On Friday, Sept. 9, the Office of Student Development and Leadership held a commemoration to honor the victims of the 9/11 attacks. Dozens of QC students and faculty members came out to share in the experience.
The commemoration, held just before the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks was a morning to honor the lives lost and the brave men and women who sacrificed and risked their own lives to come to the rescue of others.
Judy Krinitz, the associate director of OSDL at Queens College, served as the master of ceremonies for the event.
Krinitz introduced Assembly member Nily Rozic and Councilmember Rory Lancman along with QC President Felix Matos-Rodriguez and President of the Student Association, Japneet Singh as they each delivered remarks commemorating the events of 9/11.
Krinitz, reflecting on the day’s events, reminded those in attendance what the event means to the campus and the community.
“This is a good opportunity for the campus to come together, unfortunately for sad reasons,” Krinitz said, “but our clergy who work on this campus and speak at this event always leave me with a sense of hope.”
Matos-Rodriguez promoted a message of hope that would be a common theme throughout the commemoration.
“Today I’d like you to build to our commitment of hope to Queens College,” he said, “One of the biggest antidotes for terror is hope.”
Following his remarks, Assembly member Nily Rozic shared a personal story about where she was on the
day of the attacks. Rozic, then a sophomore at Townsend Harris High School, recalled what the day was like to her. Her proximity to the attacks only stressed the importance of the event being held on the Queens College campus.
“I will always remember where I was on September 11th . Now as an elected official I think the important part is remembering what happened.” Rozic said following the event.
Rozic reminded students, especially those who may have been too young to remember events of the day, what it was like to be a student at Queens College 15 years ago. City councilmember and QC alum Rory Lancman returned to his alma mater to discuss the commitment
City councilmember and QC alum Rory Lancman returned to his alma mater to discuss the commitment of Queens College and New York City to persevere and rebuild with hope as the foundation for moving forward.
“September 11th was an intimate tragedy because we all know somebody that was lost or somebody we know lost someone that day,” Lancman said.
He encouraged the Queens College community to commit to rebuilding hope.
“Everyone here is connected to this city, which means all of us are connected in a unique way,” Lancman said, “It is our obligation to remember and participate.”
Japneet Singh, senior and president of the Student Association, spoke about the effect of September 11th and its historical importance, linking it to another tragedy in U.S. history – the attack on Pearl Harbor.
“Just like [Pearl Harbor], 9/11 has shaped who we are,” Singh said, “I believe what shocked us was not the diabolical attacks, but the magnitude of the attack on the way we live.”
The event concluded with an emotional rendition of God Bless America sang by junior, Carlos Arcos. “I was very humbled to be singing for everybody,” Arcos said, “This is a beautiful morning to commemorate the victims. It’s a day I will always remember.”
