2,974 deaths. 4 planes. 2 fallen Towers. 10 years. 1 day that will never be forgotten.
Tuesday, September 11, 2001.
I recall sitting in my first grade classroom, and my teacher explaining to the class what had happened. I didn’t understand it until I visually experienced the terror 9/11 brought to the country while watching TV. I was unaware that buildings could collapse in such ways that the Twin Towers did, and I could not accept the death toll as 2, 974 persons. It seemed too high.
My generation has not yet experienced a more tragic and eventful day in our lives. So much was taken away from us 10 years ago, and it is only human to long for it back. Yet, so much was given to us as well.
We are teenagers, and arguing with our parents is what we do best. But after watching a video about children whose fathers died on 9/11 and never had a chance to meet their children, it blew my mind that the people who love me and support me throughout my life could be gone instantaneously. Whether it be a terrorist attack, a heart attack, or a car accident; it does not matter. They would be gone, and I would not have the chance to thank them and bid adieu.
Students at Niles West are used to having easy access to computers, many resources, and a great opportunity to gain an education while here for four years. Perhaps a musician desires a better and more able instrument to use, but just as easily as he desires the new instrument he forgets what his parents sacrificed to purchase the one he currently uses. Perhaps a basketball player is upset that she does not have the highest vertical, but she is forgetting that she has a pair of legs that are capable of jumping. Do we stop often enough and consider what we have been given rather than what we do not obtain?
So much can be learned from the attacks on September 11. I challenge you to discover something that you can take in to ensure that the victims and heroes of the September 11 attacks did not die in vain, but rather they preached a legacy to the rest of America.
Maggie Wibright • Sep 12, 2011 at 9:32 AM
Wow Ivana, good job!
Fatima Farha • Sep 12, 2011 at 9:29 AM
I was in kindergarten, and even though I was really young, I can still remember what happened. It was that bad. I was scared the entire day that a plane would crash into where my dad worked in downtown Chicago. I don’t think I would have ever even thought of that if this incident hadn’t happened. I am still confused to this day as to why someone would do this to anyone. It was inhumane.
Hafsa Wahid • Sep 12, 2011 at 9:26 AM
9/11 was a very horrible and sad event. One’s heart goes out to all of the people who lost their lives. It’s very tragic, but as a nation we must not loose hope and not be weakened. Be patient. You will never be forgotten R.I.P. 9/11 victims.
Rebecca Yun • Sep 12, 2011 at 9:15 AM
I remember when 9/11 happened, I was sitting in my 1st grade classroom, having story time on the big circle rug. Out of nowhere, my mom and dad came to pick me up and they seemed extremely distressed. I didn’t know what was wrong, but I spent the rest of the day sitting on my living room couch, watching the news. Images of a dust cloud and some replays of a plane flying into a building flickered on and off the screen.
As a six-year-old, I was absolutely clueless as to what had just happened. All I knew about that day was that I spent about an hour in school before my mom and dad let me come home. Now that I’m older, I realize how big of an impact 9/11 has had on America. Things will never be the same.