REMEMBERING 9/11/01
The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 12, 2002 - 7A
OUR UNIVERSITY
ALUMNI
JOSHUA
ROSENTHAL
Josh Rosenthal's passion for public policy
served as the driving force behind his studies
and ideas.
Remembered by his mother, Marilyn, for his
optimistic goals and grasp on reality, Rosenthal <.
graduated from the University in 1979 with a CLASS OF 1979
bachelor's in political science.
Following his years at the University, Rosen- SENIOR VP, FIDUCIARY
thal went on to get a master's in public affairs TRUST INTERNATIONAL
from the Woodrow Wilson School at Princeton WORLD TRADE CENTER
University.
Named a Truman Fellow at Princeton, Rosenthal was recognized for his
dedication to public service, leadership qualities and scholastic achieve-
ments.
Rosenthal, born June 4, 1957, was senior vice president and an invest-
ment portfolio manager of the firm Fiduciary Trust Company International
in the South Tower of the World Trade Center. He also served on the Uni-
versity's Investment Advisory Committee.
Rosenthal is survived by Marilyn, a medical sociology professor at Uni-
versity of Michigan at Dearborn, his father Skip, sister Helen and his
nieces Madeleine and Alexandra Morino.
CHRISTINA
RYOOK
It could be something as little as buying a bottle of
laundry detergent or as large as coordinating an event ~
for the Korean Students Association, but Christina
Ryook's thoughtfulness showed in her actions.
Ryook's freshman-year roommate, Alysa Ull-
man, remembered exchanging pre-move-in phone ASS OF 1998
calls. "Just from the first conversation I knew she CL
was a very thoughtful person," she said. HUMAN RESOURCES
The Ohioan Ryook offered to bring large appli- CANTOR F I TZG E RA L D
ances to outfit their Mary Markley Residence Hall WORLD T\RADE CENTER
room so that Ullman, an Arizona native, would not
have to worry about traveling with them. On Ryook's list was a large bottle of
Tide to share with her roommate. During their freshman year, the door to their
room was always open to friends who needed advice about anything from boyfriends
to school, Ullman said. "She was always kind of like the mother hen of our hallway.
It was just this joke that the two of us never, ever slept."
1 "She was like the big sister I never had," said Kyon Holman, a friend who met
Ryook in Markley. Ryook, three months the elder, taught Holman the Korean word
for older sister, "uhn-nee". She, in turn, began calling Holman little brother in Kore-
an. They tricked a friend into believing they were related, despite Ryook's roots and
Holman's black heritage.
META
JLLER:WALLER
When American Airlines Flight 77 crashed
into the Pentagon one year ago yesterday, Uni-
versity alum Meta Fuller Waller was working at
her desk.
Waller, 60, served for 12 years as special pro-
grams manager for the Secretary of the U.S. C SS OF 1973
Army and had graduated from the University in
1973 with a general studies degree. She earned SPECIAL PROGRAMS MGR.
a master's degree from Harvard's Kennedy SECRETARY TO THE ARMY,
School of Government. PENTAGON
A resident of Alexandria, Va., Waller held a life-long interest in civil
rights and attended the United Nations Conference on Racism in South
Africa shortly before her death.
Waller, who had endured the death of her husband and daughter,
remained hopeful and strong.
Friends said Waller was looking forward to traveling and experiencing
life outside of the Pentagon.
Known to family members as a talented storyteller and writer, Waller
was considering retirement.
Frequent travels to Martha's Vineyard were the inspiration for many of
Waller's creative works.
I MEREDITH
WHALEN
"I take each day as it comes, and in some ways
it's hard to believe it's been a whole year. It's been
forever, said Patricia Whalen, mother of Sept. I1
victim and University alum Meredith Whalen.
Meredith, a 2000 Business School graduate,
worked as a research analyst for Fred Alger Man- C LASS OF 2000
agement Inc. on the 93rd floor of World Trade Cen- FRED ALGER
ter Tower One.
"They've never found any of her remains," MANAGEMENT
Whalen said. "I thought right from the begin- WORLD TRADE CENTER
ning - she was at the point of impact - that she probably died instantly.
So I was okay with thinking that."
The University plans to install a marble bench in Meredith's memory on the
grounds of the Business School.
"I was going to pay for the bench, but (the University) wanted to do it," Whalen
said.
Shortly after Meredith's death Whalen created a scholarship fund at the Univer-
sity and the Canton Community Foundation in her daughters' name. Whalen
received donations from friends, strangers and Meredith's former employer.
"They helped to make it a very sizeable scholarship fund, so it should go on for
several years."
MARK
ZEPLIN
Mark Zeplin had just bought a house where.
he and his wife Debra were planning on raising
their two young sons in, his friend Mitch
Hasenbind said.y
He loved Bruce Springsteen, Michigan sports f A
and was a true family man, said Joslin Zeplin
I
FRIENDS TILL THE END
Three young men met at the University as
brothers of the Sigma Alpha Mu fraternity.
These three frends, Greg Richards, Larry
Polatsch and Scott Wengard, worked
alongside each other at the Wall Street firm
Cantor Fitzgerald. They began and ended
their careers together when they pershed in
the World Trade Center on the morning of
Sept. 11, 2001.
LAURENCE LARRY"'
POLATSCH
Danny Polatsch described his brother as "one
of these guys who actually lived."..
He had asked Julia Roberts out on a datex
while in a magazine shop, snuck into Michael
Douglas' wedding, and loved to crash parties at
the Plaza Hotel in New York City when he and
his friends had nothing to do at night, his life- C LASS OF 1990
long friend Gary Bell said.
Polatsch, or L.P. as his friends called him, PARTNER,
lived every moment to the fullest and was never CANTOR FITZGERALD
held back by his inhibitions or fears. He was WORLD TRADE CENTER
always smiling, partying and making people laugh, Bell said.
He graduated from the University in 1990 with a degree in political science
and later went to the University of Syracuse Law School. Although he was
trained as a lawyer, he switched career paths several years ago and was work-
ing in equity sales at Cantor Fitzgerald located on the 104th floor of the
World Trade Center.
"I think about him all the time, all the time, constantly, whenever I have a
free moment on my mind," Bell said. "He just had a heart of gold and it really
made me appreciate life a lot more."
GREGORY
RicHARDSz
A wiz with numbers, Greg Richards was
successful at what he did. After receiving his
bachelors degree in economics in 1992 he went
on to several jobs where he flourished and was
able to do what he loves.
WAh~ie it NMichigan- Greg asa2membe~r
SCOTT
WEINGARD
You would never hear an unkind word out of his
mouth unless it was in reference to the team play-
ing against Michigan on football Saturday, said
friends of Scott "Scotty" Weingard.
"Scotty is the kind of guy who nobody ever had
a bad word to say about him and he never had a C' A C C r 1 Q Q '
1I