The four year anniversary of September 11 passed yesterday, but there was little indication on campus that the day held any significance.
In fact, the University has not had any official commemeration of the terrorist attacks since 2002 -- the year after the attacks.
"For the first-year anniversary of Sept. 11, we had a big commemoration with faculty and student groups," vice president for university life spokeswoman Leah Smith said. That year, the ceremony consisted of an interfaith candlelight vigil hosted by then-University President Judith Rodin.
"People have decided that they would rather remember the event in their own way," Smith said.
Some student groups, however, continue to hold annual events in remembrance.
The American Red Cross Club will be hosting a blood drive today. A drive is typically held around the anniversary of Sept. 11, but this year's will also aid in assisting victims of Hurricane Katrina.
On a larger scale, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg conducted a memorial service at the World Trade Center yesterday morning, and the names of the 2,749 victims were read aloud.
In addition, New York firefighters assisting the relief effort in New Orleans stopped work to commemorate the tragedy at several points in the morning and created a makeshift memorial to the victims of Sept. 11.
Both locally and nationally, most ceremonies were overshadowed by the looming recovery effort in the wake of Hurricane Katrina.
"Most students are more focused on Katrina efforts since it is still an ongoing process," Smith said. "We are still at such a critical juncture."
While the University did not sponsor any events, many students seemed to be unfazed.
"I'm really impartial to what the University is doing," College sophomore Albert Chan said. "It is important, but no one is going to forget it."
"If everyone remembers the day in their own way, that is fine," Chan added.
Some students, while not upset over the lack of an official commemoration, expected some kind of remembrance.
"I would have expected the school to do something, but I don't even know how they would have done it," College freshman Liz Hathaway said. "I think it is definitely something that should be commemorated."
