I am the student who organized the vigil on Sept. 11, to honor those killed during the attacks that took place on that same day in 2001. For the past month, there have been two letters to the editor regarding the events that took place at the vigil. I have seen and heard so much back and forth on this issue that it seems as though the real problems have been forgotten. So, please allow me to explain my perspective.

On Sept. 11, 2001, my cousin Shari Kandell was killed. She worked for Cantor Fitzgerald which was in the North Tower. 9/11 for me is about those killed. It is not a day to talk about politics. The professor who Harrison Houlihan and Frank Massey talked about in their letters to the editor may have been drunk, or he may not have been. However, that is not what matters. What matters is that this certain professor desecrated a sacred gathering. This vigil, which happens every year, is sacred for me. It is sacred to those who go, whether it be because they lost family members or friends, or even if they lost no one but still feel the tragedy of that day.

There are different opinions about what this professor said. Some, like myself, have no problem with what he said but have a problem with the setting in which he chose to speak. Some feel that he is getting too much negative attention. Some even feel that my reaction to him speaking at the vigil was too strong. However, I have a challenge for each and every Guilford student, faculty and staff member. Find just one person who thinks that it is acceptable for a faculty member to show up to a student-run vigil, ruin the sacred space that has been created and desecrate the names of the 3,000 people who died on that day.

If you can find someone who feels that this is okay, whether the professor was drunk or not, have them get in touch with me because I would be fascinated to hear the justification. Drunk, high, tipsy or sober, a faculty member felt it acceptable to ruin the space created for me and other students. The fact that this is even being talked about is sickening. Frank Massey is a confidant and dear friend of mine, and Harrison Houlihan is someone who I have come to greatly admire and respect. Neither of these men are wrong in their frustration. I just wish that this professor’s insensitivity and disregard for the rest of his community did not serve to divide people on our campus. It saddens me that a divide has been created, and I hope, that in time, our community can come to realize the greater problem at hand.