Sept. 11th remembered five years later at La Salle

By Dan Sandiford
Collegian Staff
September 13, 2006

It is hard to believe that it was only half a decade ago when our lives were changed on a bright and sunny September morning. The world changed rapidly before our eyes. As we sat there stunned at the devastation, we wondered if life would ever be the same. Would we be able to move beyond this event?

Students gathered in the Main Quad Monday to honor the memory of those
lost on Sept 11 2001. Photo taken by Sara Allen.

It is evident that things have changed. Life isn’t the same as it was on Sept. 10, 2001. We have seen our nation undergo new threats, our military forces take action in Afghanistan and Iraq and our nation become divided over the handling of the war on terror.

In the days immediately following 9/11, we were a united nation. Americans, regardless of race, religion and political affiliation, joined hearts and hands, showing the world what the American spirit truly is. It was during those dark days we saw what was most important in life.

We saw that a hero isn’t someone who can hit 70 home runs, or score the key touchdown in the Super Bowl. The real heroes are those who put their lives on the line each and every day in order to protect us. It is the firefighters, police officers, soldiers, sailors and marines who daily served people they don’t even know.

That awful day also showed us the importance of love. People all over the country watched helplessly as thousands were needlessly murdered on television. When the towers fell, and that awful smoke cloud filled the sky, it became evident no matter how much power and wealth we accumulate, it all can collapse and be taken from us. This being said, no force can take away the love Americans have for God, country and family. It is this mutual feeling that will always unite us.

Five years ago, the La Salle community was shaken in seeing these horrible events unfold. The students that were here for that tragic day have graduated and the University has moved along into the future. These events did not shake the Lasallian tradition of service and social justice. The basic principle of being a member of this Lasallian community is to reach out and make our global community a better place. Going to college and being educated is more than a step towards making money: it is ensuring that ignorance and injustice are defeated.

Ordinary people became heroes on 9/11 as passengers on Flight 93 took the plane back from the terrorists and crashed it in a Pennsylvania field to avoid more casualties. These people fought for us. They took responsibility and selflessly did what was best for the community and the country.

There is so much that can be said about the events of Sept. 11. It is the event that defines our generation. We are becoming educated in order to make a better world for ourselves. It is this very hope that we all share which binds us together as a community. Hope will bring us to peace, justice and prosperity.

sandifordd1@lasalle.edu