Eight Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) community members were killed during the 9/11 terrorist attack. A generation later, the college continues to honor them.
This Sept. 11, the college will hold its annual wreath-laying ceremony near the plaque that memorializes those eight lost lives.
“Many of our current students were born after 2001. While they may be aware of the 9/11 attacks, they may not fully understand the role their college played, the lives lost who were members of the Borough of Manhattan Community College community, and the sacrifices made by students who are enrolled in BMCC as veterans who serve in related wars,” said Marva Craig, BMCC’s vice president for student affairs. “So, each year, in view of the Freedom Tower, we not only remind the college community of our shared history but take time to reflect on how this major event has impacted our college community.”
About four miles away, Hudson County Community College (HCCC) will be holding its own ceremony.
Among the 2,977 lives lost due to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, 155 were Hudson County, New Jersey, residents.
To honor them and so many other lives changed that day, HCCC annually holds a 9/11 commemoration. This year is no different. On Wednesday, at 9:30 a.m., they will raise the flag in front of the Gabert Library.
Students and other community members will hear a historical timeline of events that led to the 9/11 attacks. They’ll also hear from Chris Hoff, a Wounded Warrior Project peer leader and retired U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who will share his experience of living with post-traumatic stress disorder.
Coming together each year to remember is a way of “honoring the legacies of those who lost their lives,” said HCCC President Christopher Reber.
“In many ways, the terrorist attacks changed the way we live and still impact those who carry the emotional and physical scars. Through all of our pain, we have also been reminded that Americans can come together, heal, and emerge stronger by lifting and caring for each other,” he added.
The college has a special permanent memorial, a steel fragment believed to be from the World Trade Center North Tower East Façade.
Beyond Ground Zero
These events aren’t reserved for colleges near the site of the attack.
In Michigan, Mott Community College (MCC) today held an online event with author Garrett Graff, an expert on capturing the human drama through history. Graff discussed the oral histories of 9/11 and D-Day.
And on Sept. 11, MCC will welcome community members to a ceremony at the college’s 9/11 memorial. The ceremony will start with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. – the time of impact on the first tower.
“Remembering the events of Sept. 11, 2001, has evolved from the initial shock, sadness and patriotism we all felt on that day and in the years immediately following, into an opportunity to reflect on a time when we came together as a nation, and to honor our dead,” said Jamie Zecman, chief of public safety at MCC. “On that day, ordinary Americans turned into heroes, and without exception we pulled together, leaning on one another for support and comfort, and grieving together as one nation.”
Zecman added, “That is why it is important to remember, especially in this time of divisiveness and extremism. It is important to remember that there was a time when we were called to be our better selves, and that we answered that call without hesitation. We continue to do this reflection to educate younger generations about the events of 9/11, ensuring that they understand its significance and the impact it had on our nation and the world.”
In North Carolina, Wayne Community College’s public safety division will hold its annual 9/11 Tribute Stair Climb on the Magnolia Building exterior stairs and breezeways.
Emergency medical and law enforcement students, along with local first responders, will run the equivalent of 78 flights to replicate the efforts of firefighters who responded to the 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center. The 78th floor was the highest floor they were able to reach in the center’s south tower before it collapsed.
Along the same lines, Bladen Community College (BCC), also in North Carolina, is hosting “A Walk to Remember.” The trail honors the bravery of first responders who climbed the stairs in their gear to rescue victims.
Along the trail, visitors can learn more about 9/11 through informative displays.
