9/11

Do you remember where you were when you heard about the attacks on this day 10 years ago? I had just finished class and was on my way to the meal hall when a friend stopped me and asked me if I had heard. I thought they were joking. On the large screen TVs at either end of the meal hall the news was on, and emblazoned on the screen was the terrifying headline, America Under Attack. The footage of the plane crashing into one of the twin towers was even more terrifying. I didn't eat my lunch. I sat with my mouth agape, unable to look away at the horror unfolding in New York City (and as we later found out, the Pentagon), trying desperately to comprehend what was happening. Afternoon classes were cancelled. The unthinkable attacks were all anyone could talk about. What did they mean? Who did it? And most importantly, why? Today, a decade later, the last question is still largely unanswered. Families who lost loved ones confront a void each and every day which acts as a reminder of the senseless acts of violence that took place on September 11, 2001. The day their lives changed forever; the day the world changed forever. You can make a donation to Families of September 11 (a BBB accredited charity), whose mission is "To raise awareness about the effects of terrorism and public trauma and to champion domestic and international policies that prevent, protect against, and respond to terrorist acts."

Never forget.