The Sky was Blue on Sept. 11, 2001
Twenty-five years after the events of Sept. 11, 2001, Otterbein hosted events on campus to provide community for those who remember that tragic day and historical perspective and personal insight for students who know 9/11 primarily through textbooks and documentaries. Early in the week, students, faculty, staff, and alumni were invited to help place 2,977 flags on the lawn in front of Towers Hall, one representing each victim of the attacks, and their country of origin.
At a campus remembrance event held on Sept. 10, Director of Choral Activities Gayle Walker led the Concert Choir in a performance on campus. Before they sang, Walker shared her reflection of leading members of Otterbein’s Concert Choir at a fundraiser at Ohio Stadium on Saturday, Sept. 15, 2001. Also at the 25th remembrance event, Willie Franklin ’10, staff emeritus, shared reflections from campus; senior lecturer Maria Tarbell shared reflections from Washington, D.C.; and theatre lighting design professor TJ Gerckens ’88 and his wife, Stephanie Haney Gerckens ’87, shared their reflections from New York City and central Ohio, respectively.
On Friday, Sept. 11, many members of the Otterbein community joined the Westerville Fire and Police Divisions, VFW/American Legion, and other residents at the annual City of Westerville remembrance gathering at First Responders Park. Just steps from campus on Main Street, the park is built around artifact C-40, a piece of steel from the North Tower.
