Creighton remembers 9/11: 25 years later

At 8:46 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, the first hijacked airliner struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. From that moment on, the world would be forever changed. 

A quarter century has passed since al-Qaeda’s brazen attacks on the United States killed thousands, shaking America to its core and awakening a patriotism that would unite the nation — and, ultimately, help commit it to a far-flung war on terror.

In this 250th anniversary year of the United States of America, the events of 9/11 mark a seminal moment in American history. While the majority of today’s undergraduate students were not born yet, 9/11 remains a defining date in our national psyche.

For those who witnessed the horror of that day, there is a collective memory yearning to be passed down to future generations.

At Creighton University, as it was across the country, that fateful day fused shock, confusion, fear, sadness, anger and deep anxiety. And yet, on a day forever marked by a vicious and evil act that remains the deadliest terrorist attack in history, and in the days that followed, acts of kindness and compassion abounded. Creighton remembers 9/11 in all of these ways, and more.