This Sunday marks the tenth anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks that tore apart the World Trade Center towers in New York City and devastated the Pentagon and the lives of thousands of Americans.
For most of the staff at The Journal, 9/11 marks the single most pivotal moment in our lives. Though the majority of Webster University’s undergraduate class was in elementary school when planes crashed into the Twin Towers, the Pentagon and a field in Pennsylvania, the attacks have undeniably shaped our generation — from changing our language and laws to placing a seemingly permanent slant on our worldview.
Whether we’ve known it, or been aware of it, we’ve lived in a world sculpted by the events of that day ever since.
In honor of the lives lost, and the lives of American soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan that are still being lost today, The Journal put together a four-page wraparound to highlight the impact 9/11 has, and still has on Webster’s students, faculty and staff. The process represents one of the largest undertakings for our staff and we could not be more honored to do it.
The pages surrounding this week’s newspaper contain stories of Webster staff members serving overseas to protect the American people, perspectives on that tragic day from both students and professors, and share the efforts of a Webster alumnus to help ease the pain and anger that still lingers from that day 10 years ago.
In creating a 9/11 wraparound, The Journal sought to explore our own conflicting emotions about the events of a decade ago, and the way that we are irreparably changed. We purposefully crafted our vision of this supplement, refusing to accept anything less than our most meaningful effort.
We sought to represent multiple opinions and views on the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
We sought to represent to the students of Webster that while we can never change the past or the course of action America has pursued since the attacks, our generation can learn from such a devastating experience.
Years from now, The Journal hopes to see a continued effort by the American people to promote understanding and acceptance of other cultures, an investigation and analysis of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan so mistakes will not be repeated, and a better national remembrance to honor the brave souls who gave their lives that Tuesday.
The Journal does not seek to heal all wounds, settle all scores, or define the exact meaning and parameters of the post-9/11 world. The Journal seeks, as always, only to explore.
As we continue to grow and mature, our generation must look for a way to understand and cope with the 9/11 attacks, and make sure that future generations never forget that day.
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