September 11 Message from President Bloom

NJIT Community Members,

Today we mark a solemn occasion and honor the lives and memories of the thousands who perished on September 11, 2001, when hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center in New York City; the Pentagon in Washington, DC; and a rural field in Pennsylvania.

It now has been 20 years since NJIT alumni Edward Keane, Class of 1961; Patrick Hoey, Class of 1969; George Strauch, Class of 1970; Franco Lalama, Class of 1980; Francesco Ricardelli, Class of 1985; Paul Beatini, Class of 1986; Mark Zangrilli, Class of 1988; Eddie Ching, Class of 1997; and Kleber Molina, Class of 1998; died in the collapse of Towers 1 and 2. The NJIT community also lost former Trustee Donald Peterson and his wife, Jean, who were aboard Flight 93 en-route to a family reunion in California when it crashed in Pennsylvania. Alayne Gentul, the wife of NJIT’s Dean of Students at that time, Jack Gentul, died as well because she bravely took an elevator to a higher floor of Tower 2 after the first plane hit in order to make sure members of her staff were evacuating. 

The sadness, anger, and fear we experienced during that time are easily recalled still today and, sadly, the threat of terrorism, domestically and abroad, persists. This threat is driven by ignorance and intolerance, and it is our obligation to reject the thinking that fuels such acts. 

We have the opportunity to fulfill that obligation every day, because our university is a beacon of creative, innovative, and diverse thought. It is a place where ideas and perspectives are appreciated for their uniqueness and where our mission is to solve problems through discussion and collaboration. By doing so, we honor those whose lives have been lost to terrorism.

We all should be proud to be part of this diverse and inclusive NJIT community, and each and every one of us should endeavor to have both our words and actions embody tolerance and repudiate hate in all its forms.

Sincerely,

NJIT President Joel S. Bloom