Neil Lucente ’97 was in an elevator on the 81st floor of the World Trade Center when the plane hit his building.
Rich Fields ’03 was the president of the Clark Undergraduate Student Council, struggling to find the words to ease the fear and sadness of his classmates.
For a certain generation, the assassination of John F. Kennedy is a touchstone. People remember where they were when they heard the news, who they were with, and the overwhelming weight of emptiness, shock, and disequilibrium. The September 11 attack on the World Trade Center is the contemporary equivalent — 25 years later, the trauma remains vivid, the impacts still reverberate.
We first shared these personal testimonies of Clarkies who remain connected to the events of 9/11, in life and memory, on the 20th anniversary in 2021. We’re resharing them today because they still remain a powerful reminder.
