Students, Community Members Mark 9/11 Anniversary

Despite rain, two events honored and recalled those lost, including W&L alumni

by Andrew L. Thompson, ‘25

The W&L community remembered those who perished in the terrorist attacks of September 11th, 2001 in two events over the past weekend. Both events were directed by Kamron Spivey, ‘24 and Margaret Alexander, ‘24.

On Saturday September 10th, students gathered on Cannan Green to plant 2977 American flags, each one representing a person killed in the attacks. The flags served as a backdrop for the second event, held the following day, during which student leaders commemorated the fallen through prayer, speeches, and song.

After a quartet composed of W&L students finished playing “Amazing Grace,” Spivey invited attendees to pay their respects by gathering around the flags for a moment of reflection.

The events were sponsored by seven organizations: Students for Historical Preservation, College Democrats, College Republicans, The W&L Spectator, W&L Habitat for Humanity, Young America’s Foundation, and Hillel.

Rainy conditions on Saturday had caused the flag-planting to be relocated to a tent on Cannan Green.

Students gathered to begin placing flags at around 5:00 p.m. W&L alumnus and army veteran Dr. Ralph Caldroney, ‘72, stopped by to explain the importance of honoring the fallen, adding that such moments also remind us of the prospects for future conflict.

After he concluded, students walked to the tent and Spivey measured a plot to guide flag placement. As rain fell, the participants placed a perimeter of flags along the tent edges before filling the interior with a series of rows. Each flag was placed four inches from the last.

Two students who helped–Luke, ‘25 and Sophie, ‘23–are from New York City and expressed gratitude that Americans around the country continue commemorating those killed.

“9/11 has affected my family in a pretty tremendous way,” said Luke, adding that he had cousins in the New York City Fire Department. “It really makes me happy to see people showing respect all the way down in Virginia.”

Sophie told The Spectator that two family friends were killed in the attacks. “It’s just very emotional,” she said.

Later, Sophie expressed concern that commemoration of 9/11 has become less important, even in New York City.

The following day, students congregated again on Cannan Green for a formal ceremony, joined this time by members of the wider community.

Kamron Spivey served as master of ceremonies and introduced Mack Rukaniec, ‘23. Rukaniec led the audience in an interfaith prayer of remembrance. He then asked participants to join him in a moment of silence.

College Democrats president Connor McNamara spoke next. Connor explained how honoring the fallen is important for those who were not alive at the time. Although 9/11 may be “a piece of history to us,” he said, “we remember them” at events like these.

He went on to tie the loss experienced on 9/11 to the grief many experienced over the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, saying it is “unacceptable to forget” both tragedies.

Connor was followed by Elizabeth Hertzberg, 23’, president of the College Republicans. After noting those lost, Hertzberg said that those who were too young to remember the attacks or who were born afterwards still have a duty to remember.

“The class of 2023 is the last year filled with people who were alive during the attacks, even if we don’t remember. That means it’s all the more up to us–and to you all–to ensure that the involuntary sacrifice those 2977 made that day is not forgotten,” she went on to say.

“So I challenge you, whether you can recall where you were that morning or not, to embody the spirit of 9/12, to look to your left and to look to your right and see first a fellow American before you see partisanship.”

Kamron Spivey spoke next, focusing on the alumni W&L lost twenty-one years ago on 9/11.

According to Spivey, Cmd. Robert Schlegle, who graduated in 1985 and was a member of the Chi Psi fraternity, was killed while working in the Pentagon. He had served for fourteen years in the navy. The Schlegel Scholarship for International Studies, awarded to W&L students pursuing global affairs, was established in his memory.

James “Jamie” Gadiel, who graduated in 2000 and was a member of Sigma Nu, died while at his office in the North Tower of the World Trade Center. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald, a brokerage firm.

At the end of the speech, Spivey asked that attendees continue their remembrance.

“Please do what you can to remember those people not as numbers from a historical event, but as individuals with unique stories and lives. Look at these flags behind me and try to see each person in those flags.”