In Closing (Fall 2001)
In the name of a better future
In the aftermath of the tragedies of Sept. 11, students, faculty and staff focused on the importance of tolerance and on the strength of Clark's diverse community. The following letter from Student Council President Richard Fields '03 invited members of the Clark community to set aside their fears and come together for healing and hope.
No words can capture the gamut of emotions that nearly paralyzed all of us yesterday (Sept. 11). Each member of the Clark community is dealing with being alive when a tragedy of this magnitude is able to come to pass. Like those before us who have reminisced about events such as Pearl Harbor and the assassination of John F. Kennedy, we too will all remember where we were when we heard about the incredible loss of life that came just a few hours ago. Our lives will never be the same and our perception of the world cannot remain unchanged.
Now is not a time for us to point fingers and target some with a manifestation of the anger and fear that many of us feel inside. Terrorist acts are employed to fill each of us with such fear that we can no longer function as members of a society. Only if we allow the terror to fill us with a rage or paranoia that results in the blinding of our values and goals can the act be successful. We cannot allow this to happen.
We must focus on joining together and combining our experiences to make the community stronger. We must not let the emotions that currently fill our thoughts lead us to acts of violence or abuse against any member of our community for any perceived relation to those who committed these acts of horror. Let the institutions of justice play their role in these incidents and let us draw close together and heal.
In a period when time for personal reflection and group support is of such paramount importance, Student Council has planned a candlelight vigil for tonight (Sept. 12) at 8 p.m. in Red Square. In the place where so many important protests and gatherings have occurred in the past, we can light the way to a future without the hatred and violence that was perpetrated on our soil. The vigil will have no speakers and no sound. It simply will be a silent gathering spot where members of our community can come to light a candle, to write a message and to lend support to those who need it. I hope that we can respond to this action by demonstrating the resolve of the Clark community. By coming together, we can let the perpetrators of such vile acts of cowardice know that their works of terror cannot cause us to lose sight of what is really important. Through our mutual strength, we can see the best in society even in a time of such great catastrophe.
As we all struggle with an event that will define our generation, it is importantto remember that we are not alone. All offices on this campus, including Student Council, are here to help our community begin to mend. Help illuminate our campus in the name of a better future. As an old Chinese proverb says, "It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness."
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Lighting candles at Clark's vigil, in response to the September 11 tragedy