Today marks the seventh anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. In rememberance, the University of Massachusetts will ring the campus’ chapel bells four times this morning and will also host a lecture in the evening.

Alumnus Kenneth R. Feinberg will deliver the lecture entitled, “The September 11th Victim Compensation Fund: Private Pain and Public Compensation”. It will take place at 4:30 p.m. in the Bernie Dallas room of Goodell Hall and is free and open to the public.

Feinberg, who received his law degree from New York University School of Law after graduating from UMass in 1967, directed the $7 billion fund that was enacted by Congress to aid the Sept. 11 victims’ families.

“I think the key elements here are that we have a person of Mr. Feinberg’s stature, who was so involved in assisting the victim’s families in the terrible aftermaths of Sept. 11,” said Ed Blaguszewski, Director of UMass News and Information.

Feinberg’s speech will discuss the circumstances surrounding the creation of the fund, its successes and the possibility of its use in the future. The focus of the speech will aim to question what the government’s role should ultimately be should tragedy strike again.

This keynote speech commences the 2008-2009 Feinberg Family Distinguished lecture series, “Measuring the Value of Human Life”, which is hosted by the UMass history department.

“It is part of a whole series that is going to look at measuring the value of human life, so over the course of this year, you will see the other topics and speakers,” Blaguszewski said.

Many UMass students are looking forward to Feinberg’s presence on campus, and find the topics to be discussed in his lecture both timely and intriguing.

“It is a good idea that [Feinberg] is coming. I think it is really commendable that he helped to provide relief for families who lost loved ones,” said UMass sophomore and architecture major Chase Montecalvo.

“It will be interesting,” added UMass sophomore and English major Lake Walsh. “I believe the government shouldn’t take control of disaster relief, because each time the government takes control, it takes control away from the population. Social power is much more effective when the government takes less responsibility.”

Lisa DeBenedictis can be reached at [email protected].