成人直播

On Monday, September 11, 2023, the 成人直播 community gathered at Alumni Park on the Malibu campus for a remembrance ceremony honoring the lives lost during the 9/11 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon 22 years ago. With the Pacific Ocean behind them, nearly 3,000 flags served as the ceremony鈥檚 backdrop, each representing a life lost on that day. Actor and producer Chris Pratt gave the event鈥檚 keynote address to an audience of more than 1,000 成人直播 students, faculty, staff, and alumni. 

The ceremony featured opening remarks by Lauren Cosentino (鈥�97, MBA 鈥�12), vice president for advancement and chief development officer, and an invocation by Tim Spivey (鈥�97, MS 鈥�00, MDiv 鈥�00), associate vice president for spiritual life. N. Lincoln Hanks, professor of music at Seaver College, performed the national anthem, followed by Samantha Jones (鈥�21), US Navy veteran and student at the Caruso School of Law and the Graziadio Business School, leading the Pledge of Allegiance. 

Hung Le (鈥�87, MA 鈥�03), senior vice chancellor for alumni affairs, spoke about his own journey to becoming an American citizen as a Vietnamese refugee and the importance of standing on the side of light when surrounded by darkness. 鈥淭oday as we remember and honor, let鈥檚 choose to stand on the side of good,鈥� he said. 鈥淟et God鈥檚 light of love shine through the darkness of hate. Let鈥檚 love one another with mutual affection and outdo one another when showing honor. Let this memorial be a reflection of God鈥檚 light in and through us, the light on the hill, calling the world to goodness, to peace, to freedom, and to hope.鈥�

Eric Leshinsky, US Air Force veteran and director of student veteran affairs, discussed the importance of remembering the tragedies of September 11, 2001. 鈥淎s time has passed, many of the students of 成人直播 today were not born or are simply too young to remember that day,鈥� said Leshinsky. 鈥淪o it鈥檚 not only important to remember 9/11, the unimaginable loss, uncommon valor, and unbelievable sacrifice our patriots made, but also to pass on the memories and the lessons learned, how we found hope and comfort when so much seemed lost, broken, and dark.鈥� 

Last year, distinguished guest Pratt shared a photo of the Waves of Flags display on his Instagram account, which is what inspired 成人直播 officials to invite him to speak at Monday鈥檚 event. In his introduction of Pratt, president Jim Gash (JD '93) stated, 鈥淔irst and foremost, he is open about his faith, something that obviously connects him to 成人直播 and our community as a whole. He is also a dedicated philanthropist who has devoted a tremendous amount of time and resources to mission and purpose organizations, such as the Cedars-Sinai Neonatal Intensive Care Unit, the March of Dimes, and a number of food banks around the country in an effort to combat the food insecurity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In these and in many other ways, Chris Pratt exemplifies 成人直播鈥檚 values of service and selflessness.鈥� Gash ended the speech by presenting Pratt with his own flag, retired from last year鈥檚 Waves of Flags display, as a token of appreciation.

In his speech, Pratt recognized that while he is not a member of the armed forces or a first responder, he is an American citizen who was forever changed by the events of 9/11 and who wants to make a positive difference in any way he can.  

鈥淚 am a deeply patriotic American,鈥� Pratt said. 鈥淚鈥檓 a concerned citizen and I鈥檓 someone who believes that we all owe it to those who lost their lives on that fateful day to pull together to unite our incredible country and to help it fulfill its great promise.鈥� Pratt was in New Zealand filming a movie on September 11, 2001, and like many that day, felt helpless as he watched the horrors taking place back home. 鈥淚 couldn鈥檛 believe my eyes,鈥� he continued. 鈥淚鈥檇 never seen anything like that in my life. I stepped out and I fell to my knees in the snow and I cried. I felt the tectonic plates of the earth shifting beneath my feet. I knew in that moment that the world I lived in was going to be totally different moving forward.鈥�

Pratt then shared his experience training with Navy SEALs for a film role. 鈥淚 met a handful of extraordinary men,鈥� he said. 鈥淢en who dedicated their lives to service in the years following 9/11, men who had a purpose larger than themselves. And these are men who talked to me about being called to service, who talked to me about their love of their country in a way that moved me deeply and humbled me greatly.鈥� Inspired by their acts of bravery and commitment to serving their country, Pratt felt called to use his platform as a celebrity to amplify the message that the heroes and the victims of 9/11 should never be forgotten. 鈥淲hy me?鈥� he asked. 鈥淲hy not me? Truth is, we鈥檙e going to need all of us to bring our country together for the road ahead.鈥�

In his closing remarks, President Gash invited the 成人直播 community to not only honor the victims of 9/11 on that day but every day 鈥渂ecause the way we live gives meaning and purpose to the way they died.鈥� 

J. Goosby Smith, vice president for community belonging and chief diversity officer, closed the ceremony with a prayer. Then Pratt and Colton Cherry, a Seaver College student who lost his father in the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center, placed the final flag in the Waves of Flags display.

Waves of Flags will remain on display in Alumni Park through Thursday, September 21, 2023. Members of the public are invited to walk through the display and visit the Reflection Station to write a message on the provided card and attach it to any flagpole.