An American flag that flew above Ground Zero at the site of the World Trade Center will be presented to UB during the Annual Newman Convocation and Liturgy of the Holy Spirit, to be held Sunday, Sept. 16, by Capt. Stephen Spall, a UB alumnus and member of the New York City Fire Department's Emergency Rescue Task Force.
Spall, who graduated in 1985 with a degree in civil engineering, is a former winner of the Newman Award, the UB Newman Center's highest honor, given to a distinguished faculty member or alumnus.
He will present UB President William R. Greiner with the World Trade Center flag at the conclusion of the ceremony, which will be held at 11:30 a.m. at St. Joseph's University Church on 3269 Main St.
"I think the gesture is really marvelous," said Greiner. "I was overjoyed; it never really would have dawned on me that something like this could have happened."
The convocation, which is in its 26th year, gathers students and faculty to begin the scholastic year with prayers and also honors distinguished alumni and faculty.
"It's medieval tradition to pray for the Holy Spirit's guidance on the studies," said Greg Coogan, campus minister for the UB Newman Center at South Campus. "This has been a tradition at the university for over 30 years, praying for the Holy Spirit's guidance upon the faculty, staff and student body, and it's a time when both the North and the South campuses come together as a unified Catholic community."
In addition to the Catholic Mass, the convocation will recognize the 11 UB alumni who lost their lives in the Sept. 11 attacks.
"When we knew there were alumni and family killed in the World Trade Center Towers, we wanted to recognize them," said William Barba, clinical associate professor of Educational Leadership and Policy.
A plaque acknowledging the alumni will be displayed in Buffalo Plaza in the Coventry Loop.
"The alumni of the University at Buffalo are very special individuals to the institution," said Robert Davies, associate vice president for alumni relations. "The alumni feel very special toward the university, and this is an opportunity to demonstrate that pride."
According to Davies, the Alumni Association was flooded with calls of personal accounts of the attacks, as well as questions about the safety of alumni in New York City during Sept. 11.
Davies said it was hard to help from Western New York, but the Alumni Association acted as a support system, both during the attacks and throughout the year that followed.
"(The UB alumni) are committed to each other, they're committed to the University at Buffalo, and they're dealing with this tragedy with the human spirit that we could expect," he said.
Greiner said UB's distance from the site of the attacks did not make coping any easier.
"We're a long way, physically and geographically, from that tragedy," Greiner said. "We weren't hit as hard as some places, but just about every part of the state was affected in some way."
The convocation will also honor Mary Anne Rokitka, assistant dean of Biomedical Undergraduate Education and this year's recipient of the Newman Award.
Rokitka will receive the award "for her witness of faith on campus, being a presence on campus, being involved, and her dedication to her profession and serving the university and her students to the best of her ability," said Coogan.
Spall received the Newman Award in 1995 after he aided in the Oklahoma City rescue efforts.
About half of Spall's colleagues on the Emergency Rescue Task Force lost their lives in the rescue efforts after Sept. 11, according to Greiner.
"It's bittersweet for Steve," Greiner said. "He lost lots of friends and acquaintances and fellow workers out of his own company. He's a very courageous man; he puts his life on the line in the city."
Traditionally, these flags are given to family members of deceased firemen and other rescue workers, according to Barba. The flags were to cover any remains found.
"Congress authorized certain flags to be utilized in the recovery effort, and of course, there weren't a lot of remains to be recovered, as it turned out," said Barba.
According to Barba, it was Spall's idea to bestow the World Trade Center flag on UB, because Spall keeps very close ties with the university.
Greiner plans to fly the flag for a short period of time, before displaying it for the university. Greiner is unsure at this time where the flag will be displayed permanently.
