Students remember, reflect on Sept. 11, 2001

By: Danielle Efronson

Posted: 9/11/08

It may be hard to believe that it has been exactly seven years since that horrific day when two jet airliners were hijacked and flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center. Thousands of innocent lives were taken by the act of terror and changed by the incomprehensible loss. To honor those it affected, it is important to reflect on the impact the event had on the United States and its people.

When asked to look back on the moment they heard the Twin Towers had been attacked, many UConn students replied that they were confused and shocked.

Victoria Bjorklund, a 1st-semester exploratory major, was sitting in her sixth-grade social studies class when she heard the news and "didn't know how big of a deal it was; didn't understand that it was a national crisis." Looking back, Bjorklund says she thinks about it sometimes but believes "it affected some people more than others."

Brett Kernan, a 3rd-semester communications major, felt the effects of the attack profoundly, as his uncle worked in one of the Twin Towers.

"I was really worried when I found out because I knew my uncle worked on the 80th floor in one of the buildings," Kernan said. "It turned out that he worked in the second building and was on a ferry heading home when he saw the second building collapse."

Fortunately, Kernan's uncle escaped in time, but about 2,980 others were not as lucky. To honor and remember the deceased, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum Foundation is raising money to build both a memorial and a museum at Ground Zero. If the plan becomes a reality, two pools will be built in the footprints of the Twin Towers with massive waterfalls cascading down the sides. Around the edges of the pools, the names of the people killed in the terrorist attacks in New York, Washington and Pennsylvania, as well as the February 1993 World Trade Center bombing will be inscribed. The memorial as a whole is meant to symbolize and inspire reflection of those who perished. Going further, the museum will reveal some personal stories of the victims and will bring visitors closer to the tragedy. Not all of Ground Zero will be built into a memorial; the Freedom Tower, three other grand WTC towers, retail development, the WTC Transportation Hub and a performing arts center will also be built on the current ruins.

Many students agree that transferring the rubble to a memorial is the best way to remember the loss.

Chelsea Hill, a 1st-semester history major, said, "it was a big event in modern U.S. history […] it's important to remember what happened so we can realize where our country's going."

Janine Johnson, a 1st-semester animal science major, said, "it's important to give credit to those who died there, and to those who tried to help people get out of the building. They died in the honor of the U.S."

Some the attack, one of the most devastating acts of terrorism on American soil, it is undeniable that the country has changed.

Shannon Hicks, a graduate student studying physical therapy, thinks the attack was "the start of a lot of negative events in the country's history."

Jen Trcka, a 5th-semester business management major, believes the event was "really sad and a horrible situation, but it ended up bringing the nation closer."

A survey implemented by the SHRM (Society for Human Resource Management) shows that positive changes in regards to security occurred across the U.S. According to the survey, 64 percent of organizations have put higher security provisions in place, 27 percent of organizations give their employees more training in crisis management, and 13 percent of organizations have noted that the employees are more caring toward one another. Also, immigration laws have become much more strict in order to avoid possible terrorists entering the country.

Jeff Farrar, a communications professor, said the attacks have spurred scientific study and research aiming to understand more about the kamikaze terrorists.

"Within the communication field, there have been a large number of studies analyzing the communication between terrorists and the idea of persuasion," Farrar said. "These kinds of studies came about during the period of time when the Nazis were in power and are still carried out today to find out more about different groups of people."