Tragedy hits home:

State university community mobilizes for its nation

The SUNY community — UUP members, students, administrators and others — joined the tight circle of millions of Americans who responded to the heard and unheard cries for help after terrorist attacks on the U.S. left the nation in an unprecedented welter.

The responses were swift and multifaceted. Faculty members opened up their classrooms for discussions. Blood drives were held. Candles were lit and people gathered for vigils. Forums were scheduled. Staff organized walks. Counselors were available. A UUP picnic, scheduled weeks ahead at one chapter, turned into a gathering place for an entire college community. Remembrance programs for victims were held with readings, reflection and musical performances.

The scene at SUNY Albany was indicative of the wave of reactions that spread across state campuses: how to make community and education rise above the horror. A blood drive was set up the same day as the attacks. Members of the campus rescue squad were sent to New York to assist rescue efforts. Thousands attended a candlelight vigil the same night as the attacks and, the following day, thousands gathered again for a peaceful walk around the campus led by flag-bearers. Groups linked arms and broke into “God Bless America,” while others talked in subdued tones; some cried. The walk was followed by calls for understanding by campus leaders, and then groups participated in forums focused on the aftermath of tragedy, terrorism, internationalism and other subjects. Counselors were available in the campus centers and in the quads.

Much of the school’s population hails from the metropolitan New York and Long Island regions. Since access to those areas was shut off, the college kept the campus open, but canceled classes so that students would have a place to meet.

When they did, they took time to honor one early loss: student Richard Murphy’s father was a New York City firefighter.

Carl Martin, assistant vice president for student affairs and a member of UUP who helped put the programs together, said the response was a way for the campus community to express solidarity and resolve in the face of tragedy.

Fellow UUPer Michael Jaromin, director of student activities who helped organize aftermath events, said the purpose of the programs was to “remain unified, and remind people they’re not alone at a time when they may be feeling scared.”

Walking arm-in-arm with colleagues, UUPer Helen Desfosses said marching together was “one of the most extraordinary things we can do to build community.” She then continued singing, “ ... Oh beautiful, for spacious skies ...”

Student David Wolpoff, walking with a beagle puppy named Wilson — who was born on the Fourth of July — said he knows of a couple students who left campus immediately after the trade center was hit, unsure if their parents were still alive.

Anne Ryan showed up with an American flag and her daughter Willow (English for “freedom”) after seeing news about the walk on TV. They came to say that the terrorists “can kill our bodies, but not our spirits,” she said.

SUNY Albany President Karen Hitchcock said it was time to “combat evil with knowledge ... so the democratic imperatives we share become first in our mind.”

Despite the thousands of walkers, there was a near silence that Laurie Garafola, a UUPer and director of residential life, described as “surreal.” The same mood had permeated the campus since the news took hold, she said.

Errol Millington, facilities space planner and a UUPer, said students were going through something like those who experienced the attack on Pearl Harbor. “There’s a lot of anger; people are looking for support,” he said.

“People are still in a state of shock,” said John Murphy, director of judicial affairs and a member of UUP. The role of faculty and staff, he said, is to be “active supporters of this community. Many of our students come from the New York City area. Faculty and staff have moved right in, having conversations with students, holding forums.”

Kenneth Kallio, SUNY Geneseo chapter president, said he talked to students in one psychology class about the role of attachments, such as hearing a familiar voice as a way to feel secure after a tragedy. In his developmental psychology class, he talked with students about the differing impacts of tragedy on children, depending on their age.

At Geneseo, support sessions were held for faculty on how to deal with students in the classroom.

“Nobody knows what the right answers are,” Kallio said. “The idea is to get together and share ideas.”

UUPers at Farmingdale came up with one answer right away. Chapter President Barbara Maertz reported that a membership picnic had been planned for Sept. 11, the day of the attacks. Instead of canceling the event after the morning turned grim, members used the food and meeting space to invite the entire campus community in for support and information about the closest attacks, which were 25 miles away. A moment of silence was held to honor the victims; everyone held hands.

Announcements made at the gathering informed students that, since the major highways heading west from campus were closed, they could stay on campus in makeshift housing.

Five UUPers had daughters, a son and husbands who worked in the World Trade Center, according to Maertz. Word was eventually received that all of them got out of the building unharmed. Older students had left children in day care in the city, and were unsure how they could get to them.

“It was very emotional ... but everybody reached out to everyone,” Maertz said.

“There are students here who know people who are missing,” said Farmingdale UUPer Michael Smiles, who also serves on the union’s statewide Executive Board. “It’s really difficult and awkward.”

Classes were cancelled for two days at Farmingdale.

Like many campuses across the state, SUNY Buffalo held a program to honor all the victims of the tragedies, using readings and music to pay homage. Many faculty and staff participated, as well as representatives from local rescue and relief organizations.

-- Liza Frenette