Students unveiled a September 11 memorial at a ceremony Sunday in Newcomb Hall. The memorial includes a 15-inch piece of steel from the World Trade Center acquired by the Student Association of Firefighters, EMTs and Rescue Technicians.
SAFER received the piece of steel from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey last September largely because of efforts by Law school alumnus Bill Baroni, said SAFER president Evan Davis, a fourth-year College student. The group originally applied for the piece of steel in November 2010, but its claim was rejected the next month. But Baroni, the deputy executive director of the Port Authority, worked to reverse the decision.
"[It is] important that a university founded by Thomas Jefferson, who wrote so much about liberty and freedom, the very values that [were attacked], have a piece of steel from the site itself," Baroni said. He said the steel distribution program is an important means of remembering those lost in the 9/11 attacks.
The memorial also includes a flag which was flown from the Capitol building in Washington in honor of 1982 College alumnus Glenn Kirwin, who died in the attacks. Ben Hedman, a Charlottesville resident and volunteer firefighter, designed the case holding the flag.
Davis said the event brought many different areas of the University community together. "[It was] really nice to see all aspects of the community, from students to the administration, come together to honor the victims," he said.
Davis said some money for the presentation came from Student Council, but the Office of the Dean of Students provided most of the support, helping Davis put together the ceremony and providing space for the memorial.
"We worked with [Davis] on finding an appropriate place to keep [the memorial], and had our cabinetry people finish and stain the case," Dean of Students Allen Groves said. "[Davis] came to us early on and asked for the University's support, and we were happy to stand behind him."
A similar memorial is housed in the firehouse on Fontaine Avenue, Charlottesville Fire Chief Charles Werner said.
"[Charlottesville] is going to be one of the few cities that has two 9/11 memorials in the community," Werner said. The Fire Department received a 17-foot long piece of steel last February which was originally part of the North Tower.
"I think the steel and the artifact symbolize two things: On a normal day it symbolizes strength, on a weak day it symbolizes vulnerability," Werner said. "It's important for us to remember that in the face of adversity, we can overcome it if we stand shoulder to shoulder."
The memorial is now permanently housed on the third floor of Newcomb Hall.
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