CCNY salutes veterans

Veterans Day, Nov. 11, has always been a solemn day. It took on greater significance on Wednesday morning, when the City College of New York’s Office of Veterans Affairs held its first Veterans Day ceremony in the quad.

A color guard, consisting of four Reserve Officers’ Training Corps students from across CUNY, placed a flag at the base of the flagpole before two CCNY students, Collin Edouard and Charlotte Bennett, sang the Star-Spangled Banner a capella. The national anthem was then followed by short speeches from CCNY Director of Veterans Affairs Christopher Gorman, a U.S. Marine Corps veteran; City College Veterans Association Club President Hugh Carmichael, a U.S. Air Force veteran; City College Veterans Association Secretary Samantha Cruz, a military dependent; and Cadet Wong of CUNY ROTC.

“We’re here today to honor our heroes, to remember their achievements, their courage and their dedication, and to say thank you for their sacrifices,” Gorman said in his speech. “Thinking of the heroes who join us in this group today and those who are here only in spirit, a person can’t help but feel awed by the enormity of what we encounter. We stand in the midst of patriots and the family and friends of those who have nobly served.”

Gorman notes that 141 veterans are currently enrolled at CCNY.

“We are here to assist veterans in completing their second mission -- graduating from college,” he said.

About The City College of New York

Since 1847, The City College of New York has provided low-cost, high-quality education for New Yorkers in a wide variety of disciplines. More than 16,000 students pursue undergraduate and graduate degrees in: the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; the Bernard and Anne Spitzer School of Architecture; the School of Education; the Grove School of Engineering; the Sophie Davis School of Biomedical Education, and the Colin Powell School for Civic and Global Leadership. U.S. News, Princeton Review and Forbes all rank City College among the best colleges and universities in the United States.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Syd Steinhardt
212-650-6460
ssteinhardt@ccny.cuny.edu