Written by Grace Gillespie SUNY Cortland President Erik J. Bitterbaum still remembers exactly where he was on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, a day that changed the nation and left lasting impressions on campuses across the country. At the time, Bitterbaum was serving as president of West Virginia University at Parkersburg and vice president […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: A National Tragedy from a Small-Town Perspective
Written by Kimberly Lemus & Zoe Vaughn Margaret Bauman, works in the Multicultural Life and Diversity Office and has been a resident of the Cortland area for many years, woke up on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, with no idea how the country would change. Bauman was working as a corporate billing manager in […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: A Story of Nationalism and Pride
Written by Lacey Francis, Susana Landaverde, Travis Webster, and Kevin Daly “Unfortunate… When I think back, I just think that it’s unfortunate that these individuals felt that they had to do something like that. But on the flip side of it… be proud. So proud to be an American” said John Scanlon, a Homer police […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: How 9/11 Affected SUNY Cortland’s Campus
Written by Ava Tibbitts & Claire Peters On September 11, 2001, the United States faced tragedy when terrorist attacks struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a United Airlines Flight. The events that morning quickly brought confusion, fear, and grief to the SUNY Cortland campus. There was a disruption in the daily academic life, […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: Former NYPD Officer Reflects
Written by Jade Hornick On the morning of September 11, 2001, David Villanueva, a New York City Police Officer during that time, started what seemed like an ordinary day on duty. He was assigned to a local high school just about ten minutes from the World Trade Center. His shift began at 4 o’clock that […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: “I Just Did My Job,” the story of a Firefighter Who Never Stopped Fighting
Written by Julia Haggerty and Alexandra Winchester BROOKLYN, N.Y. When the world was falling apart, Michael Passentino, a New York City firefighter for more than three decades, didn’t hesitate. He remembers the smell, the silence, and the dust of 9/11 like it was yesterday. “I got a call. I was in Brooklyn, and we were […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: When the Skies Went Silent
Written by Robert Cochran and Zachary Biemer Nearing 25 years ago on the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, the United States had an attack on the two World Trade Center towers, the pentagon, and flight 93 going down in a Pennsylvania field. An event that affected many families. Robert Cochran Sr., a United Airlines pilot, […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: The Day the World Stopped
Written by Paris Christie, Mckinley Corey, Ellie Hart, and Shady Andil On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, nearly an entire nation watched the devastation in New York City on their television screens. Steven Wineburg, owner of Bernard’s Custom Logo and Engraving in downtown Cortland, remembers watching in disbelief as the attacks occurred. “I remember […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: Remembering September 11th through a professors eyes
Written by Zachary Biemer Ibipo Johnston-Anumonwo, a Geography Professor at SUNY Cortland since 1988, learned about the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, by chatting with one of her coworkers, Larry Ashley, while getting paperwork printed before class. Anumonwo didn’t know what was happening at first and just continued going about her day, teaching morning classes […]
9/11 25th Anniversary: 89-year-old Cortland Veteran and Retired Firefighter reflects on 9/11, Service, and Life Lessons
Written by Caitlyn Dorman and Ella Gentile Working in his farmer shop at the Marketplace Mall on Main Street, 89-year-old Burt is still living with the same spark he has carried throughout his life through his years of service. Once in the military and a Cortland firefighter, his stories reflect humor and heartbreak throughout his […]