COURTESY UATV UA President Peter Likins, ASUA President J.P. Benedict, and Mayor Bob Walkup observe a moment of silence at yesterday's Memorial on the mall.

Members of the campus community gathered on the UA Mall yesterday morning to honor the memories of those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001, with a moment of silence.

At 9:11 a.m. a single chime of the U.S.S. Arizona memorial bell signaled the beginning of one minute of silence.

Over 500 students, faculty, and Tucson community members bowed their heads in somber reflection and prayer.

President Peter Likins expressed to those gathered the pride he felt for the way the campus handled the terrorist attacks two years ago.

"This community came together on that day and the next day and the days that followed," he said. "We are one

family at this university ÷ a family from all over the world."

Likins said he believes that the feeling of solidarity remains on campus.

"We are one university and we will always be so," he said.

Republican Mayor Bob Walkup said that one of the first phone calls he made on the morning of the attacks was to the university.

He said he remembers Likins telling him that the university was shocked, but together.

Walkup congratulated students for remaining calm and confident in the days, months, and now years following the tragedy.

J.P. Benedict, president of ASUA, encouraged a continued sense of campus community, telling students, "God bless and bear down."

Pete Seat, president of the College Republicans, who led the crowd in the Pledge of Allegiance said he hoped the event offered students an opportunity to remember what happened and how they felt two years ago.

"It's so we never forget that thousands of lives were lost that day," said Seat.

COURTESY UATV 1 minute video clip of the ceremony - [ click here - 2mb ]

"As it gets farther away we want to make sure it's always in the back of our minds," he said.

Seat compared the events of Sept.11, 2001, to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy in 1963.

"Our parents and grandparents will always remember where they were when Kennedy was shot. We'll always remember where we were when the twin towers were hit. It's a defining moment for our generation," he said.

Pre-education freshman Alicia Meridew said she appreciated the simplicity of the memorial.

"It gave me goose bumps," she said. "It was short and to the point and I think that's good. I think if they did anymore it might damage the effect."

Leah Adams, an undecided sophomore who was in Burma, southeast Asia at the time of the attacks and said, "It was scary not being here and not feeling it in the states."

Adams said it's nice to be home on the anniversary.

"It's awesome that students can come together and pay their respects and remember the horrible events," she said

Adams said she thought the brief ceremony at the UA was appropriate.

"It's not a showy type of thing," she said.

History sophomore Tom Pandos, who is from New Jersey, said he knew at least five people in his hometown who were directly affected by the attacks on the World Trade Center.

"I think it's very important to commemorate what happened every year," he said

Seat said the College Republicans decided to sponsor yesterday's event because they hadn't heard of any other campus-wide memorial services being held.

The idea for the event, called "9/11 ö Never Forget" came from the Virginia-based Young America's Foundation, which contacted conservative campus clubs across the country and invited them to commemorate the anniversary with a moment of silence.

Alpha Phi Omega service fraternity, Arizona-Israel Alliance and the Wildcat Veterans Association co-sponsored the event.