Erik was the last person to escape the South Tower of the World Trade Center on September 11th before it collapsed.
TAKE CONTROL OF YOURSELF IN CATASTROPHIC EVENTS
Patriot Day Concert
PS 246 at 9/11 Memorial
- - - What Reviewers are Saying - - -
PATRIOT DAY CONCERT
SEPTEMBER 11, 2009
By K. Groh
October 7, 2013
In 2009, we were privileged to have Erik as our guest speaker. He spoke to our full house with harrowing and intimate details, perfect storytelling and respectful dignity and shared the events of 9/11 from his perspective on the 71st floor. For more than 40 minutes our audience of more than 1,400 citizens, sat riveted to their seats. We ran really late on our concert that evening but it was worth every minute.
His ability to share his story clearly, with feeling but not pity, details but not exploitation, and most importantly, grace and humanity make his story a worthwhile read to any citizen of our great nation. His speech is still the best we ever had in our (now) 12 years of holding this concert
James Meckley, ‘67
Event Organizer
On Saturday afternoon of the Alumni gathering, about 75 people filled the small, carpeted lecture hall to listen to Erik discuss his 9/11 experiences. It was one of the quietest, moving and mesmerizing gatherings I have ever attended. Erik spoke in a calm, controlled way, walking us through that day, speaking of helping others but never letting the fear he must have felt come through. Calculating his time, the severity of the situation, and always assisting those around him. Sometimes blunt with the description of what was heard or seen, but telling it with empathy and sorrow.
It is a talk that you can hear time and time again and always hear another emotion or fact that you missed before. His calmness, preciseness, control with just a hint of emotion captivates you from the first word to the last. His words are like a melodic line—a melodic line that ends, but you wait for more. A truly moving and remarkable story that will make you think and wonder.