Eight years, a war on terror and one presidential administration have passed since Sept. 11, 2001. And for his first 9/11 anniversary as commander-in-chief, President Barack Obama called for Americans to remember the tragedy with acts of service and volunteerism.

“No force for change is more powerful than that of Americans who are making a difference in their communites,” Obama said in an Aug. 27 press release. “This Sept. 11, and in the days, weeks, and months that follow, let us recommit ourselves to service, renew America’s promise, and work together as one people and one Nation.”

Laura Dempsey, public outreach director for the Athens’ area Habitat for Humanity, said the community has heeded the president’s call for service.

“We’ve seen an increase in the number of people who want to volunteer at this time,” she said. “We’re really glad people want to get involved.”

Dempsey said the build site for this weekend is completely full, at 30 volunteers.

“I think volunteering in general is always a benefit for the community,” said Melanie Phelps, a senior from Marietta, who is also co-president of the University Habitat for Humanity. “It’s easy to get wrapped up in our own little bubble with our school work, but volunteering gives students an opportunity to branch out of that bubble.”

Other campus groups are getting involved as well.

The College Republicans will hold an event on the Chapel steps at 9 a.m. to reflect on 9/11.

“It’s important for the campus to take time to reflect together,” said Student Government Association President Katie Barlow, who will speak at the event. “It’s important to take time out of the day to remember and to reflect on the people that were lost and the people that serve our country.”

And for the Young Democrats, Obama’s call for volunteerism goes hand-in-helping-hand with their own message.

“It’s been a focus of ours this year,” said Bobby Andres, president of the Young Democrats, “partially spurred on by the fact that President Obama called on the young people to do a better job in serving the community.”

The Office of Security and Emergency Preparedness is hosting a seminar today to discuss cyber security threats.

“We try to do an event every 9/11,” said John Newton, emergency operations coordinator for OSEP. “[Online security] is not something that’s going away – it’s a threat that is getting bigger.”

Speakers for the event include a special agent from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and a cyber security expert from Washington, D.C. The seminar – which will be held from 10 a.m. to noon in the Chapel – is one of six of OSEP’s National Preparedness Month activities.

“We want to highlight that security issues are still important; we want people to be vigilant, and it’s a way to honor and remember the people who gave their lives not only on 9/11 but also the people who are overseas, police and firefighters,” he said.

At 1 p.m., a practice that regularly occurs before every home football game will be dedicated to the men and women in uniform. One segment of the grass of Sanford Stadium, which the grounds crew began painting Thursday, will be left unfinished for the ceremonial painting of the end zone.

“On the Friday before home football games we usually save some part of the painting of the field for some special guest,” said David Muia, associate athletic director.

Muia said since 9/11 falls on the Friday before the game, it was appropriate to dedicate the painting of the final stripe to police and fire departments, and to have representatives from the University Police Department and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department in attendance.

“Lord knows what we would do without them,” he said.

This morning, the University’s Army ROTC and Air Force ROTC held a 6 a.m. memorial service in Sanford Stadium before embarking on a 2.5-mile run through campus and downtown Athens. ROTC makes the run yearly to commemorate Sept. 11.

“It’s really important that we don’t get complacent – that we do not forget,” said Patrick Tilley, a junior from Douglasville, who was in charge of the audio/visual aspects of the memorial service.

Tilley said Thursday representatives from the Athens-Clarke County police and fire departments would join students from the JROTC of local high schools, the Navy School and the University for the run this morning.

“It’s been eight years, and [Sept. 11] is something that we should never forget,” he said. “It should be a constant thing that we remember the people who are fighting and dying in our country and outside our country for our freedoms and liberties that we sometimes take for granted.”