At The Criterion, we believe it’s important to remember that 9/11 is not a thing of the past. The events of Sept. 11, 2001 continue to resonate to this day through both conflict and the imprint left upon the hearts of many citizens, first responders and veterans.

That tragic day will always leave a scar in our nation’s history, but without the service of our emergency responders and veterans, it could have been much, much worse. We thank those who gave their lives on that day, those who tracked through the debris to save others and those who later put their lives on the line to capture the perpetrators responsible for the attacks.

But we also want to recognize the greatness and importance of veterans and emergency responders today. Colorado Mesa University students, professors and alumni give service in many ways. Whether its multiple tours in the military, training to become a firefighter or EMT, or working on becoming a police officer, this community carries on the integrity and heart that those service men and women had on 9/11.

We thank them for their dedication to their community and their country, and for bringing that greatness to the CMU campus. Our hope with this edition was to feature and highlight some of the many people in the CMU community, to honor and pay respect to the service they do. We hope others will take the time to read this edition, to appreciate these individuals and to remember the ways these people make our lives better.