As I made my way to class this poignant morning, radio interviews with survivors of the attack on the World Trade Center fresh in my mind, I fully expected to be greeted by a ceremonial American flag lowered at half-mast in remembrance of the Sept. 11 tragedy.

However, disappointment and shock struck me as I emerged into the courtyard by Founders Hall to the sight of a wilted flag hanging at full-mast, as though it were just another day at Northern Kentucky University.

It is highly discouraging to think that the NKU officials and staff responsible did not have the courtesy or the compassion to perform this simple rite in honor of our fellow Americans who lost their lives in a heinous act of terrorism.

Have our fallen comrades been so easily forgotten? Is not the memory of that terrible day forever etched in the minds of every American?

If America is to combat the malevolent forces that pose such a threat to our country and to the world at large, the tragedies that are consequences of terrorist societies must never be forgotten.

The Sept. 11 attacks against America should be alive in the minds of every citizen, fuel for the fire needed to fight existing terrorism and prevent any such catastrophe from occurring again.

Regardless of political stance, race, ethnicity, class, or creed, every American shares a common history, a history rich with our core values of liberty, freedom, justice and courage in the face of evil.

The attack on the World Trade Center five years ago was not an assault on New York City, but a direct provocation of the United States. We must remember this essential truth if we are to secure a safe world for the future.

Emily Mahoney Sophomore English