Stuyvesant Alums Thwarted In Effort To Remember 9/11 At High School

Photograph, taken from Stuyvesant High School on September 11, 2001, courtesy of Gary He

For students at Stuyvesant High School on September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center attacks remain an emotional touchstone in their lives, with many of them watching the tragedy unfold from Chambers Street. Some alumni have been attempting to commemorate the 10th anniversary at the school—while the anniversary falls on a Sunday, the school is open by way of the Community Center located there—but have run up against apparent bureaucracy (and vacations!) at the Battery Park City Authority as well as flat-out resistance from Stuyvesant itself.

Class of 2002 alum Gary He tells us that he, former Stuyvesant class president Jukay Hsu and others have been trying to secure space for students and teachers (Classes of 2002 through 2005) to reflect together. They say that Stuyvesant Principal Stanley Teitel first said they would need to pay for an event, and then said the school's agreement with the Battery Park City Authority precluded them from using any part of the school. When the alums contacted the BPCA, they were told they would be allowed to use a small park across from the high school, but then the BCPA rescinded that offer. Now, the frustrated students tell us, the BPCA special events/permitting coordinator is on vacation until September 12.

We spoke to Stuyvesant Principal Stanley Teitel, who firmly said, "The high school isn't available. They think because they were here they can just come in, but they don't have rights." Further, he added, "Why would they want to relive that day? I certainly don't want to relive that day.... And they just happened to be [at the school on 9/11]—why do they want to be here?"

The Battery Park City Authority's Leticia Remauro said, "Due to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the September 11th commemoration including security issues and limited access in Lower Manhattan, Battery Park City Authority, in discussion with the Mayor’s office and various city agencies, has determined that we will not be issuing permits for events on September 9, 10 or 11th."

The alums are still looking for a space to gather on September 11.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Jen Chung in News on September 2, 2011 1:59 PM

Comments [rss]

Dencal26

Teitel is a bolshevik who probably was thrilled with the 911 assault on capitalism.

jomama341

I was a sophomore at Stuy on 9/11 and Teitel's remarks in this article are a stark reminder of his administration's lack of sympathy toward the students (that apparently still prevails to this day.)

What never gets reported is how Teitel completely botched the evacuation on 9/11 by waiting until the second toward collapsed to let most of the students leave the building. Up until that point, the administration had willfully ignored what was happening outside, instead opting to keep us all in class because, God forbid, class should be ever be canceled at Stuyvesant.

Not only that, but we were all forced to go back to Stuyvesant in mid October before the last fire at ground zero had even been extinguished. The school then showed its sympathy for the students for all they had been through by extending our school day by a half an hour for the rest of the year.

So, there you have it. Unfortunately, I'm not surprised by Teitel's heartless reaction. This isn't a place where people genuinely care for one another, this is Stuyvesant HS.

birdtird

sounds great, how do i enroll my kid there?

diablofreak

"Why would they want to relive that day? I certainly don't want to relive that day...."
cuz they've been told since 10 years ago that day to NEVER FORGET.
what a douchebag.

Gaia Filicori

This is such a typical response from a city-run public school. You know we won't have this problem if we went to a private school.

personagratin

That's because alumni aren't a major funding source for public schools.

Spirit of 76

"The high school isn't available. They think because they were here they can just come in, but they don't have rights."

That seems to be the prevailing attitude at city schools today. I tried to visit my old HS a few years back. They basically told me to buzz off. If the alumni association tries to solicit a donation from me, they're in for a rude surprise.

dootdoot

i was just thinking the same thing...do they really expect alums to have any interest in donating when the principal talks like that?

Mad Joy

Seriously? What an asshat.

dootdoot

wow teitel is still a dick

schmeep

Well, since the High School of Economics and Finance is directly across the street and received NO fanfare 9/11, I really don't feel bad for the Stuy kids.

Anna

The fact that the media did not spotlight other schools in the area does not mean the kids sitting in math class watching a tragedy with their own eyes were not traumatized. Yes, I am sure others were impacted even more, but this is not a "poor me" competition. Whatever petty rivalry you may have felt towards the school a few blocks away should not matter. The article is about one group of people (incidentally Stuy alumni), who want to hold an event marking the anniversary and are frustrated at the difficulties associated with it. If the other schools wanted to do the same and were precluded from doing so it would be just as unfortunate. Your reaction is petty and pathetic and even more so considering the gravity of the event this is associated with. You should be ashamed of yourself.

schmeep

It would take a lot more for this to make me feel 'shame.' Grow a thicker skin, and welcome to comment postings. Shame on you for telling me how I should feel.

Harris Beringer

Stuyvesant had more "fanfare" because the school is very well known, has 4x the number of students, and had to spend the rest of the school year in an unsafe building.

schmeep

Your response makes me even less sympathetic to your plight. The fact you edited your reply to soften it did little difference.

doodles4eva

Are you an alum of Eco & Fin? Cause I am, class of 2004. And I was there that damn day. And that shit still annoys me how bitchy everyone was about Stuyvesant. Fuck Stuy! And I had a cousin who went there at the same time and told him rightly so.
Those ass-hats didn't have to deal with be relocated for 7+ DAMN MONTHS to midtown, going to school from 1pm till 7:30 everyday and still trying to get all class requirement done appropriately. I couldn't care less about 9/11 anymore, but it surely still pisses me off about all the whining and pity kids from Stuy get. Those fuckers were 3-4 long ass blocks away for christs sake!

Amy Zhen

You wouldn't be saying this if you're school was attempting to hold a memorial. You're not the only school who suffered during the 9/11 attacks. All the schools nearby were evacuated and moved, including Stuyvesant (who relocated to Brooklyn Tech with 1:30 - 6:30 classes). You're missed the point of the article as Anna pointed out: it's a group of people trying to commemorate the 9/11 attacks, not about which school is more popular. At least Stuyvesant actually bothered to do something for the 10th anniversary, while you're online complaining about the little publicity your school had. Jealous much?

schmeep

No, my best friend/roommate at the time is a guidance counselor there and came home caked in powder, so I know from whence I speak.

doodles4eva

Mr. Makris (if I'm spelling his name correctly? lol) I suspect. Either way, yea that day was pure hell. Especially trying to hail a cab in Union Square to get back home on the Upper West. But really never ceased to amaze me how Eco AND Leadership High which was next door were completely forgotten about by the media.

k3ll3s

Students of the High School of Economics and Finance are more than welcome to join the 9/11 memorial service ...

(err..but first they have to take this 2 1/2 hour exam & score in the top 1%)