Stony Brook University community members gathered on the 23rd anniversary of the September 11th attacks to remember the alumni who tragically lost their lives on that day. At the Memorial Arch, located near the Humanities Building, the campus came together for reflection, remembrance, and healing.
At exactly 8:46 am — the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center on September 11 — the campus chimes rang 21 times to represent each of the alumni lost that day. Members of the campus community visited the Memorial Arch throughout the day for quiet contemplation and reflection, and to place a white rose in the grove of trees planted to remember and honor the legacies of the fallen alumni.
“Time has not dimmed our memories or eased the pain of loss, and as we join together as a campus community, our shared experiences can offer a tremendous source of strength,” said Stony Brook University Interim President Richard McCormick in a message to the campus community. “In times of hardship, let us remember that our greatest asset is each other.”
The Memorial Arch, a gift from the Stony Brook Alumni Association, stands as a tribute to the 21 fallen Seawolves. Designed by Milton Glaser in collaboration with Nicholas Fasciano, it is a 12-foot-high, 8-foot-wide structure made of two brass beams connected by brass branches and leaves.
Engraved down the sides of the arch are the names of those who were lost: Joanne Ahladiotis; Jean A. Andrucki; Michael A. Bane; Carlton W. Bartels; William F. Burke Jr.; Michel P. Colbert; Stephen M. Fogel; Steven E. Furman; Richard S. Gabrielle; Kuifai (Raymond) Kwok; Edward J. Mardovich; Rudy Mastrocinque; Michael P. McDonnell; Manika Narula; Christopher M. Panatier; John W. Perry; Lisa J. Raines; Jonathan S. Ryan; Margaret M. (Walier) Seeliger; Peter A. Siracuse; and Walwyn W. Stuart Jr.
These 21 Seawolves were part of the greater tragedy of 9/11, which claimed 2,977 lives. Their memories are honored annually as part of a shared national moment of remembrance.