September 11, 2003
TO THE CAMPUS COMMUNITY
Dear Colleagues:
It has been a year since we held a memorial service on campus to commemorate the first anniversary of what has come to be known simply as 9/11. It is a date that looms large in our hearts and minds - as well as our history. I write to encourage you, on this second anniversary, to take a moment to reflect on how all our lives were forever changed by the events of that sad and tragic day.
In the months and years since, we have witnessed the grit and determination of those who experienced these attacks firsthand to honor the memory of the sons, daughters, mothers, fathers, workers, and rescuers lost, by moving forward boldly and resolutely to rebuild their cities and reclaim their lives. We have been inspired by the courage and strength of those who were left behind, and we have learned from them to look forward hopefully to the future. And we have come to realize that we are, first and foremost, a community, and that we have common bonds that stretch from coast to coast of this great nation.
This anniversary is not only a reminder of the frailty of human life, but also of the constant need for citizens of our global community to find ways of understanding one another and living peacefully. This, we hope, will be the enduring legacy of those who lost their lives on that fall morning.
September 11 is a day for remembering. It will always be a day for remembering.
Sincerely,
Henry T. Yang
Chancellor
Message from President Atkinson
MEMBERS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA COMMUNITY
Today marks the two-year anniversary of the tragic September 11, 2001 attacks on New York and Washington, D.C., and the losses suffered not only by the nation but also our own University community.
I invite you to take a moment to reflect on those events, and to honor and remember those who were lost.
The University of California, including the national laboratories UC manages for the federal government, continues to make a major contribution to national security and global understanding in the wake of the September 11th attacks. University researchers are playing a central role in the investigation of such topics as the prevention and detection of terrorist activity; the political, social, and psychological aspects of terrorism; and infrastructure recovery following a terrorist attack. We can all be proud to be part of a University community that is so deeply engaged in these important issues.
Lastly, let us remain ever mindful that the University stands as a place of reasoned inquiry and civil discourse -- principles that have become
even more important in the last two years.
Fiat Lux,
Richard C. Atkinson
President