"World Trade Center 9/11/01 attack memorial photo" by cattias.photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“To repeat, the United States is under attack”

While no student today was alive during 9/11, it is impossible to deny that it has had an impact on our lives, and even more so on the lives of those who lived through it. For most people our age, it is just a piece of history, just an explanation for the world we live in now. We can not forget the stories of the people who experienced it, and how they saw history unfold before their eyes. Without these stories, those events become nothing more than a date on a timeline, remembered only for their ensuing impact on history. So, on this special anniversary, let us remind ourselves of the people who experienced 9/11, and their unique perspectives on a day unlike any other.

"World Trade Center 9/11/01 attack memorial photo" bycattias.photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

“Disbelief. It sounded so unbelievable that I couldn’t accept it at first” said Mr. Najita, a Parker teacher. He said that new conditions for normal were set after that day, and that it was never fully the same after that. “It reminds me that US citizens should never believe that we are impervious to a major attack.”

"World Trade Center 9/11/01 attack memorial photo" by cattias.photos is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0

Another one of our teachers, Ms. Smith, was in 3rd grade at the time of the attack. “I didn't know this at the time since I was so young, but it was a huge shock to people because violence and war always seemed to happen somewhere else.” That one event would permanently change many aspects of life for Americans. “It changed literature, television, comedy, travel, [and] the ways we moved through the world” said Ms. Smith.

It has been 20 years since the 9/11 attack. Till this day, we honor the victims that died, and the heroes who risked their lives to save others.