On Wednesday, Sept. 11, members of the Hofstra community gathered on the Labyrinth in front of C.V. Starr Hall in memoriam of family members and Hofstra alumni that passed away on September 11, 2001.

Hofstra University President Stuart Rabinowitz began the ceremony by emphasizing the importance of remembering these tragedies and never forgetting those who lost their lives as a result.

Student Government Association Vice President Kaylor Dimes introduced Kareem Penton, who read off the names of 26 Hofstra alumni who passed away in the 9/11 attacks, two of whom were on the Board of Trustees, along with one victim who was a student at the time. Members of the audience put roses corresponding to each name on a commemorative wreath next to the Phoenix sculpture by Berliner Hall.

Rabinowitz was also cognizant of the relation between the nearly 20-year time period since the event, and the relation that students have to it. “The fact that many of our undergraduate students weren’t even born [yet] on that day is all the more reason to have these ceremonies,” Rabinowitz said.

While many Hofstra students do not personally remember what happened on that day, it was made clear that the event still has a ripple effect on people across the nation as they continue to learn about its impact.

 “I was only 1 [year old], but my father, being a firefighter in Westchester County, ended up going down there later on for cleanup,” said sophomore journalism major Will Wiegelman. “Growing up, I saw him go to a lot of funerals, and it took me a long time to realize why.”

“Being from Chicago, it was always something that we read in the history books and took moments of silence for, but coming to New York and seeing the impact and how much it means to people ... it’s not just page 368 in the history book, now it’s a moment in history that I live in and I see other people living through,” said sophomore public relations major Max Sacco. “I think it definitely brought everyone together.”

 Some students noted the societal ramifications of the terrorist attacks. “Unfortunately, I think it’s made us more divided,” said senior political science major Alex Dersh. “It really should have done the opposite; maybe in the immediate aftermath it united us, but nowadays, things have just become so toxic ... I think part of that could be traced to the anger and the trauma of 9/11.”

In the long-term aftermath of the event, the kinds of impacts that will be reverberated through the nation are yet to be seen.

Despite that confrontation looming over the American public, those in attendance that do remember the event are glad that its significance is being passed down.

“I feel very fortunate to organize this event ... It’s a beautiful day where we just get to remember the 27 lives lost in our community, as well as the many thousands of lives that were lost throughout. It’s always great to see students who might not have been alive or might not have been old enough to realize what was going on, come to pay their respects,” said Associate Director for the Office of Student Leadership and Engagement Denise Boneta.

 “We need to make sure we keep this kind of memory alive for people younger than me and people coming up into the undergraduate program,” Wiegelman added.

 “This will never, ever stop,” Rabinowitz said. “Even in our darkest hours, we can choose hope.”