It’s hard to believe that it has been 20 years since the attacks on September 11, because the memory of that somber day is still so vivid. It almost feels as if it took place yesterday.
Everyone has their own story about where they were when they heard about what happened. For me, I was working at the hospital in the Quality Department. We were preparing for a visit by The Joint Commission when someone came into the conference room with the news about the first plane crashing into the north tower of the World Trade Center. Not long after, that same person came back to tell us about the second plane.
We immediately moved from talking about The Joint Commission to talking about different scenarios in response to this catastrophic event: Do we need to open the Command Center? Was this a mass casualty? Would there be patients coming to Long Island who would need our help?
I will never forget seeing the horror in people’s faces, because so many who worked here had loved ones who lived and worked in the City and at the World Trade Center. For days, when looking toward New York City from the hospital bridges, you could see the smoke from Ground Zero. We were preparing and waiting for patients, only to learn there were none. It was a very somber situation.
A few years later, when I was a member of the Stony Brook University Alumni Board, I had the privilege of participating in the opening of the Memorial Arch on West Campus to honor the 21 Stony Brook University alumni who were lost on September 11. It was such a moving experience, and I was struck by the silence and the solemnity of the occasion.
And just as everyone has their own story about where they were that day, everyone recognizes the anniversary in their own way.
To mark the 20th anniversary, the University will be hosting a ceremony at the Memorial Arch, located by the Humanities Building, on Friday, September 10, at 8 am. The area surrounding the Memorial Arch was recently renovated and expanded with new plantings and landscaping, lighting and paving.
At the hospital, I invite you to join me on Friday, September 10, at 8:46 am, for a moment of silence to honor and remember those we lost that day, which will be announced through the overhead paging system. This moment of silence will coincide with the University’s ringing of the campus chimes 21 times for the alumni who perished that day. The hospital chapel, located off the main lobby on Level 5, will also be open all weekend for those who wish to take time for prayer and reflection.
I realize that this can be an extremely distressing time for many of us, so please remember that there are many support resources available to all employees, faculty and staff. Visit ThePulse for a complete list if you would like to reach out for assistance.
I will always remember how we all came together on 9/11 to support one another and how we continue to do so as the years go by. We will never forget.
This is a terrific note, thank you