Today is Sept. 11, and while in any other year it would have been just another day, we have a way of attaching importance to anniversaries on grand and personal levels, commemorating both sad and joyous events.
As Americans, we are united by the fact that today is one year after four hijacked airplanes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field outside Shanksville, Penn. A date commemorated for its effect on our collective and on ourselves personally, defined entirely through the lasting shadows it casts.
Today is a day to encourage reflection, to look back and evaluate our goals and priorities in the face of disaster, and where we are now.
What does Sept. 11 and this one-year anniversary mean to you, to the UW-Madison community and to the nation as a whole?
This is a question that is far too personal in nature for us to attempt to answer, and it may even still be unanswerable for some individuals.
Today's one-year anniversary of the tragedy can serve as an excellent occasion to step back and ponder what the tragedy means to you and how it has affected your world.
As we move forward we must always remember to look back.
