Invitation to 9/11 Ceremony of Remembrance
August 25, 2021
September 11, 2001…it has been 20 years since that truly devastating day. The shock and loss of 9/11 was felt all around our world, but especially so in New York State, as New Yorkers watched their beloved skyline altered irreparably by hatred, violence, and terror. Many of us had friends, family, and loved ones inside the World Trade Center towers that day, or others whose health has been impacted in the decades that have followed. The tragedy of September 11, 2001, was a defining moment of the new millennium, and its images, emotions, and responses have endured.
To honor the 21 Stony Brook alumni who died on 9/11, our university engraved their names in the Memorial Arch near the Humanities Building and planted a grove of trees in the bus loop as a way to remember them, celebrate their lives, and grow their legacy. This year, to mark the 20th anniversary, we have focused on creating a more accessible and expanded Memorial Arch, with new plantings and landscaping, lighting, and paving that will help affirm the Arch as a space for quiet reflection.
I’d like to invite you to a ceremony at the Memorial Arch on Friday, September 10, at 8 am to commemorate this new space and remember those killed in the attacks on 9/11. This is an opportunity for all members of the Stony Brook community to come together to honor and reflect on those who have perished in the attacks. If you lost an immediate family member on 9/11 and would like to share their name for the remembrance ceremony, please contact Director of Community Relations Joan Dickinson (joan.dickinson@stonybrook.edu).
Following the ceremony at the Memorial Arch, the campus chimes will ring 21 times at 8:46 am. I hope you will join us in listening to these chimes and honoring our alumni.
I would like to take this opportunity to say how grateful I am for this close Stony Brook community. My heart goes out to each and every one of you whose life has been altered by 9/11. Please know that this institution is here to support you through what may be a difficult day and season.
Sincerely,
Maurie McInnis
President