Remembering 9/11 ten years later

Kate Howard
News Editor

Ten years ago tomorrow, America was attacked by nineteen al-Qaeda terrorists on a beautiful September morning. The tenth anniversary of 9/11 serves as a reminder of how our nation has bound together in times of tragedy and the day that forever changed history. To pay tribute to the victims of September 11, several seniors have organized their own projects.

Senior Bryan James created a memorial that features twelve black and white photographs of New Canaan’s emergency personnel that risked their lives on 9/11. “The idea behind the project is to honor the bravery and selflessness of the first responders from New Canaan and to inspire New Canaanites to aspire to share those same qualities,” said Bryan. “A photograph of an actual person is much more compelling and relatable than a brick and mortar statue. The viewer can feel the emotion and connect more strongly with a human face.”

Byran said his endeavor was inspired by an organization called the Inside Out Project, formed by JR, a Parisian graffiti artist. “I used the Inside Out Project to print the photos as posters and participate in their global art project in a meaningful way,” he said. “I then put them up at the YMCA for the town to see and honor those brave men and women.”

Last May, History Department Head Richard Webb assigned his AP U.S. History classes a project to design a 9/11 memorial for New Canaan. The winning design, by seniors Elizabeth Kilbride, Tess Litchman, Maggie O’Rourke and Kelly Saiz, consists of a emblematic glass tower leaning on a black marble one, and will be installed at the Talmadge Hill Train Station. “In designing our memorial, we wanted an image that would resonate with and be meaningful to the residents of Fairfield County, a region deeply impacted by the events of 9/11,” Tess said. “We wanted our design to encapsulate the sense of community and bond that resounded after the attacks.”

Most current NCHS students were in elementary school on September 11th, 2001 and, according to junior Sara Greene, did not have a clear understanding of the importance of the attacks. “I was in first grade and I remember watching the news that day,” she said. “It just kept showing the same clips of the Twin Towers burning and emergency responders rushing to the scene. As I watched, I kept wondering why someone would do something so cruel.”

Freshman Bridget Callahan recalled how the day personally impacted her family. “All I remember is my mom on the phone with my grandpa, who was in one of the Twin Towers at the time,” she said. “Luckily he got out okay, but the one thing that really stood out to me was how scared my mom was about it all.”

Now a decade later, students have a higher grasp on the factors that caused 9/11 and the impact the attacks had on the nation and the world. “It is a time for us to put the last ten years into perspective, and remember why our actions in the Middle East are so important,” junior Eric Persky said. “Events such as the murder of Osama bin Laden become far less significant if we are unable to remember who our enemies are and why they need to be stopped.”

Mr. Webb has organized an assembly on Tuesday, September 27, 2011 to gain further insight about 9/11: ten years after. The assembly will feature speakers such as VOICES of September 11th co-founder Mary Fetchet, author of “Messages: Signs, Visits and Premonitions from Loved Ones Lost on 9/11″ Bonnie McEneaney, among others.

“It takes a generation to fully and objectively understand an event,” Mr. Webb said. “Ten years in, I am still trying to make sense of 9/11 myself and this symposium’s part of that process.”

Junior Corbett Ripley believes the tenth anniversary of September 11, 2001 represents our country’s growth. “The tenth anniversary is so important because it represents our healing and how we’ve moved forward since it happened,” she said.

Photos by Kelly Saiz