Today marks 24 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the World Trade Center.
On that day, four passenger planes flying over the eastern United States were simultaneously hijacked in a coordinated attack by Al-Qaeda terrorists.
Two planes flew directly into the Twin Towers, the second strike less than 20 minutes after the first. Less than two hours later, the 110-story buildings collapsed, clouding the city in thick smoke and debris.
A third plane collided into the Pentagon, the United States Department of Defense’s headquarters located in Washington, D.C., the U.S. capital.
The fourth plane, United Airlines Flight 93, crashed in a field in Pennsylvania after hostages fought back against the attackers to gain control of the aircraft, though its intended target is unknown.
Overall, almost 3,000 people lost their lives in this tragedy, either from injuries sustained during the attack or succumbing to their injuries later. Hundreds of New York first responders were killed in rescue attempts.
Every year on this day, memorials are held to honor those who died, and stories are passed on to keep the memory of 9/11 alive.
Vikrant Gandotra, a junior majoring in computer science, recalled what his parents experienced that day.
“[My parents] were new immigrants,” Gandotra said. “They were from India and they came here in 1997, so they were pretty new to the country… They don’t really talk about it, but I’ve heard stories. My dad’s sister worked there, but she was on a lower floor, one of the first floors, so she got out.”
As the attacks went on, nationwide panic ensued. No one was sure if, when, or where the next plane was going to hit.
Cecelia Gilbert, a junior in aerospace engineering, shared what her family endured on 9/11.
“I felt more of a connection to it when I would ask my family members about it… my mom actually worked downtown in Chicago, but she was a building manager, so she had to be one of the last people to leave,” Gilbert said. “That was a really scary experience for my family, just because she was still in Chicago and they weren’t sure what they were going to hit next.”
Most of ISU’s current student body was not yet born when the attacks occurred. Their exposure to the major historical event is shaped primarily by firsthand accounts from older generations, what they’ve been taught in school and past news coverage.
“In high school, that’s when the 20th anniversary came, and that’s when they started having actual presentations about 9/11,” Gandotra said. “They were starting to realize, ‘Hey, these kids weren’t even born yet, so we need to actually present about it.’”
For some students, personal class discussions helped them comprehend the impacts of 9/11.
“Normally, they’d show us newscasts and then the teacher will share their experience, which is pretty cool and pretty impactful just to see what actually happened to regular people experiencing it,” Caleb Stocks, a freshman in civil engineering, said.
Historical footage and firsthand accounts have helped students conceptualize the event that took place years before they were born.
“I’ve had a lot of teachers tell me what they were going through at that time, and we’ve seen a lot of reports on the firefighters during that time and what they went through,” Evan Burg, a first-year majoring in architecture, said.
The anniversary of Sept. 11 serves as a time to remember the lives lost and reflect on the day’s lasting impact.
