On the eve of the fifth anniversary of September 11, 2001, Hofstra University will host a half-day symposium on how the tragic events of that day forever changed us and how it will continue to be remembered.

"The Future of September 11," to be held on Tuesday, Sept. 5 from 12:30 to 7 p.m., will bring together elected officials, groups representing the families of victims, scholars, artists, psychologists, journalists, first responders and others to look back on that terrible day and how it has affected our perceptions, our culture and our government and to begin to explore the legacy that the chaos, loss and then recovery has created for all of us.

The New York Times reporter Jim Dwyer, co-author with Kevin Flynn of 102 Minutes: The Untold Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers (Harper Collins, 2005), will be the keynote speaker for the symposium.

Co-sponsored by Hofstra University and the World Trade Center Family Center, a program of South Nassau Communities Hospital, "The Future of September 11" will feature panels on "The Post 9/11 Presidency;" "Remembering 9/11: Making a Memorial for Everyone;" "The Message and the Media: How 9/11 Has Changed Mass Communication;" and "Coming of Age After September 11: How Crisis Has Changed Today's Youth." Other panels will discuss how Sept. 11 has shaped our foreign policy and our religious institutions.

An interactive Student Town Hall, hosted by MTV News anchor Gideon Yago, will allow young adults to discuss their views on how September 11 has affected our society.

"Voiceless in the Presence of Realities," an art exhibit of works that reflect our nation's response to 9/11, will open at the Hofstra Museum in Lowe Hall on Sept. 5. The exhibit, which runs through Dec. 10, will feature works by about a dozen artists and by children from the World Trade Center Family Center.