09/11/2026
"On the morning of September 11th, I was asleep in my dorm two miles up Broadway, a brand new freshman at NYU. One of my roommates woke the other four of us and we watched the second plane hit on the television. And then I went to class, because I couldn’t possibly understand the magnitude of what we were witnessing.
During the first anniversaries, I would remember the feeling of that day; that I was witnessing history, but didn’t have the context to understand it. It wasn’t until the 10th anniversary that I too began to feel grief, having lived in New York long enough to finally have a clearer understanding of what was lost that Tuesday. Later I became close friends with people who didn't remember 9/11 very well. Then I began teaching students who hadn't even been born when it happened.
Now, 25 years later I keep thinking about what it means to be part of a collective grieving and how rings of grief apply. Those who were in the towers and survived or who lost loved ones are in the center with first responders and their families. But increasingly the outer rings feel further away. Or maybe the inner rings have gotten smaller as I’ve aged. I used to feel like I was in an outer ring, but now I teach those in the outer ring, who don’t know what it is they are supposed to grieve on the anniversary.
I have been thinking that maybe this is what it is to live through history as we age. I have more freshmen in my classes this semester than I have in semesters past and I keep looking at them and seeing versions of myself 25 years ago. For my generation, “Never Forget” means remembering the people and the world before. For theirs, it means remembering the history they never quite got to in those high school textbooks. While they may not grieve 9/11, they should understand it.”
Today, the Department of Sociology remembers the lives lost on September 11, 2001 and honors the courage and sacrifice shown in its aftermath. We also reaffirm our commitment to building a society grounded in compassion, understanding, and peace.
Thank you to Rhiannon Miller for sharing her photos, words, and reflections with us.
