Memorial Observances
In the heart of Boston, Briggs Field was filled with a sea of people on a significant day. Approximately 5,000 students, faculty, and staff from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) had gathered, waiting to pay their respects to slain MIT Officer Sean Collier.
Among the crowd was Christian Reed, a member of Army ROTC, who attended the ceremony in uniform to pay his respects to Collier and law enforcement officials from across the country. Reed found the events of the past week to reaffirm his commitment to the Army and America.
Alex Slocum, a professor of mechanical engineering, donned a Hawaiian shirt in the colours of the American flag to honour Collier. Slocum, who has had personal encounters with campus police that kept him from harm, expressed his gratitude for Collier's service.
Patricia Crosby, a financial assistant in MIT's Department of Financial Accounting and Reporting, was among those present. She described the event as surreal, being up close and personal. Crosby, who has worked at MIT for 24 years, stated that such events were not supposed to happen.
Thousands of students, including senior Anna Merrifield and Hana Khalil, attended Collier's memorial service. Merrifield felt it was nice to come full circle and celebrate someone's life who protected the campus. Khalil was surprised by an officer putting his life on the line for MIT students.
Aparna Sud brought flowers to lay at the memorial to Collier at the Stata Center. Claude Muhinda, working in MIT's Division of Student Life, observed a new sense of solidarity on campus following Collier's death. This solidarity was a testament to Collier's heroism, which symbolised courage and self-sacrifice in the face of terror, fostering unity and respect within the MIT community and beyond.
Collier is remembered for bravely refusing to surrender his weapon to terrorists, an act that cost him his life but helped lead to their capture. His death and service reinforced trust and respect towards law enforcement on campus, showing a shared commitment to protecting the MIT community during a critical moment.
The community's response to his sacrifice included memorials and ongoing remembrance, which continue to strengthen the sense of unity and appreciation between students and police. While no direct citations from the search results explicitly detail changes in student-police relations, the repeated remembrance posts and portrayal in media such as the film "Patriots Day" emphasise his role as a figure who brought people together, honouring courage and resilience.
On this day, Patricia Crosby arrived early to secure a seat. Crosby's purpose for attending was to lift up the family and pay her respects. As the ceremony ended, the crowd dispersed, each individual carrying with them a renewed appreciation for the bravery and selflessness of Officer Sean Collier.
- Patricia Crosby, who has worked at MIT for 24 years, was among the faculty, students, and staff who gathered on Briggs Field to commemorate Sean Collier's life.
- The memorial service for Collier was attended by numerous students, including senior Anna Merrifield, who found it fitting to celebrate the life of someone who protected their campus.
- Engineers like Alex Slocum and the Division of Student Life employee Claude Muhinda were also present, showing their support and expressing gratitude for Collier's work in education-and-self-development and campus security.
