Reflecting on 9/11
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anhattan College alumni have played a significant role in the history of the World Trade Center, from its first building to its ultimate destruction. After the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001, their involvement became especially apparent to all who participated in the recovery and rebuilding efforts at Ground Zero. In fact, so many Jaspers participated in these efforts that their roles were prominently detailed in the best-selling book American Ground: Unbuilding the World Trade Center by William Langewiesche. In it, he describes the cast of alumni who set out to recover the lost and clean up the damage. “There were so many Manhattan College graduates at the Trade Center site that people referred to the work there as a school project, and someone posted an alumni sign-in sheet outside one of the kindergarten rooms at P.S. 89, which rapidly filled up,” Langewiesche writes. The alumni featured below are just a few of the numerous Jaspers who contributed to the efforts at the site on that day and on the days thereafter. Here, they reflect on their memories of Sept. 11 and how that day has influenced them. Elizabeth Butler ’95
B.S. Chemical Engineering Remedial Project Manager, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Butler was at her office on the 22nd floor of a high-rise building, just north of City Hall, where she had an unobstructed view of the World Trade Center. After feeling the tremors from the impact of the first plane and then seeing the fireball resulting from the crash of the second plane, she and a co-worker immediately evacuated all of her colleagues from their workplace. She recalls vividly the looks of recognition and realization on the faces of those she passed on her way home. “Since my involvement included going into people’s homes in lower Manhattan to clean them and test the air, I was given a clear reminder that no matter how rich or poor we are, we were all connected and all shared this common story,” she says of how that day influenced her. “Although I’d always felt at home in New York City, even though I’m from New Jersey, being here for 9/11 and especially sharing the stories with the residents whose homes we worked in, fully cemented New York City as the place where my heart will always be. It also made me really grateful to work for an agency where I can spend every day working to try to make a difference in the lives of others.”
Peter Rinaldi ’71
B.S. Civil Engineering Engineering Program Manager, Port Authority of N.Y. & N.J., on 9/11, retired from the Port Authority in 2010 as Assistant Director of Engineering On Friday, Sept. 7, Rinaldi left his office on the 72nd floor of Tower One for a two-week vacation in the Outer Banks, N.C., where he was on Sept. 11. He watched in horror as the buildings collapsed on TV, knowing that many of his friends and colleagues were in those buildings, and was concerned about their safety. “During my involvement on the site, in the aftermath of 9/11, I saw the worst that mankind — the terrorists — could do, but I also saw the best that mankind — the people responding — could do,” Rinaldi says. “Since my experience with 9/11, I no longer take life for granted and try to embrace every day.” 18 N FALL 2011
Michael Rappe ’80
B.S. Civil Engineering (’83 M.S. Civil Engineering) Deputy Chief, FDNY, on 9/11, now Principal Engineer and President of RF Engineers Rappe was home watching his 3-year-old daughter when a friend called to tell him to turn on the TV. He then dropped her off and rushed down to the command post, where he assisted the chief with conducting and coordinating search and rescue missions. He stayed there until early the next morning and continued to devote shifts to site. “The spirit and determination of the firemen,” says Rappe, in recalling what stood out that day. “There was a sense of sacrifice to rescue other people. As I look back, I’m just so proud of the emergency workers, police and firefighters, who were solely concerned with saving as many people as possible. It’s a testament to the rescuers that it went as well as it did.” He’s proud to have been a member of the committee that reviewed New York City building codes in the aftermath and of the resulting changes signed into law by the mayor in 2004.
Cecilia Figueroa ’01
B.S. Civil Engineering Engineer, Turner Construction Company At work, Figueroa was sitting at her desk in her office in World Trade Center Tower One. “I remember that in the midst of all of the chaos, people were stopping to help each other,” she says. “Even though they knew they were in danger, it was more important to stop and help another person in need then to run and try to save yourself. Humanity was at its worst but also at its best on that day.”
Tom Olesczuk ’82
B.S. Civil Engineering Vice President, Tully Construction Co. Inc. Olesczuk had just concluded a quarterly review meeting with his CEO in their main office when he heard the news of the first plane crash. He spent the rest of the morning getting in touch with job site superintendents and foremen to ensure that all staff was accounted for and all job sites were in the process of portraits by carolyn fong
Inside the World Financial Center, Elizabeth Butler '95 gets a glimpse of the World Trade Center site. Peter Rinaldi '71, on Church Street, observes the construction that is reflected in the Millenium Hilton behind him. Michael Rappe '80 takes in the progress from the Winter Garden, which overlooks the site.