Good morning, Saints!

In recent news, Professor Carla Sofka of Siena’s Social Work Department was interviewed by the Times Union in relation to the 15th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Professor Sofka teaches the Death and Dying class here on campus and according to the article, has students that were only three of four at the time of the attacks.  In her interview, she offers a very interesting perspective on the variety of different responses that she has encountered with regards to the anniversary of this terrible tragedy.

“There is a whole spectrum of responses to 9/11, and it’s far less direct for those who didn’t have a loved one who died or were very young when it happened.  I’ve also spoken with victims’ families who hated the term anniversary because the memory is so painful.  They prefer to call it a date of remembrance.  The way we view the event continues to evolve after 15 years.”

The terror attacks of 9/11 were some of the most tragic and horrendous attacks on American soil and even after 15 long years, the mere thought of what happened is still very difficult to deal with.  However, people have dealt with this in a wide variety of different ways and that is what Professor Sofka teaches her students in the Death and Dying class.  She challenges them to look at death and dying and tragedy from every angle so that they will be able to truly see how humans cope, even years and years after losing someone.

Here is the link to the article and the article was written by Times Union reporter Paul Grondahl.

http://www.timesunion.com/tuplus-local/article/A-soldier-Muslim-and-mother-of-a-son-killed-in-9215235.php

Have a great day!

Julia Lowney, Student Intern