The twin towers of the World Trade Center were only two miles away from New York University's Coles Sports and Recreation Center.

When those towers came down, Coles became much more than just a gym and some offices.

Coles, which houses varsity and recreational athletics for the Division III institution, became a safe haven on September 11 and for weeks afterward. It sheltered students and community residents who had been forced out of their homes as smoke lingered over their dormitories and apartment buildings.

Coles was where police officers and firefighters taking breaks from the dig through the rubble could find a cot, a meal, a shower and some clean socks.

Coles was where displaced students came to eat, sleep, study and share their shock and grief over what had happened.

Coles was open 24 hours a day to help those in need.

Those student workers who helped make Coles a safe haven during a very difficult time were honored recently at the annual NYU President's Service Awards Ceremony.

The program for the awards ceremony explained it all:

On September 11 and the weeks to follow, many student employees went beyond reasonable expected duties and made themselves available to assist their fellow students through this ordeal. It is for this that we recognize them for their tireless efforts.

"In many ways, our lives have profoundly changed since the events of September 11," said New York University President L. Jay Oliva. "Yet, in the midst of the turmoil, we learned something about New York University that we had always suspected but had never been put to such a test -- that in overwhelming numbers, members of the NYU community stood together to provide support and comfort to those in need."

Oliva specifically honored 26 student workers at Coles for their extraordinary efforts in helping others after 9/11.

"You rolled up your shirt sleeves and worked around the clock. Housing, meals, clothing and other material necessities were provided to thousands of displaced students. Needs of the heart were met as well," Oliva told the group.

Among those honored was Kelly Heskew, a sophomore and former member of the women's soccer team. As a resident of one of the dormitories that had been closed, Heskew also was among those who were temporarily displaced.

"In the days that followed September 11, the student employees of Coles found themselves standing face to face with a great opportunity," Heskew said. "Coles became my home away from home, and my co-workers became my family.

"While being recognized at the President's Service Awards was a great honor, the general consensus among all of us was that such recognition was undeserved. (It was) a week of paid bonding, and the memories it left was rewarding enough of itself."

Ilyssa London, a junior in her third season serving as manager of the women's basketball team, was
among those recognized.

"I was honored to be recognized with this amazing group of Coles student employees who simply acted from the heart during that devastating time for New Yorkers," she said. "It was humbling to be amid a group that contributed time and effort to the NYU community."

Part of that effort was the work of numerous volunteers from the athletics department who spent several nights at Coles helping displaced students become acclimated to their surroundings and making sure they had access to showers, telephones and computers.

Other athletics department members volunteered elsewhere in the city. Ed Caesar, the assistant coach of the men's volleyball team, volunteered at Ground Zero and at a nearby trauma center.

Women's volleyball head coach Tim Cowie was among those who helped out at Coles. A native of Oshawa, Ontario, Cowie could relate to those students who were not from the New York City area.

"Here they are living in an unfamiliar place, then something like this happens. It's only natural to feel scared and isolated. Hopefully, we helped alleviate just a bit of their fears and concerns."

Cowie's team, which was the first NYU team to return to the court after the attack on the World Trade Centers, withstood an 11-day hiatus before taking the court at Coles to defeat Pace University in four games.

"It was good for the players to finally return to some sense of normalcy," Cowie said. "We've been greatly affected by this tragedy. Students who had been displaced from their dormitories were using the gym floor to sleep. Our practices and games certainly were secondary to their needs."

With an enrollment of more than 50,000 -- about half in undergraduate programs and the other half in graduate school -- New York University is a big school in a big city.

But for the students and others who benefitted from the work of the NYU volunteers, Coles Sports Center is more like a small town with a big heart.