Vanderbilt University honored its three alumni lost in the September 11 bombings with a campus ceremony and the ringing of the Kirkland Hall bell.
Terence "Ted" Adderley, BA'01, Mark Hindy, BS'95, and Davis Grier "Deeg" Sezna Jr., BA'01, were among the nearly 3,000 people who died in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. They, and the somber events of that day in 2001, were recognized by Vice Chancellor for People, Culture and Belonging Sydney Savion and Associate Dean of Students EJ Edney on Alumni Lawn on Friday, Sept. 11.
"We remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost in New York City, at the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93. We remember the families and loved ones whose lives were forever changed. And we remember the first responders, service members and ordinary people who met an unimaginable moment with courage, compassion and service," Savion said.
"We speak their names because remembrance asks us to remember more than a number or a date. It asks us to remember the lives they lived, the people they loved and the communities they shaped." -Sydney Savion
Adderley, whose name graces an endowed chair in economics, was described as "respectful, pleasant and inspired by the search of knowledge" by Vanderbilt Professor of Economics Peter Rousseau.
A lettered Commodore in baseball from 1992 to 1995, Hindy was recognized by then head coach Roy Mewbourne as "one of those kinds of individuals that always had a smile and was always willing to help you and to be there for you."
Rousseau also described Sezna as having a "contagious" love of life. His parents, Davis and Gail, established a golf scholarship in his honor that has become part of the fabric of Vanderbilt's esteemed men's golf program.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, the bell at Kirkland Hall rang three times-in honor of each of the three fallen Vanderbilt alumni-and was followed by a moment of silence in remembrance of that day.
REMEMBRANCE IN VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY-NEW YORK CITY
Vanderbilt also hosted a moment of silence in the chapel of its Chelsea neighborhood campus in New York City. Assistant Vice Chancellor for Strategic Initiatives James Kellerhouse delivered remarks.
"In a moment designed to divide and frighten people, countless individuals chose instead to help one another. New Yorkers helped New Yorkers. Americans helped Americans. And people around the world reached out in solidarity," said Kellerhouse, also executive director of operations and engagement for Vanderbilt University-New York City.
"For a period of time, the boundaries that normally separate us seemed less important than what connected us. We were reminded that underneath all of the labels we carry, we are neighbors. We belong to one another." -James Kellerhouse
