Hofstra honors victims of 9/11
The 9/11 memorial lights up where the Twin Towers used to stand. // Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
Members of the Hofstra community gathered to commemorate the 21st anniversary of 9/11 during a remembrance ceremony on Friday, Sept. 9.
“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 Julie Singh, vice president of the Student Government Association (SGA), as she presented the opening remarks of 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.”
Singh tells the audience that this day “changed New York City, the United States of America and the world.”
Following Singh’s opening remarks, the Hofstra Reserve Officers Training Corps executed the presentation of colors. Senior Kyla Surajbali sang the national anthem.
“May the memories [of the victims] always be a blessing and an inspiration,” said Gina Hackett, the Catholic campus minister, as she delivered the ceremony’s invocation. “[I hope that this tragedy will] inspire all of us to be more understanding of differences, treat everyone whose lives we touch with dignity and respect, speak out against injustice, treasure the preciousness of life, understand that we are all responsible for one another and express that responsibility in action.”
After the invocation, Hofstra University president Susan Poser gave her remarks. Poser noted that every year Hofstra remembers the lives of the 26 alumni and one student who perished in the 9/11 attacks by hosting a remembrance ceremony next to a sculpture where their names are engraved.
The plaque, located next to the labyrinth in front of CV Starr Hall, “represents a phoenix, a mythological bird that is a symbol of rebirth,” Poser said. “In this way, we will remember and honor them always.”
The families of two alumni, Courtney Walcott and Joseph Hunter, were honored during the ceremony. Families in attendance honored their loved ones by presenting roses on a wreath during a moment of silence.
Hofstra honors the memory of the 27 victims by endowing scholarships dedicated to carrying on their legacies. In addition, scholarships are provided to children and spouses affected by the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks.
As Poser remarked on the lives of the victims, she asked the audience to recognize life’s fragility. She reflected on the COVID-19 pandemic that has taken a toll on the Hofstra community and urged that people must stand together in the face of all of life’s challenges.
“We must seize every moment we can to build a community, to practice kindness and to live our values,” Poser said.
Surajbali shared Poser’s sentiments on the importance of creating a community and being attentive in life.
“We can’t take our safety for granted in this country; I hope everyone can remember that,” Surajbali said.
Poser ended her speech with a statement urging unity among the Hofstra community.
“Let us take this moment to renew our commitment to justice,” Poser said, “To tolerance, freedom and peace, and let us also remember and never forget those who lost their lives on that fateful day, and may their memories be a blessing.”
