Buena Vista University will honor the 25th anniversary of 9/11 next week with conversations, community tributes and a stair‑climb challenge that turns remembrance into action.
BVU’s Department of Community and Student Engagement is hosting the events on Thursday, Sept. 10, with support from Seed Coalition, 9/11 Day and AmeriCorps.
The day begins with a 9/11 conversational panel from 9:45-10:45 a.m. in Anderson Auditorium on the Storm Lake campus, where local firefighters, police officers, EMTs and other first responders will share their perspectives on service, community safety and the legacy of 9/11. Nationally, first responders played a defining role in rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and the Flight 93 crash site — a response that continues to shape emergency service training and long‑term health programs.
A Local Hero Luncheon follows from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Dows Multipurpose Room, giving students and community members a chance to meet and thank area first responders.
In the afternoon, BVU will host its 110‑Flight Stair Climb Challenge from 1-4 p.m. at the Central Campus Arch. Participants are invited to walk up and down the Arch steps 48 times — roughly 2,220 steps — a symbolic climb representing the 2,071‑step ascent of the World Trade Center’s 110 stories and honoring the firefighters who made that climb on Sept. 11, 2001. Stair climb tributes have become a national tradition, often organized by fire departments and service groups to honor the courage and sacrifice of first responders.
The university’s remembrance continues on Friday, Sept. 11, with the tolling of the campus victory bell at six key moments marking the timeline of the attacks: 8:46, 9:03, 9:37, 9:59, 10:03, and 10:28 a.m. Bell tolling has been used in the fire service for more than 200 years as a solemn tribute marking a firefighter’s final call.
BVU says the two‑day commemoration is meant to honor first responders, remember the lives lost and reflect on the lasting impact of 9/11 — twenty‑five years later.
