The atmosphere in Irvine Auditorium was one of solemn reflection yesterday as members of the Penn community gathered for a panel discussion, regarding the significance of the Sept. 11 attacks precisely one year after they shook the nation.
University President Judith Rodin presided over the panel, a group of distinguished faculty infused with what she called a "spirit of fearless intellectual inquiry."
Gracing the panel were African-American Studies Professor Michael Eric Dyson, Nursing Dean Afaf Meleis, the Law School's David Rudovsky, Finance Professor Jeremy Siegel and Professor of Medicine Harvey Rubin.
Each addressed a different facet of the nation's long-term response to the Sept. 11 events, piecing together an interdisciplinary collage of subjects, serving to "deepen our understanding of the issues and challenges that lie ahead,"according to Rodin.
Dyson was the first to step up to the podium, stunning the crowd with what Rodin called his "spellbinding public presence." He delivered a brief discourse considering the role of multiculturalism in the attacks, as well as the introduction of all Americans to the suffering that both minority groups and most of the global community endure on a regular basis.
"This is an opportunity for us to forge solidarity with other victims of terror," Dyson expounded. "For, America on 9-1-1 joined the modern world... the infamy of the disintegration of the symbols of society is an everyday reality for so many people who are nameless and faceless to us."
Meleis, who followed Dyson, focused on the results of Sept. 11 for women, specifically those of Middle Eastern descent, living either in the United States or in their home countries.
She concentrated on what she labeled the "paternalistic" attitude of the U.S. in its efforts to aid the cause of women's rights in Muslim countries, noting that U.S. cultural ideas of freedom are drastically different from their own.
Meleis said that the U.S. is causing harm in its efforts to help, threatening, in a sense ,to impose "American" notions of freedom on foreign women, notions often contradictory to the Muslim faith. Afraid of violating their faith, she explained, more women are "seeking the sanctuary of religious identity,"adopting more fundamentalist and oppressive forms of Islam.
"Global feminism is about understanding women's respect, respecting diversity," Meleis said. "It's about empowering women to achieve their rights on their own terms."
Rudovsky took the podium next, discussing the "very serious law enforcement response" to Sept. 11 and the danger to civil liberties during war time.
Giving examples such as suspension of habeus corpus during the Civil War and Japanese internment during World War II, Rudovsky said that "most of what we've done [in reaction to Sept. 11] is both right and righteous... but there are some very disturbing trends," including racial profiling, extensive secret court proceedings and massive unexplained detainment of individuals without charges or access to council.
Rudovsky recommended four steps that he believes the government should follow in order to maintain "core legal, political and moral values," including accountability of law enforcement officers for their actions and the stringent upkeep of due process of law.
Following Rudovsky's presentation, Siegel reported his take on the nation's economy since Sept. 11 and his predictions for the future. He expressed utter joy that the fourth quarter of 2001 was in fact the best quarter of the entire year, despite dismal predictions for the markets after the attacks.
Highly praising the efforts of the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates, and the attitude of Americans who decided to stop waiting and saving in favor of enjoying the present, Siegel happily explained that the experts' original prediction of a major recession had been wrong.
In fact, Siegel reported, "In the Fourth Quarter of 2001 and the First Quarter of 2002, the U.S. had the strongest increase in productivity in four decades." He was extremely optimistic about the future of America's economy.
Rubin, the final speaker, addressed questions of bioterrorism and Penn's new Institute for Strategic Threat Analysis and Response, which he heads.
Rubin explained his belief that national trauma leads to great intellectual strides. Through ISTAR, professors and researchers in all disciplines of the University will work on responses to societal threats such as bioterrorism and nuclear radiation. Rubin expressed confident hope that "our best energies and skills [will] carry the day."
After the professors expressed their views, audience members engaged in "robust and deep conversation," as Rodin had hoped.
Response to the panel was overwhelmingly positive.
"I thought it was a wonderful, insightful discussion," College sophomore Marques Matthews said. "Not only about 9-11, but about the future of the country."
