The official observation began with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. and the ringing of chimes at 9:02 a.m. to recognize the instants that two hijacked jets crashed into the north and south towers of the World Trade Center. The solemn tones were again heard at 9:37 a.m., signifying the time the Pentagon fell under attack, and resonated once more at 10:10 a.m. to observe the crash of Flight 93.

A processional led by an honor and color guard and bagpipers traveled from Wilkins Theatre to the Townsend Hall courtyard, where the 9-11 Memorial dedication ceremony took place. Following the Pledge of Allegiance and the singing of The Star-Spangled Banner by Kean sophomore music major Jennifer Vaughn, New Jersey state Sen. Raymond Lesniak noted the instinctive duality of our minds as we cope with such tragedy and the passage of time. "We are blessed with the ability to remember — to remember those police, fire and rescue personnel who died, and their families and friends," he said. "But God also gives us the ability to forget the heartache of that day, so that we may move on with our own futures. I think that’s our goal today, to forget the pain of September 11, but to never forget the sacrifices made by the people we lost that day."

Interim President Dr. Frank J. Esposito then addressed the gathered crowd of about 800. "One year later, we have some answers," he began. "We know who was responsible and have tried and failed to understand their hatred for our American culture. Worst of all, we soon learned what became of the nearly 3,000 men and women who did not arrive safely home from work on the night of September 11, 2001 … We have gathered today to remember and pay homage to these innocent victims, whose lives ended far too soon." Esposito’s speech was highlighted by his presentation of an American flag to Georgia Cudina, the widow of Kean alumnus Richard Cudina ’78, who was working for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 105th floor of the north tower of the World Trade Center when the first of the two hijacked jets crashed into his building.

The dedication ceremony was capped by the keynote address of Port Authority Police Department Lt. John Collins ’97, H’02. Collins, who played an integral role in the rescue-and-recovery operations at Ground Zero in the days and weeks following the attacks, reflected upon the events of one year ago and his feelings one year after the attacks. Nodding toward the 9-11 Memorial, he explained, "We struggle to figure out how to memorialize something like this, but we do it because we have a need to remember. Even though nothing we build can ever bring back that same order to our world, this memorial is important because it allows all of us to be a part of this."

The Day of Remembrance continued with a panel discussion titled America Under Siege: 9-11, Civil Liberties and National Security — The 2001 Attack in Historical Perspective in the University Center Little Theatre. Dr. Mark Lender, dean of the Nathan Weiss College of Graduate Studies; James Jandrowitz, Kean professor of history; the Honorable Ronald Hedges, United States magistrate judge in Newark, N.J.; and Howard Green, director of research for the New Jersey Historical Commission, compared post-September 11 civil-liberties concerns with those faced by the nation during other tumultuous periods in its history. Dr. Robert Hunt, Kean professor of political science, served as moderator for the event.

Esposito, who attended the presentation, said, "The panelists presented examples of how society has reacted to dissidents or those whose views are 'different' throughout history. And they allowed the audience members to draw their own conclusions as well as correlations to the situation we are faced with today."

As the day progressed, Kean students, faculty and staff had an opportunity to discuss their thoughts and feelings at a program titled Student Reflections: Then and Now in the University Center. All were encouraged to share their recollections of the tragic day and offer current and personal perspectives as well.

Dr. José Quiles, vice president for Student Affairs, welcomed the crowd of mostly students, whose ranks swelled in number as the event progressed. Matt Caruso, president of the Graduate Student Government Association, followed Quiles, stressing that there would be a "profound emphasis on respecting one another’s opinions" for the length of the discussion.

Many members of the Kean University community who sought healing were drawn to the interfaith service in the University Center atrium. The Rev. Alfred Brown, Rabbi Joseph Preil and Fr. Alexander Santora offered words of reflection and inspiration to those in attendance.

The Kean community paid tribute to those whose lives were lost in the attacks by reading the name of each victim one-by-one. Individuals stood in groups of two for 30-minute intervals at a podium arranged at the head of the University Center atrium. Each pair alternately read the names, listed alphabetically.

A candlelight vigil at the 9-11 Memorial capped Kean University’s Day of Remembrance. The vigil, which began with the sound of chimes in the University Center plaza, featured more than 500 individuals marching toward the 9-11 Memorial in the Townsend Hall courtyard with American flags and glow sticks, representative of candles, in hand. (The glow sticks were necessitated by high winds).

As the crowd assembled at the memorial site, Jennifer Vaughn opened the ceremony with The Star-Spangled Banner. Then, Esposito welcomed Student Organization President Rennison Jagdeo, who reiterated the theme he had stressed at other ceremonies throughout the day. "Please do not forget the sacrifices that were made that day, or to recognize how lucky we all are to have our health and safety," he said.

Esposito then spoke, comparing the points of light before him to the spirits of those who died in the attacks. "The light of these candles, just like the lights of our great American cities, burns as brightly as ever," he said. "They represent the enduring spirit of those we lost and the freedom for which they, against all reason, had to die. We honor them tonight and vow to always recall the ideal that they represent to us and to our country."

At the conclusion of the vigil, Esposito thanked those in attendance for making the day an extraordinary one and noted the feeling of kinship among them. "I think we see what makes the Kean University community so special," he said.

One day earlier, a photography exhibit titled Missing, which featured compelling images of Ground Zero as well as the people of the New York-metropolitan area in the days that followed the terrorist attacks, opened at the Nancy Thompson Library’s Shiebler Room. The photos were taken by Dr. Donald Lokuta, professor of design, and Robert Cole, associate vice president for University Relations.

Esposito expressed his satisfaction at being able to open the exhibit at Kean and stressed the importance of what the images represent. "On the eve of the first anniversary of the most painful day in American history, it is essential that we reflect upon the things we saw that day and in the weeks that followed," he said. "Seeing these shots flooded my mind with images of last September 11, memories that I hope never to forget. Keeping that feeling fresh will be important as we prepare for the future."