Because the College is not in session on Sept. 11, the memorial was scheduled for the month of October. Organizers then moved the memorial to Collis from the Green because of rain.
"I wish more people had attended," Kevin Jackson '10 said of the event, which attracted a total of 70 people, according to memorial organizer Sandra Beutler '07. "It would have probably attracted more attention on its original location on the Green."
Beutler said she faced several difficulties in organizing the event, which also included pizza and hot chocolate.
"Getting funding from the school was initially difficult because people were concerned with this event's 'political correctness,' despite its non-partisan and non-denominational nature," Beutler said.
Current students read the biographies of the 10 Dartmouth alumni who died in the World Trade Center attacks: Juan P. Cisneros '99, Christopher Colasanti '90, Kevin P. Connors Tu '73, Kevin R. Crotty '80, Joseph Flounders '77, Jeffrey E. LeVeen '68, Frederick C. Rimmele III '97, Thomas F. Theurkauf, Jr. Tu '81, Brian Dale '80 Tu '81 and Richard Woodwell '79; Dr. Paul Ambrose, who worked at Dartmouth Medical School from 1996 to 1999, also died in the attack.
Each student who read a biography lit a candle to honor these members of the Dartmouth community.
"I think it's good that we remember the actual events and the actual people affected by terrorism. Nowadays it seems that terrorism is just one more thing in the political agenda," Jackson said.
Some students said they were shocked to learn how many alumni died in the attacks.
"I never thought about how many Dartmouth alumni were directly affected by Sept. 11," Katherine Hilton '09, a speaker at the memorial, said. "Usually it seems so removed to me. I'm sure a lot of people are not aware of this."
In addition to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the event raised awareness about terrorism that is happening in other parts of the world.
"I found the enumeration of terrorist acts committed around the world particularly jarring," Johanna Evans '10 said. "It really put things in perspective."
Muslim adviser Irfan Aziz, Rabbi Edward Boraz and Chaplain Richard Crocker held a moment of silence and shared words of reflection with the audience. Afterward, the Aires performed "The Star Spangled Banner."
"It gives us a moment to reflect and come together as one unit and remember those who have suffered," Aziz said.
Government professor Alan Stam gave a speech about the academic and political nature of terrorism.
"Terrorism's face today in the news is mostly an abstract political phenomenon," Stam said. "There is a human face to terrorism."
Boraz said the fact that students planned the event gave him hope for the future.
"The act of community remembrance sensitizes us to join together to build a better world," he said. "I think that is why we are here."
