As thousands of people gathered across the country to mourn the loss of the 2,996 victims of the September 11 attacks, the University of New Haven held a special remembrance ceremony to pay respect to those who had passed.
The Allingtown Fire Department was present, as well as a few guests who had served in the military. UNH’s own ROTC members were present to assist with the ceremony and procession. President Kaplan, UNH Provost Daniel May, and the Undergraduate Student Government Association President Zani Imetovski were there to share remarks and reflect on this tragedy with the student body.
Each one of them had an empowering message to share with the audience.
Sophomore Justin Farrar of the Military Veterans of UNH recalled the day he saw the second plane hit the towers in New York. When asked by others why he wears a U.S. military uniform, Farrar only has one answer: “We wear the uniform so that our brothers and sisters do not have to, we wear the uniform so that our fellow Americans may enjoy freedoms that they are to inherit, we wear the uniform so you may continue in your valiant pursuit of happiness.”
Senior Ryan “Rjay” Irons remembered being a young child of only nine years, and learning about the attacks on television. The events of that day made Irons realize what he wanted to grow up to be.
“I realized that I wanted to fight crime, and stop those bad guys from hurting us good guys. 9/11 changed the way our country operates, the way we secure our borders, airports, transportation systems, but it also awoke the government and law enforcement agencies who previously did not communicate. 9/11 strengthened our security forces more than anyone could imagine,” he said.
Imetovski paid tribute to the everyday citizens who rose to the occasionon 9/11. From the firefighters who charged into the burning buildings to the courageous Flight 93 passengers who charged the cockpit to divert another disaster, Imetovski asked everyone to remember the true heroes of that infamous day.
“The true test of any great nation is how we rally together, despite adversity, and despite the situation that challenges us. We are Americans who, through unity and human empathy, continue to persevere through moments when all may seem lost, and in these times we havealways recall the efforts of the noblest,” he said.
UNH Provost Daniel May spoke of the importance of sticking together as a nation and supporting one another during times of tragedy. He talked about everyday things all Americans can do to ensure another tragedy like this never happens again.
“Our nation is in a fragile state right now, we can remain strong as long as we stick together, but we can’t do it alone. Each one of us needs to do our part as individuals, students, and members of this community, in order to ensure the safety of one another,” he said.
After some closing remarks, the ceremony processed to Maxcy Quad; those who attended were invited to place a flag in the ground to honor victims of the September 11 tragedy. A moment of silence and quiet prayer was also observed at that time.
