It was a memorable ending to Spring Weekend that no one could have predicted.
On Sunday, May 1st, rumors slowly rippled and then erupted that Osama bin Laden, head of the terrorist organization Al Qaeda and mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, had been killed by American forces. By the time President Barack Obama confirmed the reports in a televised speech, word of spontaneous gatherings across the Rose Hill campus had spread via Facebook.
Students first met on Eddie’s Parade, and an increasingly large crowd walked over to the Rose Hill Gym and rang the Victory Bell. Then the gathering – which some may consider a celebration – took a somber turn, as students filled the Finlay Garden and surrounding area around the school’s September 11th Memorial Garden. Students read the names of the Fordham faculty and alumni killed in the terrorist attacks, almost ten years ago.
The event was a moving experience for many. Katie Howe, FCRH ’13 and a D.C. native, tweeted, “I have never been more proud to go to Fordham. I love New York.”
Where you at part of these historic events? How do you feel about Fordham’s reaction to news? To read more, check out this story from The Ram.
*Image Courtesy of The Ram