The terrorists who flew two passenger jets into New York's World Trade Center did not discriminate. None of the people in the twin towers received priority treatment based on age, sex, race or religion.
Six Dartmouth graduates lost in the Sept. 11 attacks -- Juan Cisneros '99, Chris Colasanti '90, Kevin Crotty '80, Brian Dale '80, Richard Woodwell '79 and Jeff LeVeen '68 -- were loved by their family, co-workers and classmates. They had plans and aspirations for the future. But the attackers did not discriminate.
Cisneros came to Dartmouth from Orange Glen High School in Escondido, Calif. He majored in government, and among his activities was leading a DOC trip for the Class of 2002.
After graduation, Cisneros took a job as a trader at Cantor Fitzgerald to pay off his student loans. He had planned to save up enough money to pursue a medical or political career, according to an interview in the San Diego Union-Tribune with Cisneros' mother, Lidia Alvarez.
Cisneros might have traded Green Key stories with Jeff LeVeen, who also worked on the 104th floor of the north tower. LeVeen was a Partner and Senior Vice President of Equity Sales at Cantor Fitzgerald, working at a living he had anticipated since childhood.
"He always wanted to work on Wall Street," Peter Fahey '68 told The Dartmouth. "In fact his theme song in college was 'The Boy from New York City' even though he grew up in Port Washington on Long Island."
When he wasn't working toward his dream career, LeVeen was captain of the golf team and served as social chair at the Phi Gamma Delta fraternity. After graduating, he served in the U.S. military for two years as a specialist.
"Jeff was one of the most refreshing and vibrant human beings that any of us will ever know. He was a guy who lit up everyone around him with his enthusiasm and good humor," said Fahey.
LeVeen celebrated his 27th wedding anniversary with his wife Christine in February. The couple raised five children together: Jeff Jr., Betsy, Andrew, Katie and Meg.
"He was so much larger than life than other people I knew," Christine said. "He had tremendous energy."
Less information is currently available regarding a third Dartmouth alum who went missing from Cantor Fitzgerald's offices on Sept. 11, Chris Colasanti. Memorial services were held Saturday in South Orange, NJ. Colasanti is survived by his wife and two daughters, Cara and Lauren.
Nearby, in the south tower, Richard "Woody" Woodwell worked as a senior vice president at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods. He had worked in the World Trade Center for 13 years, according to an obituary in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
A Pittsburgh native, Woodwell attended prep school at Avon Old Farms School in Avon, Conn., before coming to Dartmouth. He began his career in San Francisco before taking a post in New York.
Woodwell resided in Ho-Ho-Kus, N.J., with his wife, Linda, and three children: Richard Jr., Margaret and Eleanor. He is also survived by a brother, Jake, and sister Pamela.
The Class of 1980 has suffered two tragic losses. One is Brian Dale, who was a passenger on ill-fated American Flight 11. Dale was a cofounder of investment firm Blue Capital Management.
The valedictorian of his class at Norwin High School, Dale was recruited for the football team at Dartmouth. He quickly acquired the nickname "Hulk" for his intimidating stature at the tight end position.
Dale made many friends as president of the Harold Parmington Foundation fraternity, and later graduated magna cum laude as a member of Phi Beta Kappa.
On a memorial web page posted by HPF brother Dave Halpert, friend Rich Pender reflected on laughs he had enjoyed with Dale. "Brian was always trying to sing the 'Why was he born so beautiful' song, and make me chug a quart of maple syrup.
"I wish he were here so I could do that for him."
Dale is also fondly remembered by his wife, Louanne, and children Jacob, Rachel and Russell.
Information is sparse on another '80 involved in the attacks, Kevin Crotty. Class of 1980 President Merle Adelman confirmed, however, that he was lost. Adelman noted that Crotty played freshman basketball at the College.
Adelman was one of many concerned alums posting to online message boards set up earlier this year by the Blunt Alumni Association. The boards had seen little traffic prior to the 11th but were alight with "I'm OK" posts -- and a few sadder reports -- after the attacks.
Soon after the attacks, Marella Kim '01 e-mailed her classmates to solicit the names of alumni in New York and Washington, DC who were safe. She was shocked the flood of replies that came, with over 200 messages contributing to a safe list that eventually numbered about 800.
Kim said that the tightness of the alumni community made her "proud to be a Dartmouth alum."
"In light of the tragedy," Kim said, "many people reached out to connect to people whom they had lost touch with ... As the saying goes, there is no great loss without some small gain."
For now, Dartmouth can only grieve and hope that the loss becomes no greater. Adelman put it simply on Blunt's online forums when she informed the community of Crotty's passing -- "I hope this is the last piece of news like this."