It’s been six years since September 11, 2001. The lives of so many were changed forever on that day when hijacked American planes and crashed in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania. This week UT students and faculty look back on the crisis with mixed feelings.

Most of the freshman and sophomore classes at UT this year were in middle school when planes hit the Twin Towers. Brooks Morelock, a sophomore in architecture said, "I was in gym class when I found out about the World Trade Center getting hit and one girl in my class just kept crying."

Sam Wright, a senior and college scholar, said he was on the "brace bus" to the orthodontist when he found out. "I felt bad for not caring," he said.

On the other hand, Tawnia Rojas, a UT sophomore, said she felt "more concerned for the people in the tower(s) and couldn’t believe that this could happen in our country."

UT faculty looks back on the day a bit differently than students do. English 101 professor Beth Meredith, remembers "collapsing in tears as the first building fell" when she saw it happening live on television. Even thinking about it today makes her eyes fill with tears.

Jim Miller, a professor in the school of journalism, says the event "made the importance of family more real."

Everyone interviewed for this story felt that although the tragedy had an important impact on this country, the wounds have faded since. Beth Meredith said, "perhaps the sting has softened in the last six years." Jim Miller backed up this idea when he said, "people have quick memories in the United States."

Immediately after 9/11, America’s response was strong. Flags were hung in yards, candlelight vigils were held and angry country songs were written. Miller said the country "unified quickly but years later were divided by party lines."

Although the sixth anniversary of 9/11 brings back mixed feelings for some and foggy ones for others, America, as a whole, has never been the same.