As the one-year anniversary of the worst terrorist attack on the United States approaches, Syracuse University has created a Web site dedicated to the events of Sept. 11 and its aftermath.

The site, which can be accessed from a link at the bottom of SU’s homepage at www.syr.edu, features a calendar of events for this year’s remembrance, former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani’s commencement speech delivered in May, a collection of commentaries about the day from SU faculty, book references and photos of related activities on campus last fall.

A group of about five members of the university’s communication staff began working on the site during the second week of August in conjunction with the One Year Later committee and Hendricks Chapel, university spokesman Kevin Morrow said. The site will remain on the university Web site for the month of September, but will be archived after that, Morrow said.

‘This seemed like a very appropriate step for us to take given the one-year anniversary and the involvement of the SU community in the events surrounding that day,’ Morrow said. He said the site is intended to have a ‘limited lifespan’ because of the nature of the information on the site. He was unsure whether it would be used on future Sept. 11 anniversaries.

Nicole Brown, a communications manager at SU’s News Services, said the wide-range of content on the site reflects the varying reactions that members of the SU community had after the attack.

‘We want it to be a thought-provoking, reflective experience,’ Brown said.

The site is a constant work in progress and new information and new pages are being added to it daily, Brown said. Since the site was launched on Friday, Brown has received positive feedback from members of the university community and from individuals as far away as Washington, D.C. She also encourages feedback and comments about the site to help make it stronger.

Sophomore Ariel Dupas thought the site could use more publicity.

Dupas, a theatre major, said she didn’t know the site existed, although Morrow said everyone with an SU e-mail received a message about the site last week through SU’s Hot News.

While the Web site was a good idea, there few interactive features, Dupas said.

‘It would be better if people could contribute their thoughts,’ she said.

Morrow said he and his staff have considered adding such a feature to the site, but were unsure if it was warranted.

‘We did that a year ago right after 9/11 when it was a very emotional time and it was obvious people wanted to express themselves,’ Morrow said. ‘One year later it’s emotionally different and unclear if the service is desirable or needed.’

If users indicate a want for the service, however, Morrow said it would probably be added.

Joan Deppa, a professor at the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications, said she thinks the site is successful. She is one of several professors whose work appears there.

An expert on media coverage of the crash of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, in 1989 that killed 35 students studying in an SU abroad program, Deppa said the Web site will be able to help students in a way that couldn’t be done after Pan Am.

‘At the time of Lockerbie there was no Internet available and many students were home (for winter break) and were all across the country,’ Deppa said.

The versatility and access of the site is something Deppa thinks will help students.

‘This is really handy,” Deppa said. “Students studying in the London program or Madrid or where ever else can really relate to the Web site even though they’re far away. It created a virtual community.”

Celka van Dijk, a junior geography and political science major, agreed with Deppa and said the site will encourage visitors to access it when they’re ready, instead of being forced to relive the events of Sept. 11.

‘It’s a nice, passive way (to reminisce about 9/11) so if students want to be part of the remembrance, they can,’ van Dijk said.

Published on September 2, 2002 at 12:00 pm