Fordham Student Reflects on Museum Intern Experience

Guest blogger Jack Moses is a recent Fordham University graduate. During the spring semester, he interned with the 9/11 Memorial & Museum in the Government & Community Affairs Department. Throughout his time here, Jack worked on building a program to help Fordham University seniors engage with the Memorial & Museum. This month, we welcomed a cohort of summer interns for what is sure to be a meaningful and well-rounded experience, introducing them to the many facets of the organization. To all our new interns, we wish you the best of luck!

As a New York City institution, Fordham University has a strong connection with the events of September 11th, 2001. Three Fordham students were killed in the attacks: Lloyd Stanford Brown, Patricia A. Cody, and Christopher More Dincuff. Additionally, 28 alumni and over 50 family members of alumni were killed.  To honor this undeniable connection, one of the initiatives I worked on throughout my internship was creating a meaningful event for Fordham seniors designed to strengthen the relationship between the university and the 9/11 Memorial & Museum. On Monday, May 1st, seniors and university leadership came together in the Museum to hear the stories of others, gaining a better understanding of the connection between the two institutions, and how the events of that fateful day transformed the Fordham community.

As the conclusion to my internship, I had the honor of giving introductory remarks for this event and welcoming 9/11 Memorial & Museum President & CEO Elizabeth Hillman. When speaking to the group, Ms. Hillman focused on the intergenerational commitment to never forget. 

“History is a powerful tool for all of us but is often neglected. If we don’t invest in remembering, we do tend to forget," she said. "Things that seem indelible can fade pretty quickly. Which is why bringing us together today, through professional engagement, is so important.”

Fordham University President Tania Tetlow spoke about the importance of engaging with the complexities of a tragic event, as difficult as it may be to do so. 

“On September 11th, the unity forged in grief was a thing to behold. We responded to this moment of fear and vulnerability. And for many of us, we keep those painful memories in a dark room where we access them only sometimes," she said. "The risk of doing that, however, is that we lose the opportunity to learn lessons, including how we responded in moments of trauma, which is so important to remember.”

Before concluding the program, Fordham University senior and 9/11 Memorial Visionary John Spade spoke about his father Bill Spade, who was among 12 FDNY firefighters to respond to the World Trade Center from Rescue 5. Bill was the lone member to return to his family that day. John shared some of the lessons he learned from his father: caring for your mental health, cherishing every moment you have, and recognizing the importance of education. 

“There is a portion of me that tells these stories as a thank you, an acknowledgement of how lucky I am to have my father, and a way of honoring the thousands of families who cannot say the same," John said. "Each year on 9/11, instead of acknowledging the attacks with a moment of silence, my dad and I choose to have a moment of conversation, celebrating the lives of those who were lost, addressing the ramifications of the attacks, or learning the lessons history has to offer.” 

Following the program, the students had the opportunity to explore the Museum to deepen their understanding of the tragic events that took place almost 22 years ago.

It was a privilege to bring my now-alma mater and fellow classmates to the Musuem. Interning here was a wonderful experience and the perfect conclusion to my undergraduate year. I enter this next stage of life with a deeper understanding of the events of September 11th, a recognition of the fragility of life, and the appreciation of the importance of remembrance.

By Jack Moses, 9/11 Memorial & Museum Intern