Ronnah Martineau looks at the memorial created by students at J.P. Stevens High School, Edison, in tribute to her son Brian and three other school alumni who were victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. The memorial, including a piece of steel from the World Trade Center encased in glass, was unveiled Sept. 9. JEFF GRANIT staff I t started as just an idea last year, but somehow took a life of its own when the 25 students of the John P. Stevens High School Civics and Justice Academy came together to build a memorial to mark the 10- year anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
Specifically, the memorial, unveiled Friday, is dedicated to the four alumni of J.P. Stevens who lost their lives on 9/11: Alan D. Kleinberg, class of 1979; Brian E. Martineau, 1982; Kevin S. Cohen, 1991; and Scott M. Schertzer, 1991.
The students created a gray oblong granite structure that weighs about a ton. On top of the block sits a piece of rusty steel with a nail sticking out of it enclosed in a handmade glass cabinet. The steel is from the World Trade Center. Just below the piece are the names of the four alumni who lost their lives that day.
Marcia Cohen, whose son Kevin died in the terrorist attacks, and husband Barry listen to a speaker. PHOTOS BY JEFF GRANIT staff MayorAntonia Ricigliano, Board of Education members and other community members attended the unveiling ceremony in the school lobby, where the memorial will remain.
The families of Martineau, Cohen and Schertzer were also in attendance.
Ricigliano, who said she knew some of the families, presented them with a township proclamation.
“This is a difficult day, as is every day after Sept. 11,” she said.
Paul Schertzer said his son Scott loved his time at J.P. Stevens.
“He played varsity baseball and soccer at the school,” he said. “He enjoyed sports.”
J.P. Stevens High School Principal Gail Pawlikowski and former Assistant Principal Phil Esposito reflect during the Sept. 9 ceremony. Scott Schertzer was just 28 years old when he died. He worked for Cantor Fitzgerald on the 104th floor of the North Tower. The elder Schertzer said his daughter, Lori, was in the other tower that day. She survived.
“She called me and said she couldn’t get in contact with Scott,” he said. “I told her to get out and I would call him. We didn’t hear from him that day …” Schertzer said his family appreciated the memorial.
“We very happily went [to the ceremony] and it was a beautiful memorial,” he said. “The students did a phenomenal job. Scott would be happy if he saw this memorial.” Schertzer said that as a parent he couldn’t have asked for a better son. “Scott enjoyed life. He was a great person, a devoted son, a great brother to his sister, and a great friend,” he said.
Shannon Gwynn, a 2011 graduate of J.P. Stevens High School, stands next to the memorial during its Sept. 9 unveiling. Friends of Schertzer hold a golf tournament every year in his honor. The Schertzers also attended the 9/11 ceremonies in Jersey City and at Ground Zero on Sunday.
Jonathan Miller, supervisor of social studies at J.P. Stevens, said the idea of obtaining an artifact from the World Trade Center was brought to the school’s attention by former Board of Education member Sue Scerbo.
“She told us that the Port Authority was giving civic groups, as well as other organizations, an opportunity to get a piece of the World Trade Center,” he said. “We wrote a letter and they quickly responded that we could receive an artifact.”
Miller said Martin Malague, social studies supervisor at Edison High School, traveled to Jersey City to pick up the artifacts with his family. Another piece will be displayed at Edison High School.
“Once we received the piece [at J.P. Stevens], we asked ourselves, ‘What would we like to do?’ ” Miller said.
The school’s Civics and Justice Academy, which is for seniors, has a citizens’ project component to it.
“The students are asked to create a project either on a local, state or federal level,” said Miller.
Last year, the students told the school officials that they would like to make a memorial. They formed teams of planners and designers and held fundraisers, including a faculty vs. students basketball game.
“They presented us with a PowerPoint presentation, which blew us away,” said Miller. “It was absolutely wonderful; the design was spot-on and it was everything that they wanted to accomplish.”
Miller said that although the 25 students graduated in June, they worked through the summer to see that the project was completed.
Francine Glaser, Kelsey Santiago, Malijah Jones, Isabella Flores and Shannon Gwynn, all 18 years old, attended the unveiling ceremony.
“We have been working on this since September 2010, and finally today we were able to present it to the families,” Glaser said.
Flores said they all believed that those who died on 9/11 should be remembered in a big way.
“Not just a piece of steel in a shadow box in a hallway,” she said. “We wanted it to stand out and be memorable. We wanted it to be special and for the families to be honored and for them to know that their loved ones are loved.”
Gwynn noted that students from the art classes helped with the design.
The students, who were 7 and 8 years old in 2001, said the events of 9/11 were hard for them to grasp.
“At that age, it was a big deal,” said Santiago. “I think we all have a lot of feelings with it, and it’s not a good feeling, but we have to live with it.”
Flores said having the families at the ceremony made the memorial process more real to them.
“We are honored to present something so huge and touching,” she said. “To see that they are here in support of us and for them to see our support for them and their loved ones, it made the process more worth it in the end.”
Miller said the memorial will be a continuing legacy at the school for students and their families.
“The students enter to learn and depart to serve, and that is what we will continue to do at J.P. Stevens,” he said.