Vigils and remembrance ceremonies have largely given way this week to rallies and symposia, as members of the Penn State community debate the repercussions of this month's terrorist attacks.

Students advocating peace and nonviolence will rally at noon today in front of Old Main, and an afternoon of mediated panel discussions is planned for tomorrow.

Earlier this week, a visiting professor, hosted by the Penn State Objectivist Club, spoke about the necessity of a military campaign to defend the nation.

Meanwhile, four international students — on the advice of their parents — have pulled out of Penn State classes this semester to return home, said Jim Lynch, director of international students and scholars.

Two of those who withdrew for the semester are Arab students from the Middle East. Two other students — one from Japan and another from Singapore — also withdrew.

"They themselves probably, if left on their own, would not have decided to leave," Lynch said. But their parents urged otherwise, he added.

Dozens of Arab and Middle Eastern students at universities across the nation have been returning to their native countries to avoid anti-Arab backlash in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 disasters.

According to recent Gallup Poll surveys, about nine out of 10 Americans support military action against those responsible for the terrorist attacks.

"There is also very little difference in support for going to war by age," Frank Newport of the polling organization wrote in an analysis posted on its Web site. "Younger Americans are no more or less likely to support the concept of military action than are older Americans."

One of the biggest differences is in terms of ideology, Newport noted.

Those who identified themselves as liberals in the survey were less likely to favor military action than were conservatives, but more than eight out of 10 liberals still support military action, the Gallup Poll showed.

A committee of university faculty, students, and area community leaders came together earlier this week with the purpose of fostering dialogue and critical thinking about the disasters, said Cathy Steblyk, assistant professor of comparative literature and Japanese.

At the committee's first program Monday night, about 400 students watched an excerpt from a documentary on accused terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.

The committee is currently planning "911: Forum on the Current Crisis," a series of three panel discussions beginning 2 p.m. tomorrow in 121 Sparks Building.

Topics will include Islam, media coverage, civil liberties and politics.

"We are absolutely open to anyone coming out," Steblyk said, adding that the committee does not espouse any specific stance on America's response to the attacks.

Another loose coalition of students that opposes vengeful military retaliation and calls itself "Students for Peace," will be speaking today on the steps of Old Main.

"We are looking to encourage a sense of peace and compassion," Jesse Durst (senior-letters, arts and sciences), one of the rally organizers, said in a release. "We want people to understand how complex the issue is and hopefully describe how revenge, as opposed to true justice, will not solve the problem of terrorism."