee. Today, President Connie Ledoux Book addressed the community about the importance of remembering all who have been impacted by the events of that mournful Tuesday morning two decades ago.
“I was actually here at Elon as a faculty member 20 years ago this week and we all know our world changed dramatically before most of our student body was even born,” Book said. “So, this is a week of reflection about that moment here on our campus and around the world when we watched as terror and violence changed the course of history and sparked a series of events that continue forward today.”
Along with the important of remembrance, Book spoke on the importance of community and support during trying times. “I think it’s in those moments that we realize … the power of a community, that’s it’s here for those celebrations and it’s also here to provide comfort when we’re afraid because we don’t know what’s next,” Book said.
At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, a panel discussion featuring President Emeritus Leo Lambert and others who were at Elon at the time of the attacks will share their personal reflections will be held at Elon Community Church.
Details about other events planned this week are available here.
The Isabella Cannon Global Education Center, President’s Office, the Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life, the Provost’s Office and the East Neighborhood for Civic Engagement and Social Innovation were all involved in the planning and coordination of these events.