On Wednesday, Sept. 11, SUNY Brockport will pause to reflect on the tragedy that shaped the nation. The campus will host “9/11: Looking Back” at the Campus Mall, inviting students, faculty and staff to share their experiences and overall perceptions of the aftermath of 9/11 with the campus community.

For many, the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon are etched into memory, including where they were, what they were doing and the emotions that followed. Although today’s generation of college students largely consists of those born after 2001, the events shaped the trajectory of the country, creating millions of individual stories and experiences that live in the memory and impact many in the Brockport community.

SUNY Brockport’s Associate Director for Leadership and Civil Engagement Carly Fox has her own memories of 9/11.

“Some, like myself, experienced a multitude of truths all at once on 9/11,” Fox said. “Deep grief from losing a loved one, deep fear living so close to Ground Zero, deep anger for all those responsible and deep worry for the future of the country.”

The event will include a communal memory wall, where participants can write and post their reflections, contributing to a visual tapestry of remembrance. Fox hopes that the Brockport community will use this as an opportunity to remember, reflect, and connect.

“As a campus committed to elevating civic engagement and community service, we have created this 9/11 memory wall as a space to share our memories, experiences and opinions,” Fox said. “We want to honor and acknowledge that not everyone experienced it the same.”

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Campus Mall, with a rain location in the Union Lounge. SUNY Brockport invites all to join in sharing their stories, honoring the victims, and reflecting on how a single day reshaped the course of the nation and the world.