Many written and spoken words helped comfort campus communities in the days after September 11. At almost every college campus that week, university presidents and other dignitaries attended campus vigils and spoke words of support and direction. The attacks also prompted correspondence, thought-provoking exchanges and debate, a sampling of which is included below.

In all, words -- not only action -- helped shape a new generation's view of its own "day of infamy."

Lee Fowler,
director of athletics North Carolina State University

Submitted as a letter to the News:

In the aftermath of the worst attack on American soil in our history, it's hard to fully comprehend what this means for us as individuals, for our nation, and even our world. Our hearts and prayers go out to all of our fellow Americans and others who were victimized by these inconceivable acts of terrorism.

In light of this human catastrophe, one of the effects it has had on me is to realize, in a greater way than ever, how much I have to be thankful for and how much we as staff and coaches have to be thankful for. Billy Graham once was asked, "In all of your years of ministry, what single thing has been most impressed upon you?" He answered, "The brevity of life." That point was made more emphatically on September 11.

When we're caught up in the hectic pace of living, life can go by so quickly that we don't notice those things that are most important. Personal tragedy and adversity, however, have a way of pulling us back to what matters most.

We can all be grateful for the love of family and friends and the privilege of spending time together. We can be grateful for new life through the births of healthy babies (which we celebrated recently with several staff members and their families). We can be thankful for employment and the chance to make a difference. We can be thankful for health.

We can be thankful for every one of the thousands of people who support our mission in developing young men and women through sports. We can be thankful for our outstanding coaches and quality student-athletes who enrich the fabric of our American way of life through intercollegiate athletics at all levels. And we can be thankful for the opportunity to live in a free nation with a military that is willing to sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

Let's remember that life is a blessing. Every day is a gift because of the grace of God. Let's invest ourselves in what matters most.

May God bless those who are hurting so deeply. May he bless our young people and our institution of college athletics and the positive role it can play.

And may God bless America.

* * *

Bette E. Landman, president
Arcadia University

Excerpted from a message to the college faculty, students and staff shortly after the attacks:

Few of us will ever forget what we were doing when we first learned of the tragedy that struck our nation -- and all of us -- on September 11. As an institution and as individuals, our hearts and deepest sympathy go out to those directly touched by loss of life or injury to loved ones. All of us and our entire nation are forever changed. No longer will we be able to feel secure that the United States is somehow immune from the horrors of terrorism that some other nations have experienced for decades.

The events of September 11 are, in a sense, a test of our nation's values, and we were not found wanting. As a country almost unique in being built on the concept of service to others, we reached out to those in need with volunteered help, donations of blood and outpourings of goods, services and financial support. Our campus community has been an active participant in these efforts as students have organized fund drives and are supporting our blood drive as never before.

As a safety precaution we canceled afternoon and evening classes on September 11. At the same time, we arranged to provide trained counselors at key locations throughout the campus. We were prepared both to deal with the shock, questions and uncertainty that were enveloping the entire community and also to provide individual support for those directly affected by the crisis. We also gathered together the international students -- many of whom are freshmen who had been on campus less than two weeks -- to assure them that we did not see them as in any way tied to the perpetrators of this horror. Meetings of faculty and several student organizations already scheduled for September 11 were devoted to how we could use our classes and community events to offer support and to begin the search for understanding and answers.

The staff of our Center for Education Abroad was quickly in contact with the 900 American students enrolled in its fall semester programs literally all around the world.The students were helped to communicate with family and friends at home, and special support was given those who needed it.

When classes resumed September 12, the counseling center staff offered campus-wide meetings to offer support to those who needed it. On that same day, the campus community gathered at noon on the field for a time of silence to honor the victims of the tragedy. We were overwhelmed by the turnout. On Thursday evening, September 13, when the shocking magnitude of these acts of terrorism had become clearer, we held a nondenominational candlelight service. Once again, the number of attendees was overwhelming.

In keeping with the values that are a central part of Arcadia's educational mission, our community rose to the occasion on all fronts. That effort is ongoing as we continue to devote our energies and resources to working with whatever agencies or services are addressing both the immediate as well as the long-term needs of the victims and the recovery of the nation as a whole.

It is clear that some of the freedoms that we have enjoyed as a nation will now have to be curtailed. It would be a travesty, however, if our country -- whose greatness derives from our being a nation of immigrants -- would turn against its own diverse citizenry in a misdirected search for those to blame.

Already we hear of isolated reports of violence directed against those who look different or who practice a religion different from their neighbors. We abhor these violations of the values that mark the very core of our nation's beliefs.

Perhaps at no other time have we been more tested to pull together as a country in celebration of our diverse heritage and to join together in helping the search for the real perpetrators of this horror.

In that sense, Arcadia's leadership in helping students understand the nature of our own country's past and its place in an internationally interdependent world has proven ever more relevant to the world's and our nation's unfolding events.

* * *

Mitchell Jennings, sports information director Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference

A message to the MEAC staff days after the attacks:

Question: Am I the only one who feels this way?

Sports...What does it mean, what does it do? Can we live without sports? Can our country survive without sports?

In the wake of our most recent attacks, people in the sports world should ask themselves, "What does it mean?"

We are an excitement-seeking people, and there is nothing more exciting than to see your favorite team score a touchdown, dunk a ball or hit a home run.

But why is it so exciting? Is it because there are a lot of people willing to spend a lot of money, or is it because there are a lot of people who make a lot of money to perform, which intrigues us to a certain degree.

On September 11, people woke up, took a shower, got dressed, kissed their wives, hugged their kids and went to work. I doubt that on their routine daily commute to work did the idea of jumping out of the 91st floor of the World Trade Center cross their minds. As they were jumping, it is doubtful that any of them said, "I hope the Yankees win tonight."

So for what purpose does the sports world pick up where it was so abruptly left off? We know there is a lot of money involved with sports, and investors are taught to seek the maximum return from their investment. But what's the ultimate reward? Is it more money, more fame or the opportunity to have more material things?

In college and high-school sports, the player's objective is to win; the administration's objective is to make money. Now that we have been exposed to terrorism, who really cares who wins or how much money is made?

If a person's favorite team scores a touchdown or wins a game, how can we feel any glory or happiness, considering those lives we lost? Some people say that they have a relative or friend who survived the attacks, and they feel "blessed." The concept of one person feeling blessed because a loved one survived appears to be very self-centered. This may be wrong. But if a person's heart only extends as far as its immediate family, there could be a problem with that heart.

As teams prepare to take the field, when one scores a touchdown or shoots a basket to win a game, when fans cheer and applaud that feat, let's hope they shed a tear also, because as we have learned in just one week, our country can survive without sports. Which gives us the time to face our true issues of peace, love, prosperity and hope in this country.

* * *

Tim Cowie, women's volleyball coach
New York University

September 11

Within seconds, all of New York City seemed to be in the streets. I, among others, ventured to the roof of our building and watched as the buildings burned, smoke billowing from the upper stories. To our horror and without warning, the one tower started to collapse. As glass and debris started to fall, it quickly became apparent that people were jumping from the building 80 to 90 stories high. I have never seen people collapse to their knees, in the middle of traffic, on the sidewalk, wherever they were standing. It was apparent that witnessing this disaster first-hand was simply overwhelming for most.

I and my peers here at NYU stocked our building with food and water as we prepared the facility as a crisis center. Each of the coaches here hastily tried to account for their athletes. Parents, family and friends needed to be contacted and assured that all were safe.

This evening has been spent at a trauma center at Chelsea Piers on Manhattan's lower west side. I and others aided medical staff by escorting the injured through various stages of triage and medical help, only to return to the line to wait for more victims. Tonight was mostly injured firefighters and police officers. Unfortunately, we have not seen many survivors because rescuers have not been able to get close enough to them. We have been sent home until tomorrow morning when they hope they will be able to dig and find survivors. They have asked some of us to return to bag the deceased.

September 13

We have been involved with so much, both here at NYU and at various volunteer sites, that days of the week and time of day don't seem relevant. People want to do more, but can't. You can be helpful, yet you feel you are not doing enough. It is so frustrating.

Volleyball seems so unimportant right now, but regardless, we have canceled our dual match this week as well as our invitational this weekend. We are evaluating next week, but it is tough to do as we can only make decisions on a day-to-day basis. Most of my players have vacated New York City to get some rest with relatives outside of the city. A couple are trying to get home, unfortunately probably not to return.

Tonight, as the smoke and ash drift north over Manhattan (I guess Brooklyn deserved a break), there is a glow through the thick smoke. You can still make out small fires, high-powered search and construction lights and flashing emergency vehicle lights. There is no silhouette of the World Trade Towers and for that matter, few buildings to be seen in the darkness.

On Tuesday night I was fortunate to go over to Chelsea Piers on the west side to help at the trauma center they had set up. Last night the scene had changed. The trauma center was no longer needed. Unfortunately, there were not enough survivors to justify it. Last night's work involved converting the trauma center to a morgue.

On the bright side, volunteers continue to pull in. Donations of money, supplies, food and blood continue to be offered. As the workers, ambulances, firefighters, police and military leave the area during different points of the day, residents stop in the streets, on the sidewalks and hang out the windows to applaud those who are giving their all to help. Flags are flying and being displayed in every means possible. There is a call to make tomorrow (Friday) a national flag day.

It is encouraging to see everyone trying to help each other by any means possible.

* * *

John J. DeGioia, president
Georgetown University

Excerpted from remarks delivered at an Interfaith Prayer Service September 13:

These past three days have been extremely painful for each of us. No one has been untouched by this tragedy. We have been violated. We have been frightened, terrified. We have been sickened. We have cried. We are coping with loss. We are coping with feelings of despair and helplessness. We are coping with the unknown -- we don't know what we will learn today, tomorrow, in the days ahead.

In these moments, we have drawn strength from our traditions of faith, and today, we come together from many different faith communities to find in each other and in our faiths a source of consolation as we begin to weave together the torn fabric of our republic.

In these moments of tragedy, we recognize the urgent need to know each other. In knowing each other at the level we seek in interfaith dialogue, we are coming to know the deepest parts of ourselves and of each other. It is this knowledge, this knowledge of ourselves and of each other that is so needed now, as we take our first steps in the process of rebuilding.

In this knowledge we will find how much we have in common. We do not and should not deny our own uniqueness. But in our belief in God, our belief in the reality of the spiritual, our belief in transcendence, we find convictions that connect us in ways far deeper than what should ever separate us.

We share more. In our faiths we share a common goal of a world of justice, a world of peace, a world in which each of us has the freedom to make the most of our lives, a world free from bigotry, hatred, violence and fear, a world in which within each of our hearts we can free ourselves from the binds of bigotry, hatred, violence and fear -- a world in which we are able to experience the grace to love. ...

We also share a responsibility. To care for one another. To care for those who are grieving. To care for those who are vulnerable. To preach a message of respect in the larger community that needs to hear voices of unity. ...

It is my hope that we will come together in our faith, with hope and love in service to one another and to this community. We must move forward, to rebuild our individual lives, the lives of our families, the lives of our communities, of this city, of this nation, and it is in moments like this, together, in prayer, that we begin.

* * *

Wayne State University (Michigan)

On September 11, our nation was the target of violence so appalling and monumental that it is almost unbearable to recall and certainly impossible to consider without revulsion and horror.

These unconscionable acts will ring discordantly down the whole of human history. Far into the future, men and women of all races and creeds will regard the events of September 11 with loathing, searching through them for a way to speak rationally about the unspeakable.

We are a nation made up of people of many differences and similarities. We come from many parts of the world, with many religious beliefs and unique physical attributes. Regardless of who ultimately will be found responsible for these acts of terrorism, no group or community should be treated with suspicion or blame simply because of nationality, ethnicity, religious beliefs or any other personal or group characteristics. Such treatment is inappropriate, and the university stands firm in protecting the safety and well-being of all our students, faculty and staff.

We all are shocked and saddened by Tuesday's events. I am confident that everyone in the Wayne State University community will act with wisdom and compassion during this crisis. Many people will be looking to us for leadership, and we have a responsibility to ourselves and to our nation to come together in mutual understanding and brotherhood.

* * *

John Williams, professor of English
Harding University

For the uninitiated, sports talk is a unique world -- sometimes amusing, sometimes nasty, always intense. On Thursday after the bombing, the same passion was applied to the issue of canceled college football games. For many, the very intensity of the highs and lows makes football culture the entertainment drug par excellence.

Imagine the thought of having no weekly fix. It was unbearable for many callers last week. They sometimes started quietly but often ended in a gust of machismo, confusing their team's aborted opponent with Arab terrorists. They made wild comparisons: "We didn't stop football when the Challenger exploded. What's the difference now?" ...

In short, Osama bin Laden and a cabal of elite sports moralists had messed with their God-given right to watch (and bet on) football. Why the anger -- anger that in some cases exceeded their outrage over the real atrocity? Who knows? But since these callers seem to regard football as meaningful combat in the defeat of their own real and imagined personal enemies, perhaps it was a small leap to see it as the first salvo in the nation's war against larger shadowy foes. To cancel the games was to confirm our enemy's contempt for us as pampered weaklings.

* * *

John Hennessy, president
Stanford University

Given the tragic events of 10 days ago, it may seem a little hollow, or even inappropriate, to be celebrating the beginning of a new academic year and a new chapter in your lives. We all mourn the terrible losses of September 11, and many in the Stanford community -- students, staff, faculty and alumni -- have been personally touched by the tragedy.

I have struggled with the format of this Convocation and the content of this speech for the past 10 days. Since the morning of September 11, the campus has been uncommonly quiet. Except for two memorial services, all major events were canceled. As we considered how to start a new academic year, we decided that Convocation was, in fact, the most fitting way to resume our normal activities.

Students, you represent our best hope for the future and for peace in our world. Americans and good-hearted people of all ages throughout the world will mourn this tragedy and carry the memory of that terrible day in their hearts. But it is your generation -- more so than mine or your parents' -- that will face the challenge of building a world in which such inhuman acts can never again occur.

Given this enormous challenge, the process of education and intellectual exploration that you now begin is highly appropriate. Today, you join a community of scholars, where each member is committed to a search for truth, knowledge and understanding. Everything this university stands for is the antithesis of the terrible events of September 11.

Now, more than ever, it is a time to try to understand the evolution and future of humanity and civilization, the balance of freedom and responsibility, and the cost of liberty.