A relatively small group of about 50 Suffolk students and faculty gathered Monday on the fourth floor of the Donahue building to acknowledge the 10-year anniversary of September 11. The memorial was hosted by the Interfaith Center and Reverend Amy L. Fisher.
Acting President and Provost Barry Brown opened the memorial ceremony.
“If each of us recognizes we can play a part, we will honor the spirit [of those who died],” he said. “We honor those who have suffered with compassion, kindness, and courage.” He said the goal is to bring people together “with education, not terror.”
Students who attended the event mingled before the memorial began and shared their memories from the day of the attack as well as the days following.  With most being only in elementary school, the 9/11 terrorist attacks left an enormous impact on the lives of many Suffolk students.
“I was young, in elementary school. I just remember during class the phone kept ringing to the point where it was distracting the teacher, and kids were being called out of class,” explained sophomore Selena Jakupovic. “When I took the bus home from school that day, my mother was waiting for me at the bus stop. My parents prepared me by explaining and telling me what happened. They explained that we had to be strong and move on. Everyone wearing flags the following day to represent unity made me proud,” said Jakupovic.
“I remember my teacher telling the class during social studies,” said junior Karen Ladany. Once I went home after the school day I realized how many people were affected. Everything changed for me once I actually met people that were severely effected by the terrorist attack,” said Ladany.
Reverend Fisher said she was in Donahue’s Interfaith Center writing a paper on the scroll of Ester when the telephone rang that Tuesday morning with the news that the Twin Towers had been attacked.  “I then came down to the fourth floor of the Donahue building where everyone was gathered in community,” she said.
Following an a cappella musical interlude, Scott Zalatoris of the College Republicans spoke, making a point toward the effect the attacks had on our community.
“As we grow each day from the event we have learned what we’ve lost and gathered, unity, purpose, looking in the face of evil. We will not forget those who were lost,” he said.
Reverend Fisher had attendees recite, “We remember great courage” aloud throughout different phases of the closing prayer. Fishers’ final words: “Peace is not impossible it begins one person at a time.”