CUNY Remembers COVID Losses

Dr. Vincent Boudreau, CUNY president, greets those in attendance at the Day of Remembrance.Under the watchful gaze of the Goddess of Wisdom, painted at the turn of the 20th century in The City College of New York’s Great Hall, two tables were covered in white cloth, adorned with purple roses and empty candle holders.

By morning’s end, those empty holders would be filled with tapered candles, placed by the family, friends, and colleagues of the at least 74 members of the City University of New York (CUNY) system who lost their lives to COVID-19.

The Day of Remembrance was held on Tuesday morning, not a week after CUNY celebrated its 175th anniversary.

When the world came to a crashing halt in early 2020, New York City became the epicenter of the crisis. Barely three months into the pandemic, CUNY had already seen some of the highest losses in all of higher education. According to data calculated by Google, Our World in Data, and The New York Times, 68,000 New Yorkers have so far lost their lives to COVID, a fraction of the one million Americans who have died so far.

With no ability to host in person memorials, wakes, or tributes, CUNY built an In Memoriam webpage that launched in late June 2020, listing names and sharing their stories. Since its creation, the page has had over 100,000 visitors, hundreds of whom left messages for loved ones lost.

Alumni Lee Burgos sings a tribute.Tuesday’s ceremony made the virtual actual, hosted in person for those who felt comfortable to attend, even as COVID cases are on the rise in New York City. Alumni, current students, faculty, leaders, family members and friends gathered to speak the names of those who were lost. CUNY’s Dance Initiative expressed grief with movement, while alumni Lee Burgos, singer and songwriter, performed a sensitive rendition of “My Heart Will Go On.”

Dr. Vincent Boudreau, president of City College, welcomed attendees to what he called “the sacred center of this campus.”