9/11: Everybody Lost Somebody
Throughout the amphitheater, flags were placed in memory of the victims of the 9/11 attacks.
September 19, 2016
On September 9, Faith held its annual 9/11 remembrance ceremony, which was filled with somber silence from all of the students, faculty, and staff members.
As the school reflects on the attacks, new high school english teacher, Casey Stelmachowicz, gave a personal account of what he remembered from that day, and where he was during the devastating events.
“I was a junior in high school on September 11, 2001 in the beginning of a regular school day. Believe it or not I was in English class when one someone ran down the hall and shouted into our room that “something crazy was happening in New York” and we needed to turn the TV on to watch the coverage,” said Stelmachowicz.
“I did not know anyone lost in the attacks, but my best friend’s dad had switched careers recently and had undergone financial adviser training in one of the World Trade Centers for several weeks. He had only just completed his training several weeks before the attacks,” said Stelmachowicz, “The training also happened to be on one of the higher floors. I remember my friend being very affected by the thought that his dad was nearly caught up in the events of 9/11.”
During the remembrance ceremony the High School Women’s Ensemble sang the national anthem. As students walked away from the performance, some said they were experiencing chills. Senior and Women Ensemble member, Cynthia Curran, explained why singing our Nation’s Anthem in memory of such an impactful date in the United States history personal impacts her.
“I think it’s hard for a kid to get a sense of what being an American is, and for me, since I’m not 18 yet and I can’t vote, or serve my country, so the least I can do is sing the national anthem to honor those firefighters, police officers, and the innocent people who died on that day with the gift that God gave me,” said Curran, “I think the impact it has on the students is it creates and sense of patriotism and unity and that they understand that when our nation is threatened like that, we don’t back down or cower, but we rise up and stay together to recover.”
Not only did the song remind the school of all the men and women who fought for our country on that day, but the song also reminds us what it means to be an American.
“The act of song is something so special. It makes people stop what they are doing, quiet down, and listen. When we sing the national anthem it makes Americans stand a little taller, listen a little bit better, and clap a little louder because it is the song that represents our nation’s courage and freedom during hard times and during good times,” said Curran.
Most high school students were either infants at the time of the attacks, or had not been born yet , but some still have vague memories of 9/11.
“I remember being in the garage with my dad vaguely. However, I’m not too sure,” said junior, Brandon Roberts.
Even though most students don’t remember a lot from the day, but the footage of the attacks still impacts students the same way that it impact people when it was live on that dark day.
“I think the most significant moment to remember is the people that sacrificed their lives. Watching those videos, seeing those people so desperate in pain to jump off the building and take their lives really hit me,” said Roberts.
Six months after the attacks in 2001, a memorial had already formed in memory of everyone that lost their lives that day. It was “very emotional for everyone there.” So much so, two women exchanged these very solemn words “Honey, did you lose somebody?” The other woman replied saying, “I think we all lost somebody.”
