Photo courtesy of Annemarie Lepard

Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2018, marked the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks that accounted for nearly 3,000 deaths in New York City, Washington D.C. and Shanksville, Pennsylvania. To commemorate this tragedy, Hofstra held its annual remembrance ceremony in the Guthart Cultural Center Theater in honor of the 26 alumni and one student who died that day.

The ceremony commenced with opening remarks made by Deandra Denton, a junior sociology and public policy major and vice president of Student Government Association, followed by the singing of the national anthem by Gabrielle Spann, a senior community health major.

Seemi Ahmed, the Muslim chaplain of the Interfaith Center at Hofstra, recited the invocation while the Vice Provost for Undergraduate Academic Affairs and Internationalization, Neil Donahue, delivered the remarks of the ceremony.

In memory of the Hofstra community members who lost their lives, the university has dedicated a sculpture of a phoenix in their names as well as individual scholarships.

During the commemoration, Daylen Orlick, the Graduate Assistant for Leadership Development and Evening and Weekend Programming, read aloud the names of the Hofstra students who lost their lives in the attacks, while members of the community placed a rose on the wreath of remembrance.

After 28 roses were placed onto the wreath, Aden Khan, a junior French major, performed the responsive reading, or comforting words. Khan was appreciative to be a part of the ceremony as his uncle survived the destruction of the Twin Towers.

Spann was honored to be a part of the event, which she believed should serve as a moment of reflection. “It serves justice to the Hofstra community, and it offers a tangible way for us to honor the lives lost as well as making sure their legacy remains,” she said. “This day means strength, perseverance and peace.”