The Hofstra community gathered to remember the 27 alumni and student lives lost during the Sept. .11 attacks. // Photo courtesy of Ahjané Forbes.
Hofstra University observed the twentieth anniversary of 9/11 with a remembrance ceremony on Friday, Sept. 10.
“On Sept. 11, 2001, at 8:46 a.m. a hijacked passenger jet, American Airlines Flight 11 out of Boston, Massachusetts, crashes into the North Tower of the World Trade Center tearing a gaping hole in the building and setting It on fire,” said Bernice Aquino, Vice President of theStudent Government Association (SGA) as she recounted the events of 9/11 during heropening remarks at the ceremony. “At 9:03 a.m., a second hijacked plane, United Airlines Flight 175, crashes into the South Tower of the World Trade Center and explodes,” she continued, adding that another flight crashed into the Pentagon, forever changing history.
The Hofstra Reserve Officers Training Corps conducted the Presentation of Colors following Aquino’s opening remarks. Kyla Surjbali, a member of the class of 2023, sang the national anthem.
“As we prepared to honor those who were killed on Sept.11, it is important that we acknowledge the disconnect some students might feel from this event,” said Rabbi Dave Siegel, Executive Director of Hofstra Hillel, as he delivered the ceremony’s invocation.
Because the attacks occurred over 20 years ago, many students at Hofstra have little to no memory of Sept. 11, 2001. In the past, the University has coordinated Explore Next Door (END) trips for students to go to Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, the site of the attacks, tolearn more about the events of that day. However, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, these trips are not being offered at this time.
“Given a lot of the restrictions right now to get in and out of the city for students, we were unable to plan that this year,” said Zaibis Muñoz-Isme, Associate Dean of Students at Division of Student Affairs, in regards to the University’s END trip offerings. She added that first-year and transfer students who are interested in attending an END trip might soon have the opportunity to do so as New York continues to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I imagine that we will have more END trips throughout the semester,” Muñoz-Isme said.
Siegel discussed the relation of the victims to their friends and families and the importance that the Hofstra community has in remembering the 27 lives that were lost.
“We must always remember that these individuals are not just names or numbers but they are brothers and sisters, parents and children, husbands and wives and even childhood friends,” Siegel said.
Following the invocation, Hofstra University President Dr. Susan Poser gave her remarks. The podium stood a few feet away from the plaque dedicated to the Hofstra 9/11 victims, whose names are engraved on a sculpture located in the middle of the labyrinth in front of CV StarrHall.
“The sculpture represents a phoenix, a mythological bird that is a symbol of rebirth,” Poser said. “In this way we will remember them always.”
The ceremony honored the families of two alumni, Courtney Walcott and Joseph Hunter. The families, who were in attendance, honored their loved ones with the presentation of roses on a wreath.
To honor the memory of Walcott and Hunter, Hofstra has created an endowed scholarship dedicated to them both. The University provides these scholarships to children and spouses affected by the Sept. 11 attacks.
“It’s good that 20 years later they have not forgotten and it’s a beautiful day,” said Andrew Walcott, brother of Courtney Walcott, as he took note of the clear blue sky beaming over the ceremony. “It was a day like this when the tragedy happened.”
Courtney Walcott was a cornerback for the University’s football team and graduated from Hofstra in 1990. On a remembrance plaque dedicated to Walcott in Joseph M. Marigotta Hall, it is noted that he worked as a Client Services Manager for I.Q. Financial Systems at the World Trade Center.
“He is always in our hearts,” Andrew Walcott said.
Last year the University held the Sept.11 remembrance ceremony entirely virtually on a livestream via YouTube. However, this year attendees had the option to go to the ceremonyeither in-person or virtually. Many people who went to the ceremony, both in-person and virtually, were happy to pay their respects and show their love and support for the families in attendance.
“With everything that’s going on with the pandemic, it’s important to stay connected to the things that matter,” said Victoria Simon, accommodations specialist and student success coordinator at Student Access Services.