OU honors 9/11 first responders, victims with Remembrance Ceremony and Stair Climb

In honor of 9/11 first responders and victims, Veterans Support Services and Student Veterans of Oakland University - a chapter of Student Veterans of America - hosted a Remembrance Ceremony on Thursday, Sept. 11 outside Elliott Tower on the OU campus.

"Today, we gather to honor the memory of the nearly 3,000 innocent lives lost on September 11, 2001," said Ryan Jankovich, president of Student Veterans of Oakland University (SVOU). "We honor the incredible courage of the first responders, firefighters, police officers, paramedics, and ordinary citizens, who ran toward danger, climbing floor after floor, carrying gear, guiding people to safety, and refusing to quit, even as the towers burned and the world seemed to crumble around them.

"The rescuers encountered rising smoke density, hotter temperatures, and lower oxygen availability as they ascended each flight of stairs," Jankovich added. "Every flight of stairs climbed brought them closer to the flames, and yet farther from their own chance of escape. Still, they climbed. Not for recognition. Not for reward. But because saving lives was worth everything, even their own."

Following a 21-bell salute performed by Dennis Curry, OU's resident carillonneur, the veterans, students, faculty members, and community members who attended the Remembrance Ceremony made their way across campus to the OU Recreation and Athletics Center for the 9/11 Stair Climb, during which participants were able to use the fitness center's stair stepper machines to simulate the steps taken by first responders as they ascended the 110 flights of stairs inside the World Trade Center's Twin Towers on Sept. 11, 2001.

"Every movement we make today serves as a tribute, honor, and a reminder of the physical and emotional weight they carried," said Jankovich, who served as a missile and space systems maintenance operator and a logistics coordination manager in the United States Air Force.

"Our climb serves as more than physical exercise. It is a living memorial. Let us forever remember the proud unity of our Great Nation following the horrific events at the World Trade Center. This tradition enables us to connect with the military personnel who died during battles fighting this terror."

During the stair climb, participants had the option to climb the stairs in whatever they were wearing, or don turnout gear provided by the Auburn Hills Fire Department, which added additional weight.

According to Lisa Rhoades, coordinator of Veterans Support Services at OU, 27 people participated in this year's stair climb. Any participant that climbed 25 flights while wearing the firefighter gear were able to earn a "challenge coin."

"It's just something to show that they went above and beyond," Rhoades said, noting that one participant climbed 156 flights of stairs, and that there were a total of 2,074 flights climbed during the event.

"That's the equivalent of 18.85 towers climbed," she said.

While many participated in the stair climb event to honor those 9/11 first responders who gave their all that day, others saw it as a way to challenge themselves and push themselves physically.

"I like doing things where I can push myself, so I wanted to come here and see how many step I could get in," said OU student Ryan Barrows, who climbed 143 flights during the event while wearing fire gear and a fire helmet.

"Originally, I wasn't going to do it with the suit, but when I found out they had them here, I was like 'suit me up,'" he said. "Doing it with the suit on makes it that much more difficult, but like I said, I really wanted to push myself and I'm happy with what I got."

Whatever their reason for participating, Jankovich said he was pleased to see so many people come out and make the effort during the stair climb.

"Thank you for climbing," he said. "Thank you for carrying forward the legacy of those who showed us what it means to serve."

To learn more about SVOU, you can sign up here or follow the organization on Instagram (@oaklandusvou). Students do not have to be currently serving in the military or a veteran to join SVOU.

For more information about Veterans Support Services at OU, visit www.oakland.edu/veterans.