The University of Rhode Island held a remembrance for those lost on 9/11 with a candle-lit service held on the Quad. PHOTO CREDIT: 911memorial.org
A memorial and candle lighting event was held at the University of Rhode Island Quad to remember the lives lost at the World Trade Center in New York City on September 11, 2001.
The event was organized by the URI chapter of the Delta Zeta sorority and senior Caitlin Spor. Spor is majoring in TMD (Textiles, Fashion Merchandising and Design).
Spor’s father was one of the firefighters who died in the World Trade Center on 9/11. She planned the same event last year as well and has been planning this year’s event since then.
“Since last summer, I thought about how the school hasn’t had a 9/11 memorial before,” Spor said. “I realized on the twentieth anniversary it was more important than ever to start remembering, so people don’t forget. Being that a lot of the students here were born after 9/11 at this point, I think it’s more important than ever for them.”
Attendees were encouraged to hold a candle at the event and the firefighters from the Kingston Fire District drove a fire truck displaying the American flag onto the Quad.
Marc Parlange, the president of URI, spoke at the start of the ceremony.
“Caitlin, I would like to thank you for inviting me to be here this evening with all of you and this is extremely important that we remember,” Parlange said.
Spor then spoke about her father and what he and his colleagues did on that day.
“21 years ago, my father and his company Rescue 3 were some of the first guys to arrive at the scene of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center,” Spor said. “While others ran away in fear, my dad, just like so many first responders on that day, ran towards it. His company went up and down the South Tower twice before it collapsed.”
Spor read the poem “We Remember Them” by Sylvan Kamens & Jack Riemer to the crowd. She asked everyone in the crowd to take a moment of silence for those who lost their lives on 9/11.
“May we continue to keep our promise and never forget,” Spor said at the end of the ceremony.
Her expectations for this event was to continue to honor her father and the other people who lost their lives on 9/11.
“I was just hoping to have as many people as possible come out here tonight,” Spor said. “I didn’t really have an expectation, I was just hoping for the best.”
Parlange said that while he was happy with the turnout of the event, he was just hoping for it to be a time for students to come together in unity.
“I thought a very respectful, collegial and communal coming together,” Parlange said. “And I think that’s what we saw tonight. I think there was obviously a lot of love for our friend but a lot of support from the URI community, and I would expect nothing less from URI students.”
Parlange expressed his gratitude for being invited to the event tonight and was very happy with the turnout of students.