Seniors begin planning for 9/11 memorial

On the morning of Sept. 11, 2001, Dora Menchaca, an associate director of clinical research at Amgen Inc., boarded American Airlines Flight 77 to Los Angeles.

Her flight home was cut tragically short when terrorist hijackers crashed her plane into the Pentagon.

On the same day, Karleton Fyfe, a senior analyst at John Hancock, boarded American Airlines Flight 11. His flight was the first of two planes to crash into the World Trade Center.

In the north tower, where the first plane hit at 8:45 a.m., Ryan Kohart was going through his day as an equities trader for the firm Cantor Fitzgerald.

Andrew King was also in that building, carrying out his duties as president of the company's ESpeed desk. Neither man knew that the tower would collapse at 10:28 a.m.

In the south tower, hit by United Airlines Flight 175 from Boston at 9:03 a.m., Christopher Quackenbush oversaw the day's developments at Sandler O'Neill, an investment banking firm he helped to establish.

A few floors below him, Mary Lou Hague was working as a financial analyst at the investment banking firm Keefe, Bruyette, and Woods when the building collapsed at 10:05 a.m., clouding lower Manhattan with dust and debris.

All six victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks were UNC alumni.

On Tuesday, members of the class of 2005 voted to construct a 9/11 memorial garden in honor of the alumni as their senior gift to the University. Planning is already underway.

Brandon Neal, a member of the senior class fund-raising committee, said the garden will consist of flowers, benches and a memorial plaque.

"We want to have one (bench) for each of the six," Neal said.

He added that everything will depend on space and budget limitations, noting that the project is still in its nascent stage.

The garden will be modeled after the recently inaugurated Wellstone Garden located next to Murphey Hall, said Katisha Newkirk, associate director of annual giving in the Office of Development.

Senior Class Vice President Becca Frucht also is working with the fund-raising committee and the development office to address issues that will determine the garden's future.

Frucht explained that students already can donate to the fund at http://seniors.unc.edu/ with their UNC ONE Card. She added that officials hope to secure a significant number of donations through a phone pledge drive.

Senior class leaders will host a small kickoff for the project Nov. 2 in the Pit.

The event will provide students with more information on the project and donation methods, Frucht said.

"The real push to have seniors donate will be second semester," she said.

"Right now we're building the structure and strategy to market the gift."

In addition, Newkirk said officials are planning to promote the project during senior activities and direct mailings.

Contact the University Editor at udesk@unc.edu.