Low-key remembrances

Marisa O’Neil

Students at two area schools remembered Sept. 11, 2001 with photos,

words and songs Thursday at low-key events commemorating the

terrorist attacks.

The Associated Students of Orange Coast College set up a memorial

wall on campus with photographs and personal messages from students.

At Corona del Mar High School, Sarah Bergey -- sister of U.S. Marine

Cpl. Bryan Bergey -- spoke to students at a morning assembly about

her brother’s experience in Iraq.

“It felt good to read out and touch people with my experience,”

said Sarah, a junior at Corona del Mar High. “About five people came

up to me afterward with tears in their eyes.”

Bryan Bergey, a 1998 graduate of the school, recently returned

from the war after he was injured in an ambush by Iraqi soldiers in

Al Yousifia. He could not attend the assembly because he was at home

recovering from surgery this week to remove his right eye.

Bergey’s parents, Pam Bergey and Scott Bergey, a pilot for

American Airlines, attended the ceremony.

The assembly was part of Unity Week events being presented by the

campus’ Tolerance Among People group. It included a candle-lighting

ceremony and speeches from Newport Beach Mayor Steve Bromberg and

Newport Beach Fire Chief Tim Riley.

Riley said that rather than focus on what could be a somber

occasion, he wanted to give a positive message that today’s students

can become tomorrow’s heroes and role models by treating others with

compassion, dignity and respect.

“Someone once said that heroes are just ordinary people turned

into heroes through extraordinary events,” he said in his speech.

“Sept. 11 was an extraordinary event that changed firefighters into

heroes.”

At Orange Coast College, visitors to the campus student center

lingered over its memorial wall. The display included photographs of

World Trade Center survivors, firefighters at ground zero and a

memorial event held on campus last year.

“It’s touching,” OCC student Brian Mathis said as he looked at the

photographs. “It’s nice to see that people still remember. It’s still

in my heart. I still remember it.”

Erick Aragon, vice president of OCC’s Associated Students, said

that rather than organize a service, group members wanted to set up a

memorial their fellow students could visit and a place where they

could leave their own impressions. He said that they wanted to do

something to mark the occasion but move on and not dwell on it.

“This is good, to remember everything that happened and hope for a

better future,” OCC student Marie Girguis said as she flipped through

the book.

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education and may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at marisa.oneil@latimes.com.