Schools

Manhattanville Remembers 9/11

Manhattanville College held a candlelight vigil commemorating the 10 year anniversary of 9/11, joining hundreds of other college campuses across the country.

With bagpipes playing and a light mist falling, hundreds of students, faculty and community members made their way to the  quad Thursday evening for a candlelight ceremony honoring those who lost their lives on Sept. 11, 2001.

Student Government President Francesca Savelli was impressed with the turnout, which she said was the largest she has seen at a school event during her four years there.

“At Manhattanville, there is constantly that memory of the attacks because we lost four alumni,” said Savelli. “We have always held a ceremony each year since 2001 and it remains a very somber occasion for us here.”

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The current student body, some of whom were as young as 7-years-old at the time of the attacks, share a very different perspective than many of us who have dealt with the horrific event as adults. When the towers fell this generation of students were only children, too young at the time to grasp the full gravity of that fatefull day.

Gina Koller, who works in the accounting department at the college, shared her story with the group.

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“I believe that if we all take responsibility and live a life of compassion toward others, that the world after 9/11 will be a hopeful place as this is an era of hope, not an era of fear,” said Koller, wasn't at work on the 101st floor at the World Trade Center that fateful morning because she was out on maternity leave. 

Dina Foley was a sixth grader living in Vermont at the time of the attacks. While the sophomore was not affected on a personal level by the attacks, it still hurts her to see how others have changed.

“People here have really come together to support one another and it is almost crazy how many individuals know someone who died that day, especially the closer you get to New York City,” said Foley.

Thursday evening’s candle light vigil was only a part of a week-long series of events taking place on the campus to commemorate the 10 year anniversary of the attacks.

On Sunday, Manhattanville will be having a “Pause and Remember” event where campus bells will ring in remembrance of each of the plane crashes that took place, beginning at 8:46 a.m.


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