Fifty candles illuminated the stage of the Student Union Theater on Tuesday as the University at Buffalo community remembered the victims of the crash of Continental Flight 3407.
???As the remains of the plane continue to be extracted from the crash site, investigators have yet to determine what caused the plane to crash into a home on Long Road in Clarence Center, N.Y. at approximately 10:20 p.m. on Thursday. The event left 49 passengers and crewmembers and one person on the ground dead.
???In Tuesday's public remembrance program organized by Student Affairs, the memories of the victims were brought to the forefront in a slideshow presentation featuring names and photographs.
???At least 11 of the victims had ties to UB.
???Following a performance by the UB Flute Quartet, President John B. Simpson opened the program praising the strong bonds of community within Western New York.
???"One of the things I now understand about our community here in Western New York, and it distinguishes us as a community, is the proximity and the caring of people for one another," Simpson said. "...This is who we are today -- neighborhoods, families, friends and colleagues sitting together to remember and to reflect for a while."
???Kelly Halvorsen, a sophomore dance and performance major, attended the service and said that witnessing the lighting of the candles will stick with her.
???"I came because [while] I really didn't know anyone personally who was involved in the crash, it's just affected the community that I live in so greatly... I want to be able to reflect on those who passed," she said.
???Gerald Schoenle, chief of University Police shared a personal story about Lorin Maurer, who perished in the event.
???"I thought about a wedding I attended this weekend of a close friend's daughter," Schoenle said. "My friend, a retired university police officer and first responder, was called to the airport Thursday evening, as the groom's brother in the wedding party had lost his fiancee, Lorin Maurer, who was on Flight 3407. The best man was also a first responder, being an Iraq War veteran who had just returned."
???Schoenle commended the brave work of the first responders and asked that the public not forget their efforts.
???"We just ask that you please consider them and pray for them as we pray for the victims and their families," Schoenle said.
???Simpson, who was away on business in India when the incident occurred, was pleased with the role the university has played in supporting the efforts of those engaged in dealing the people who have been directly and indirectly affected.
???"I thought [the remembrance program] was a very positive event," Simpson said. "I think it was a means for the community to come together and collectively try and get this behind us in a way which is not damaging, but positive; positive for the Western New York community as well as the university."
???Father Patrick Keleher, director of campus ministries, has been working with families affected by the incident. He felt that the ceremony was a step in the right direction in the healing process.
???"I thought it was genuinely communitarian; it was wonderful," Keleher said. "It shows what a great resource this university is."
???Keleher also provided closing remarks for the event, highlighting passages from the Book of Ecclesiastes in the aid to find comfort.
???Ben Charlton, a UB student, Greg Coogan, a Catholic campus minister at the Newman Center, and John Martin, treasurer of the Student Association, each read Bible passages during the ceremony. Jean Ott of the Unitarian Universalist Church recited the Roland Gittelsohn poem, "We Remember Them." The Buffalo Chips and the Royal Pitches also performed a cappella versions of "It Don't Have to Change" and "Seasons of Love," respectively.
???Those seeking support can do so by contacting Counseling Services at 716-645-2720 weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by calling the University Police at 716-645-2222.
Photo: Courtesy of Laron Fomby
