To mark the one-year anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the University has planned a full day of events and services for the greater Penn community.
However, some students say that they will not be able to take part in any of the commemorative activities -- because they will be in class.
Tomorrow's scheduled events include the Good Deeds Project in Houston Hall, an interfaith service and a panel discussion led by University President Judith Rodin in Irvine Auditorium.
The Good Deeds Project will take place in Houston Hall's Bodek Lounge and is being cosponsored by the Lubavitch House. This project asks students to pledge to do a good deed in memory of one of the victims of the Sept. 11 attacks. The collected good deed sheets will be hung on a makeshift memorial wall inside Houston Hall.
However, despite the University's extensive planning, many students say they are not planning on missing class, and many are not even aware of the full calendar of events planned for today.
"I think I am the only one not going to class," College sophomore Bianca Bowen said. "I feel depressed that it's not affecting everyone else as much."
At noon today, there will be both a spiritual reflections gathering in Dunlop Auditorium and an interfaith service at the Cathedral of St. Agatha and St. James.
"I am not a spiritual person, but I think it's something I need," Bowen said of the services.
Student musical and dance groups, including Penn Glee Club, Onda Latina, Quaker Notes, Full Measure and Soundworks Tap Factory, will be performing on College Green today from noon until 3 p.m.
"My friend is in Onda Latina, and I'll go see that," College senior Lauren Gibbons said.
And while there will be campus-wide events all day, some of Penn's individual schools have their own commemorations planned. Law student Abhishek Soni said he plans on attending the law school's Sept. 11-related events.
"I come from India, so I can relate to having to deal with inhumane people," Soni said. "It's important to make a statement against them."
The University has made attempts to publicize this afternoon's commemorative events, but the message did not reach all students.
Wharton freshman Eng Taing said he had not even heard about any of the events that the University had planned.
Neither had College junior Soo Youn, who said she intended to go to class instead.
College freshman James Freeman said he was not going to attend any of today's events -- partly due to lack of interest and partly due to lack of awareness.
"I'm just not planning on it," Freeman said. "It seems kind of pointless... I don't even know all of what's going on."
While some students would prefer to go about their normal daily routines, others said they will not get the opportunity to choose whether they attend the events or not.
"I have to TA, and a lecture in the morning and a presentation, so I am not going," explained Nishant Bhasin, a graduate student in the Chemical Engineering Department. "It's not that I am not interested. I'm not free."
"I am probably going to have class most of the time," Engineering senior Bhumi Shah added.
Some students thought that the University should have done even more to allow students to commemorate the attacks as they saw fit.
"I thought it would be a bigger thing, and the University would make it a day off," Bowen commented.
